ARPG Innovators: Ex-Diablo Devs Unveiling New Project

Former Diablo and Diablo II developers are creating a new, low-budget action RPG with the ambition to redefine the genre. Given the success of the original Diablo games, this new ARPG from veteran developers has high potential.

Moon Beast Productions, an independent studio founded by Phil Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, secured $4.5 million in funding to develop this innovative ARPG. Their goal is to break free from conventional ARPG design, creating a more open and dynamic experience, harkening back to the unique elements that defined the early Diablo games. The team, comprised of individuals with experience on both Diablo I and II, aims to revolutionize the hack-and-slash genre after over two decades in the industry.

While details about the game remain scarce, the involvement of such experienced developers suggests a promising title. However, breaking into a saturated market filled with high-quality ARPGs will be a significant challenge. The recent success of Diablo IV's "Vessel of Hatred" expansion and the immense popularity of Diablo itself present considerable competition.

Further complicating matters is the strong performance of competitors like Path of Exile 2. Its recent release achieved a peak concurrent player count exceeding 538,000 on Steam, ranking it among the platform's top 15 most played games. This underscores the intense competition within the ARPG landscape.