What to Play While You Wait for Diablo 5
Diablo 5 is due in Spring 2029. Here is what to play until then: Diablo II: Resurrected for the itemization Diablo 5 is borrowing, Diablo IV for the live game, and Diablo III for the returning Demon Hunter and Monk.
Play Diablo II: Resurrected if you want the itemization Diablo 5 is borrowing, Diablo IV if you want the newest game with new content still arriving, and Diablo III if you want to try the Demon Hunter and Monk before they return. Diablo 5 is due in Spring 2029, more than two years away, and the next Diablo II: Resurrected ladder season starts Friday, November 13, 2026.
The official name is Diablo V, and both names appear here. Dates and details are as of November 2026, from Blizzard's BlizzCon 2026 announcements. The Diablo 5 release date guide has everything announced about the game itself.
How Long Is the Wait for Diablo 5?
Blizzard says Diablo V is coming Spring 2029, with no month or day. It is officially in development and still early. No platforms, beta, pre-orders, editions or price have been announced (see the beta and platforms guide), and Blizzard plans regular development updates starting in 2027. That leaves a long stretch, and three games worth filling it with.
Is Diablo 2 Resurrected Worth Playing Before Diablo 5?
For anyone curious about Diablo V's items, yes, and this is the longest answer here for a reason. Blizzard says Diablo V's itemization is inspired by Diablo II, and Diablo II: Resurrected still plays by those rules. Four of the pieces Blizzard has named are already in the game.
Stat requirements. Blizzard is experimenting with stat requirements on gear and has not decided. In Diablo II: Resurrected, gear has them today. A Spired Helm needs 192 Strength to wear, a Shako needs 50, and an Ancient Armor needs 100, so where a character puts its attribute points decides which gear it can use.
Inventory space. Blizzard says larger items take up more inventory space again. In Diablo II: Resurrected the backpack is a grid, and a body armor covers far more squares than a ring. Fitting loot into that grid is part of the game.
Sets. Blizzard says gear-based sets return. Diablo II sets such as Tal Rasha's Wrappings and Isenhart's Armory give bonuses as a character wears more of their pieces.
Runes and Runewords. Blizzard says Diablo V's crafting includes Diablo II-style Runes and Runewords. In Diablo II: Resurrected a runeword is a recipe: specific runes, in order, in an item with the right number of sockets and the right base type. Spirit uses Tal, Thul, Ort and Amn in a four-socket sword or shield and adds +2 to all skills. Insight (Ral, Tir, Tal, Sol) fits staves, polearms and bows or crossbows and gives a Meditation aura. Enigma (Jah, Ith, Ber) goes in a three-socket body armor and adds +1 Teleport and +45% faster run/walk. The runewords database lists the rest.
None of this predicts how Diablo V will work. Stat requirements are undecided, and Blizzard has not published a single Diablo V recipe. But a player who has built a Spirit shield and socketed Enigma into armor knows what Blizzard means by those words.
Season timing helps. Ladder Season 16 starts Friday, November 13, 2026 at 5 PM PST (8 PM EST), and Patch 3.4 rolls out Monday, November 9 (what changes in 3.4). A ladder season starts everyone from scratch, so all players are hunting the same first items at once, which is a good moment to learn how gear and runewords fit together. The Season 16 start date guide has the time for every region.
Fair warning: Diablo II: Resurrected is the one of the three that asks the most planning up front. D2 Hustlers runs a community ladder with 8-man team play, separate from Blizzard's official leaderboard and not affiliated with Blizzard. The route in is to create an account at /register, fill in the Ladder Setup on your profile, and apply to a team on the teams page. How to Find a D2R Season 16 Team has the steps. Best for: anyone who wants to understand the item game Diablo V is aiming for.
Is Diablo 4 Worth Playing While You Wait for Diablo 5?
Diablo IV is the newest of the three, with seasons still arriving and new content announced. Season 15, Season of Hell's Legacy, has been live since September 15, 2026 with a 30th anniversary theme, Deckard Cain's return and nine legacy Uniques added permanently. Lord of Hatred, the second expansion, launched April 28, 2026 with the Skovos region, the Warlock, a playable Paladin, an overhauled endgame, Horadric Cube crafting and War Plans.
Two things connect to Diablo V. Blizzard says Diablo V's crafting is inspired by Lord of Hatred's approach, so the Horadric Cube is the nearest hands-on look at the idea Blizzard cites. And Blizzard has announced an Amazon class pack for the first half of 2027. Diablo IV is also on Nintendo Switch 2 through the Age of Hatred Collection, which launched September 15, 2026.
Season 16 was tested on the Public Test Realm (PTR) from October 27 to November 3, on PC only. Blizzard has not announced Season 16's live date or name, and says changes will be made before it goes live (the 3.3.0 PTR post). Diablo 4 Season 16 PTR: Tyrael's Boons and Horadric Items covers the test, and Diablo 4 After BlizzCon 2026 covers the Amazon and Switch 2. Best for: players who want the newest Diablo, with new content already announced.
Is Diablo 3 Still Worth Playing?
Diablo III Season 40, Light's Calling, started October 2, 2026. Its headline addition is the Angelic Crucible, a consumable that Sanctifies an equippable Legendary with one of three class-specific powers, picked at random. The Conqueror tier of the Season Journey grants an extra stash tab per season, up to five.
Diablo III is also the only one of these three games where the Demon Hunter and Monk are playable, and Season 40's Haedrig's Gift sets include Gears of Dreadlands for the Demon Hunter and Patterns of Justice for the Monk. Blizzard has not described how those classes will play in Diablo V, so Diablo III's versions are a reference point and not a preview. Diablo 3 Season 40 Light's Calling has the full season, and the Diablo 5 classes guide has what Blizzard said about the returning classes. Best for: anyone who wants to try those two classes now.
FAQ
How long until Diablo 5 comes out?
Spring 2029, with no month or day. Blizzard says the game is officially in development and still early, and regular development updates are planned to begin in 2027.
Do I need to play the older Diablo games before Diablo 5?
Nothing Blizzard has published says so. The campaign structure and how the story connects to earlier games have not been described, though, so that part is unknown. The premise Blizzard has shared is that Diablo has already won Sanctuary and you play the Heir to Westmarch.
Which Diablo game is closest to Diablo 5?
Each game matches a different piece of what Blizzard has said. Diablo II inspires the itemization, Lord of Hatred in Diablo IV inspires the crafting approach, and the Demon Hunter and Monk return from Diablo III. No single game is a preview of Diablo V as a whole.
Is there a Diablo 5 beta I can play now?
No. Blizzard has not announced a beta, and the beta and platforms guide tracks what is confirmed. Blizzard's sign-up page for updates is diablo5.blizzard.com.
Start Your Season 16 Run
Create an account at /register, then fill in your Ladder Setup and look through the teams page. Browse the runewords database to pick your first recipe before Season 16 starts on Friday.