On Tuesday, Blizzard announced that it is looking for developers to work on a brand new IP. It did not have many details about the project other than it will be a “survival game.” It sounds like it is in the early conceptual stages, and Blizzard is looking for talent to come in and write the story and flesh out the universe. The game will be Blizzard’s first original IP since Overwatch launched in 2016. It is also likely to be the publisher’s first Xbox exclusive. While the announcement was carefully worded to use the generic word “console,” it is almost guaranteed that the all-new franchise will never land on the PlayStation 5. Microsoft is prepared to close the biggest video game acquisition in history by shelling out $68.7 billion to pick up Activision Blizzard King. To entertain the possibility that it will hand a brand new property over to its competitor is the stuff of dreams. It’s not going to happen. Meanwhile, Diablo fans are likely to get bent out of shape over the announcement. They have been waiting for Diablo IV for years. Blizzard finally announced it in 2019, but the project has since suffered numerous delays and is not arriving until 2023 at the earliest. That said, fans can chill for now. After all, the announcement was a “casting call” for a brand new game that Microsoft will likely fund, so Diablo IV staff will not likely be affected in any way.
