Ex-Diablo devs are working on a new ARPG to innovate the genre

Former Diablo and Diablo II developers are creating a new, low-budget action RPG with the potential to redefine the genre. Given the success of the original Diablo games, this new ARPG, developed by veterans of both titles, has high expectations.

Moon Beast Productions, an independent studio founded by Phil Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, secured $4.5 million in funding to develop this ARPG, aiming to "transcend established genre conventions." The team, comprised of Diablo I and II alumni, intends to revolutionize the hack-and-slash experience. Their vision is to create a more open and dynamic ARPG, harkening back to the elements that made the early Diablo games so distinctive.

While details remain scarce, the game's potential is undeniable, thanks to its all-star development team. 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, for example, demonstrates the existing strong player base and potential resistance to change.

The competition is fierce, with established titles like Path of Exile 2 also vying for players' attention. Path of Exile 2's recent Steam launch was exceptionally successful, reaching a peak concurrent player count exceeding 538,000, placing it among the platform's top 15 most played games. This highlights the significant hurdle facing Moon Beast Productions' ambitious project.