{
  "id": 10992499,
  "title": "Diablo 5 Game Director Promises a Return to Methodical Character Builds, But Players Don't Believe Him",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/diablo-5-game-director-promises-a-return-to-methodical-character",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-30T15:56:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/diablo-5-game-director-promises-a-return-to-methodical-character-builds-but-players-dont-believe-him"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Diablo 5 remains years away, yet speculation abounds about its gameplay. Game Director Joe Shely hinted at a more methodical approach, responding to Chris Wilson's Path of Exile video analysis. On Twitter, Shely affirmed that while Diablo 5 will retain some DEX mechanics, it will predominantly be an INT/STR game centered around planning and investment. He reiterated the core design principle that any challenge can be surmounted with the right build. However, players remain doubtful. Reddit comments suggest they've heard similar promises before and anticipate Diablo 5's moment-to-moment gameplay to be similarly swift. Some believe Blizzard may backtrack post-launch. Yet, Twitter reactions show a glimmer of hope, with Dagon5 expressing optimism about Diablo 5's potential to revisit the itemization focus of Diablo 2.",
  "summary": "Diablo 5 game director Joe Shely has suggested a return to more methodical gameplay.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}