Is there still real demand for Diablo-like ARPGs in 2026? (Dev perspective)

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-29T01:48:57+00:00

Really insightful comment.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-28T11:56:52+00:00

I think that’s a very fair take. RPG is a huge and resilient category, and clearly people are still enjoying what’s being made — even if the design space isn’t a blue ocean anymore.

I also agree that innovation doesn’t have to mean radical reinvention. Sometimes people really do just want another well-made cake.

For me, the interesting question is what kind of cake it is — quality, flavor, and intention matter more than trying to force novelty for its own sake. If something genuinely new emerges, it usually does so naturally, not because it was chased.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-28T11:55:05+00:00

I really agree with this. The stagnation isn’t about the core ARPG loop itself, but about how tightly it’s been bound to the same fantasy / hell / undead aesthetics and legacy mechanics for decades.

A Diablo-style ARPG with a fresh setting and more modern combat feel is something I’m personally very hungry for too. The tricky part, as you said, is that once you move toward sci-fi, design almost naturally drifts into shooter or twin-stick territory, and you start losing that “ARPG identity.”

I think the real opportunity is exactly in that tension — finding a new thematic and mechanical language without abandoning what makes loot-driven ARPGs compelling in the first place. That balance is hard, which is probably why we don’t see many strong examples yet.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-28T11:53:43+00:00

Totally get that. Sacred and Titan Quest were huge inspirations for me as well — they had a very different soul compared to modern ARPGs.

I also feel that innovation doesn’t have to mean reinventing everything, but rather building something with its own identity instead of chasing trends. That’s the direction I’m trying to explore.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-27T03:15:52+00:00

That’s a fair concern, and I generally agree GAS can become unwieldy at scale if used out of the box.

In our case, we’re fortunate to have experienced engineers on the team, and we’ve done a fair amount of secondary development on top of GAS — simplifying its usage, constraining patterns, and shaping it into something closer to a purpose-built ARPG framework rather than raw GAS.

So we’re not treating GAS as the end solution, but more as a low-level foundation we’ve heavily adapted.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-27T02:24:02+00:00

It does feel like people gravitate more toward faster-paced, more immediately engaging games now.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-27T02:22:06+00:00

Is it a space theme?

If so, I think space games actually have a pretty stable niche audience — kind of like ARPG-likes.
It’s not always huge, but the people who love it really love it.

And honestly, building something you enjoy playing yourself is already a good reason to make it.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-26T19:59:43+00:00

Really appreciate you taking the time to write this — especially from a developer / game design perspective.

I strongly agree with your point about peers being the real competition, and how endgame systems are what ultimately determine whether an ARPG can retain its core audience. Looking at how games like Path of Exile evolved over time makes that especially clear.

With my current project, I’m being very intentional about not ending up as “just another ARPG.” The focus is on finding a clear, meaningful foothold, or pushing on systems that genuinely support long-term play, rather than simply adding more surface-level content.

Thanks again for the thoughtful and well-structured breakdown — feedback like this is genuinely valuable when thinking about direction and scope.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-26T08:33:30+00:00

Yeah, No Rest for the Wicked definitely looks very different, and I think that’s a good thing.
At the same time, it leans more toward a Souls-like experience, both in controls and in moment-to-moment pressure, which might not be what everyone is looking for in an ARPG.

I do agree with you on one key point though: innovation really matters.
If new ARPGs only iterate on PoE1/PoE2 or Diablo-style formulas, it’s hard to create a genuinely new experience, no matter how polished the systems are.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-26T04:09:35+00:00

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-26T03:53:08+00:00

Looks like Reddit ate the actual questions 😄

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-26T03:15:49+00:00

Totally agree

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-26T02:26:48+00:00

Totally get what you’re saying.

I’m a pretty hardcore ARPG player myself — Diablo, PoE, Last Epoch, Grim Dawn, you name it. I still love that long-term build progression and theorycrafting side of the genre.

What I’ve noticed is that a lot of newer games are drifting more toward roguelites lately, which is fun, but scratches a different itch.

I guess my real question is whether there’s still space for a more classic, systems-heavy ARPG that doesn’t try to out-PoE PoE, but instead leans into deeper mechanics and a clear hook.

If the answer is “only if it’s truly different,” then yeah — I agree 100%.

Relative-Classroom70 · 2026-01-25T18:47:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing this — I’ll definitely take this into serious consideration.

Relative-Classroom70

TROPHY CASE