Before Diablo 4 drops, with a few months to go, it’s time to look back at how one of gaming’s most famous series began. This is the story of how a childhood dream grew into a lasting success, what Blizzard contributed, and what the first Diablo might have looked like according to its creators.
Historical digression
The spark for a distinctive role-playing game appeared in the mind of David Brevik during his school days. The early 1980s were filled with a flood of mathematical CRPGs, yet most of them lacked original gameplay. Brevik wanted something fresh, accessible, and exciting for players who were just stepping into a world of fantasy adventures.
The guiding idea was to keep the game straightforward for newcomers. No sprawling rulebooks, no labyrinthine systems with endless formulas. The core principle centered on a positive experience and the joy of constant discoveries. And to fuel that sense of discovery, rewards had to exist for defeating foes, whether it be small trinkets or valuable gear.
Here is David Brevik himself, the ideological force behind the first Diablo.
The concept sounded solid, but turning it into a playable reality proved challenging for years. Brevik faced financial constraints, a lack of experience, and a shortage of collaborators willing to join the quest. The breakthrough came in 1993 when two brothers, Erich and Max Schaefer, joined the effort. At that moment, the team had just formed Condor and began exploring a potential partnership with SunSoft.
While collaborating with SunSoft and helping to establish Condor, Brevik and his partners encountered Blizzard Entertainment. This budding friendship led to a new project in which the childhood dream could finally take shape. The first Diablo drew inspiration from a range of games, including classic dungeon crawlers and early strategy titles. Elements such as dungeon generation, item loot, and a basic turn-based vibe contributed to the early design, even as Blizzard kept steering the project toward a more fluid action-oriented experience. What started as a methodical, turn-based plan gradually evolved under Blizzard’s guidance toward a real-time, action-focused combat system and a tighter overall feel.
The visual concept for Diablo underwent a major shift as well. Initially, the designers toyed with a plasticine aesthetic, but that approach proved impractical and misaligned with the game’s dark fantasy mood. The team settled on a tone that balanced grim storytelling with a distinct, mature presentation. The core idea stayed the same: a lone hero navigating an endless dungeon, confronting hordes of monsters and uncovering the story hidden in the depths. The result was a game that felt dangerous, mysterious, and undeniably engaging.
Blizzard’s influence extended beyond combat and visuals. The studio provided practical guidance and helped refine ideas that were not working, particularly around the interface and several key mechanics. The collaboration sharpened the experience without erasing the original spirit of Brevik’s concept, turning a promising concept into a finished title that could captivate players who craved risk, reward, and a sense of personal discovery.
Anyone can share experiences and opinions about the game in public forums and communities, and this collaborative spirit helped shape an enduring classic that continues to inspire fans and developers alike.
Note: the project’s journey is remembered as a collaborative effort that combined creative ambition with strategic partnerships, ultimately laying the groundwork for a franchise that would redefine dungeon crawling for a new generation.