Diablo 5 may get different level scaling than Diablo 4

What happened

Eurogamer reported on 23 September 2026 that Blizzard is taking another look at level scaling for Diablo 5. In Diablo 3 and Diablo 4, enemies and areas automatically adjust to the player’s level, but according to the report Blizzard feels that this does not always work well for the series’ sense of progression. The publication ties that rethink directly to how Diablo 5 is meant to distinguish itself from the previous two entries.

Joe Shely is said to have stated in that interview that automatic level scaling can clash with one of Diablo’s core ideas: noticeably growing stronger through levels and better gear. The report therefore frames Diablo 5 as a project that may lean closer to Diablo 2 than Diablo 4. In the supplied external context, that same point is repeated with the wording that the development team is revisiting the automatic scaling of recent entries so that leveling and better gear have a clearer effect again.

According to the same report, Blizzard has not yet settled on a final system. It is therefore still unclear whether Diablo 5 will use fixed area levels, a modified form of scaling, or another solution. The available sources do note that the discussion revolves around the feeling that a player can return to a zone and be clearly stronger than before, but they do not provide a concrete system design or balance details for the final game.

The external context also includes a reference to a Diablo V page stating that Diablo V is in development and would arrive in Spring 2029. Another source mention refers to a Blizzard News page titled "Diablo V: Forging the Next Era" and describes a panel at BlizzCon 2026 where the first details about the world, classes, and systems would have been shown. Those references sit somewhat at odds with the cautious framing in the article itself, where Diablo 5’s status is still treated as reporting and not fully locked-in official confirmation.

Timeline

23 September 2026: Eurogamer publishes reporting on a possible rethink of level scaling in Diablo 5.
23 September 2026: Joe Shely is quoted as saying automatic scaling can undermine the feeling of power growth.
23 September 2026: The reporting places Diablo 5 closer to Diablo 2 than Diablo 4 in design terms, without concrete system details.
2026: External context refers to a Diablo V page stating the game is in development and would launch in Spring 2029.
2026: A Blizzard News reference mentions a Diablo V panel at BlizzCon 2026 where first details about the world, classes, and systems were reportedly shared.

Background

Diablo 3 and Diablo 4 use automatic level scaling, which means enemies and zones move along with the player. Diablo 2 worked differently: areas were less tightly tied to the player’s level, so returning to earlier zones made it clearer that your character had become stronger. That difference matters in the current reporting, because the discussion around Diablo 5 is not just about difficulty, but about how progression feels in the game.

The comparison with Diablo 2 is more than nostalgia in the supplied sources. The external snippets explicitly describe Blizzard revisiting the automatic scaling of recent entries so that players feel more noticeable progress when leveling and finding better gear. That makes level scaling a design choice that directly affects the core of the series, rather than a simple technical setting.

At the same time, the information remains limited to a design question. None of the supplied sources names a final choice for fixed area levels, a hybrid system, or a completely new approach. The reference to a possible Spring 2029 release and a BlizzCon 2026 panel also shows that more claims are circulating in the external context than the Eurogamer report itself confirms. For this article, the only firm takeaway is that Blizzard is reportedly re-examining the automatic scaling used in Diablo 3 and Diablo 4.

That caution matters, because the sources show different levels of certainty. The Eurogamer report and Joe Shely’s quoted remarks support the idea that level scaling is being reconsidered. The extra context also suggests that Diablo V is already further along in development than a mere concept. But none of those pieces provides a fully worked-out system or a definitive official product page with all the final gameplay details.

Sources

Eurogamer, 23 September 2026: reporting on Diablo 5 and level scaling.
Joe Shely, quoted in the same report about automatic level scaling and progression.
Diablo 2, Diablo 3, and Diablo 4 as reference points for the comparison in the article.