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 ambition to redefine the genre. Given the success of the original Diablo games, this new ARPG from veterans of both titles has significant potential.

Moon Beast Productions, an independent studio founded by Phil Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, secured $4.5 million in funding to develop an ARPG that aims to "transcend conventional genre design." This team of Diablo 1 and 2 alumni plans to revolutionize the hack-and-slash experience. Their goal, pursued for over two decades, is to deliver a more open and dynamic ARPG, harkening back to the elements that made the early Diablo games so distinctive.

While details about the game remain scarce, the involvement of such experienced developers suggests a high likelihood of creating a top-tier action RPG. However, breaking into a market already saturated with high-quality ARPGs will be challenging. The recent success of Diablo IV's "Vessel of Hatred" expansion, for instance, highlights the strong competition and established fanbase.

The task of competing with Diablo is formidable, especially with other prominent contenders like Path of Exile 2 vying for players' attention. Path of Exile 2's recent launch on Steam was exceptionally successful, achieving a peak concurrent player count exceeding 538,000—ranking it among the platform's top 15 most popular games.