The Microsoft Store may have once again leaked an upcoming Xbox game's launch date, and this time it's Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 is an upcoming action RPG from Blizzard, from the legendary franchise that essentially popularized the genre. The refocus on gothic atmospherics and deeper systems should see Diablo 4 reach even greater heights than its predecessor, doubling down on what made the franchise great in the first place while retaining some of the modernity from Diablo 3. We've recently seen some unreleased gameplay footage from an ongoing closed beta test with journalists and influencers, and we have to say: it's looking quite fantastic.
In any case, what's unknown right now is exactly when the game will launch, but thanks to a leak on the Microsoft Store for Xbox and Windows PC, we now know when one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Xbox and PC games may be on the horizon.
Shared by Microsoft watcher @ALumia_Italia, Diablo 4's tentative launch date is June 5, 2023, based on hidden listings on the Microsoft Store. The file size clocks in at 80GB. This corroborates a recent update to our Diablo 4 launch date reveal some time ago, where I noted rumblings that the April launch window Blizzard was previously targeting had been pushed back to June.
We also previously exclusively revealed that Blizzard will show off Diablo 4 at The Game Awards on December 8, 2022, complete with a showcase of an upcoming Collector's Edition and the opening up of preorders, which will grant early access to an open beta slated for some time in the Spring — most likely around April.
Diablo 4 promises to be one of 2023's biggest game launches and is surely a candidate to make various best Xbox games lists around the 'net if Blizzard can nail the formula. Detailed shared with us by journalists and influencers in the closed beta for Diablo 4 make the game sound very promising, although in need of further optimization. It's expected that a preview embargo for the game could lift as early as today, with the press offering their first hands-on looks at the game (not us though, sadly).
Diablo 4's shift to June could also make it a candidate to launch directly into Xbox Game Pass helping it avoid the $70 price tag Microsoft just committed to for future Xbox games, if Microsoft's blockbuster acquisition of Activision-Blizzard goes through within that timeframe. We'll just have to wait and see.
