Blizzard explains why Diablo is getting a Netflix series and how involved they will be
The show could reach Diablo fans who love the world but do not have hours to spend in the games.
As you probably heard already, Diablo is coming to Netflix! But during BlizzCon, Blizzard did not give many details about it. In a recent interview, they finally explained why they decided to turn Diablo into an animated series.
The interview was conducted by the Los Angeles Times, and Blizzard president Johanna Faries explained that the goal is partly about reaching people who might love the franchise but do not have the time to play.
Blizzard Wants Diablo to Reach Beyond the Games
Faries pointed out that Blizzard has a huge fanbase that does not always translate into people spending hours playing its games. The animated series gives those fans another way to engage with the franchise without requiring them to sit down for a super long Diablo session.
"We have so much fandom around Blizzard that doesn't always necessarily translate into hardcore gaming time"
She explained that the show could help Blizzard create more of a relationship with existing Diablo fans, and attract people who are interested in the world but do not have the time to play the games, or are just not gamers at all.
For Blizzard, that makes an animated series a way to tell more Diablo stories without making the games themselves the only entry point. And in a way, it does make sense. A lot of people are interested in the universe, but would rather just sit down and watch a show, instead of having to actively play a game.
Blizzard Will Be Closely Involved With the Show
When games are adapted into shows, it always involves some risks, but Faries also said Blizzard will be "very involved" with the Diablo series, with the game's development leaders expected to have a seat at the table. That is pretty important because video game adaptations do not always involve the original developers to the same degree. But it is nice to know that they want the devs to stay closely involved as Diablo moves into a different medium.
Lydia Bottegoni, Blizzard's executive vice president of story and franchise development, also described it as "meeting people where they are." She pointed to the depth of Blizzard's franchises, characters, and worlds as something the company can explore outside of games.
The Diablo Show Is Still a Long Way Off
For now, there is still very little we know about the series. Blizzard confirmed that it is an animated show being developed with Netflix, but they did not reveal its story, cast, animation studio, episode count, or release date. The announcement also did not include a trailer or any footage from the project.
Faries has also teased discussions around other Blizzard properties, but Diablo is currently the only one with an officially announced Netflix series.
So even if we might have to wait a long time before seeing Diablo on Netflix, Blizzard already seems to have a clear idea of what they want the show to accomplish: give people another way into Sanctuary, even if you barely touched the games at all.