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, developed by veterans of both titles, 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 an ARPG that will "transcend conventional genre design." This team of Diablo 1 and 2 alumni aims to revolutionize the hack-and-slash experience, creating a more open and dynamic ARPG, a vision they've held for over two decades. Their goal is to recapture the essence of the original Diablo games.
While details about the game remain scarce, the involvement of such experienced developers suggests a strong possibility of creating a top-tier action RPG. However, breaking into a market saturated with high-quality ARPGs will be challenging. The recent success of Diablo IV's "Vessel of Hatred" expansion, for instance, highlights the existing strong fanbase and potential resistance to switching games.
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 incredibly successful, boasting a peak player count exceeding 538,000, placing it among the platform's top 15 most played games. This underlines the significant hurdle Moon Beast Productions faces in establishing their new ARPG.
