Wow, what a surprise. According to the new gaming stat page on Neilsen, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (May 12), has been bumped from the top spot by Diablo IV as the most anticipated game of 2023.
Yes, you read that right. As the internet readies itself for Link’s newest foray into Hyrule’s monster-infested volcanoes, clouds, and oceans, it appears that trends are shifting towards one of the original loot-based hack-and-slash RPGs.
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What is Diablo IV and why is it trending?
Diablo is a popular action role-playing video game franchise that has earned praise from audiences around the world. The original Diablo and subsequent sequels take place in the Sanctuary (or other related settings from hell to earth), where evil forces have seized control and threaten to destroy everything in their path.
Players must navigate through treacherous hellscapes, battling ferocious monsters, powerful demons, and other ghoulish creatures determined to bring about the end of days. Along the way, they’ll gather powerful weapons, armor, and magical artifacts to aid them in their quest.
The plot of the game is deep and complex, combining aspects of horror, fantasy, and mythology to create a distinct and compelling universe that players explore at their own speed.
Diablo is a game about exploration, combat, and loot, and rewards players for their persistence and skill.
The Diablo franchise has sold over 100 million units since its initial release in the late 1990s. So why is it surprising that the hype is outpacing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
For one, The Legend of Zelda franchise has outperformed Diablo across the board throughout its history. Since its initial release in 1986, Link and Zelda have sold nearly 140 million units, outperforming Diablo by more than 40%. What’s more interesting, however, is how well Zelda has done despite the fact that it is console-locked to Nintendo products.
Of course, gamers have been creating mods for Zelda games for years (check out Link on PC below), but for the vast majority of gamers, the only place you’ll get to explore the greater Hyrule metro area is on a Nintendo console.
Activision Blizzard’s Diablo, on the other hand, is available on virtually every console excluding Nintendo.
Can The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom keep pace?
Both The Legend of Zelda and Diablo drop this summer, in May and June, respectively. However, it may be a moot point. Fans of Ganondorf’s greatest adversary are likely going to purchase the sequel for Switch whether Diablo drops during the same release window or not. Because the truth is, they are completely different games.
Both demand a significant amount of time to complete, however, in Diablo, the majority of that time is spent farming, whereas, in Zelda, most of the time players spend with Link is moving the plot forward.
Zelda games have optional side quests and missions, and some titles include additional playthroughs that increase the challenge. Diablo 3, on the other hand, offers 17 various difficulty levels to select from, as well as an infinitely-scaling game mode and the possibility to create characters that die eternally.
So, given the two games are so much different, does it matter if they share release dates within one month of each other?
Not necessarily. Again, these are two very different games with built-in audiences. Fans of the Zelda franchise are going to grab a copy of Tears of the Kingdom for their Switch regardless of Diablo, though it may slow down the hype train a month or two into the summer.
It will be interesting to see what type of legs Zelda has as it enters a crowded release schedule that now includes both Zelda and Diablo, as well as a long list of highly anticipated titles, including:
- Redfall (PC, XSX/S) – May 2
- Age of Wonders 4 (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – May 2
- Showgunners (PC) – May 2
- Hogwarts Legacy (PS4, Xbox One) – May 5
- Cook Serve Forever – Steam Early Access (PC) – May 8
- Peridot (iOS, Android) – May 9
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) – May 12
- Tin Hearts (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S) – May 16
- The Outlast Trials (PC) – May 18
- I Am Future – Steam Early Access (PC) – May 18
- LEGO 2K Drive (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – May 19
- Farworld Pioneers (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – May 20
- Inkbound – Steam Early Access (PC) – May 22
- Miasma Chronicles (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – May 23
- After Us (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – May 23
- Bread & Fred (PC) – May 23
- Amnesia: The Bunker (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S) – May 23
- Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – May 23
- Dynopunk (PC) – May 25
- Do Not Feed the Monkeys 2099 (PC, Switch) – May 25
- The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S) – May 25
- Above Snakes (PC) – May 25
- Company of Heroes 3 (PS5, XSX/S) – May 30
- System Shock (PC) – May 30
- Poly Bridge 3 (PC) – May 30
- Candle Knight (PC) – May 31
- WrestleQuest (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – May
- Heist Kitty: Cats Go a Stray (PC) – May
- Doomsday Paradise (PC) – May
- Backpack Hero (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – May
- Humanity (PC, PS4, PS5, PS VR, PS VR2) – May
- Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – May
- Star Trek: Resurgence (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S) – May
- Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection (PC, Switch) – June 1
- Killer Frequency (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – June 1
- Street Fighter 6 (PC, PS4, PS5, XSX/S) – June 2
- We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – June 2
- Diablo 4 (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S) – June 6
- Loop8: Summer of Gods (PC, PS4, XBO, Switch) – June 6
- MotoGP (PC, PS4, PS5, XSX/S, XBO, Switch) – June 8
- Greyhill Incident (PC, PS4, PS5) – June 9
- Goodbye Volcano High (PC, PS4, PS5) – June 15
- Park Beyond (PC, PS5, XSX/S) – June 16
- Crash Team Rumble (PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/s) – June 20
- Aliens: Dark Descent (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S) – June 20
- Trepang2 (PC) – June 21
- Final Fantasy 16 (PS5) – June 22
- Noob – The Factionless (PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX/S, Switch) – June 29
- Master Detective Archives: Rain Code (Switch) – June 30
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (PC, PS4, XBO, Switch) – June 30
- Inner Ashes (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) – June 30
- Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (PC, PS5, XSX/S, Switch) – June
So, who will own the summer? Only time will tell, but we’re excited to see how it plays out. Happy streaming!
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