Blizzard confirms Diablo 4 cannot be played offline

Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo 4 will not be playable offline.

The news was confirmed during a BlizzCon 2019 panel on Saturday, where lead designer Angela Del Priore was asked whether the game would support “a full offline mode.”

“We are not going to support an offline mode,” Del Priore said. “But as I said before, nothing in Diablo 4 is going to require partying up. You can play solo and dungeons are private. Campain quest areas will remain private.”

In a separate statement issued to Gamespot, Blizzard confirmed Diablo 4 will be online-only across all versions, including PS4 and Xbox One.

2012’s Diablo 3 also required an internet connection in order to play on PC, however console versions did include an offline mode.

Diablo 4 was announced on Friday and will feature a “contiguous, seamless” shared game world, in which players will encounter each other during exploration.

The game will support solo and coordinated party play and also provide opportunities for groups of players to take on bigger challenges together, or battle eachother in PvP combat.

Blizzard said Diablo 4 will feature randomised dungeons and “deep customisation” through talents, skill points, runes and legendary loot.

“Sanctuary has been a home to Diablo players for more than 20 years, and it’s with our own deep passion for the series and a deep appreciation of the community that we announce Diablo IV today,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard, in a prepared statement.

“We’re excited to be returning to the dark, quintessential Diablo gameplay that players love while expanding the world and story in new ways, and we can’t wait for more people to be able to experience it.”