A team of Diablo alumni is stepping back into the ARPG arena with Darkhaven, a dark fantasy isometric action RPG that promises to redefine open-world exploration and destruction. Announced earlier this morning, the game comes from veterans who helped shape the original Diablo and Diablo II, now under a new game studio called Moon Beast Productions, with a reveal trailer showcasing its ambitious vision. Check it out down below followed by more details about the game:
Darkhaven drops players into the ruins of a collapsed civilization where monsters and wild lands have reclaimed ancient empires. As a lone survivor, you venture from a humble stronghold to hunt evil remnants, uncover legendary items, and master arcane skill trees. Combat rewards precise positioning and skill over raw stats, while the world itself is your canvas: fully deformable terrain lets you dig tunnels, drain lakes, redirect lava, or rebuild fortresses. Exploration feels alive with biomes that stitch together with handcrafted points of interest and implied history, every generated world cohesive yet unique.
Lurking horrors tear open rifts, spawning corruption that permanently scars the landscape. These invasions leave craters, ruins, and altered terrain as lasting reminders of battles won or lost. Itemization avoids incremental tweaks: rare finds pack real power, often staying relevant long-term, with trading and tuned drops encouraging player interaction. Relics, runes, and set items build on Diablo's legacy, offering deep customization.
Movement is truly open in the game with players being able to jump, climb, swim, dash turning the environment into a tactical playground. Monster AI brings distinct behaviors, demanding you read and outmaneuver foes rather than stat-check them. Play solo, co-op, or enter PvP-enabled realms with persistent progress. The crowning feature: total modding freedom via an in-client editor for items, monsters, classes, quests, and even new rulesets, playable in real time with others.
The announcement trailer captures the grim atmosphere and dynamic world-shaping, while the Steam page is now live for wishlisting. A demo is promised soon, and a Kickstarter campaign will launch shortly to fuel further development. No release date yet, but the team positions Darkhaven as a return to form for the genre with less “hallway-and-room” linearity, and having a more living, player-shaped world.
Excitement is building fast in ARPG circles. With Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 dominating, Darkhaven’s pedigree (Diablo vets), destructible environments, and modding depth could carve a real niche. The Kickstarter will be key for funding as success could accelerate polish and features. For now, wishlist on Steam and watch for the demo; this one has the potential to shake up the genre if the team delivers on the promise.
For those wanting to see more content and get an extra taste of the game, check out content creator Zizaran playing and talking about some of the pre-alpha demo below:
What are your thoughts on the announcement? Will you be adding this game to your watch list and wishlist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!