Former Diablo and Diablo II developers are creating a new, low-budget action RPG with the ambition to redefine the genre. Given the success of the original Diablo games, this new ARPG, developed by veterans of both titles, has significant potential.

Moon Beast Productions, an independent studio founded by Phil Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, secured $4.5 million in funding to develop this innovative ARPG. Their goal is to break away from established genre conventions and create a more open and dynamic experience, harkening back to the elements that made the early Diablo games so distinctive. This team aims to revolutionize the hack-and-slash experience after over two decades in the industry.

While details remain scarce, the involvement of such experienced developers suggests the game could become a leading action RPG. However, breaking into a market saturated with high-quality competitors will be challenging. The recent success of Diablo IV's "Vessel of Hatred" expansion, for instance, highlights the established dominance of the Diablo franchise and the potential reluctance of its loyal fanbase to switch.

The competition is fierce, with other established titles like Path of Exile 2 also vying for players' attention. Path of Exile 2's recent Steam launch was incredibly successful, boasting a peak player count exceeding 538,000, placing it among the platform's top 15 most played games. This underscores the significant hurdle Moon Beast Productions faces in establishing their new ARPG.