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 from 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 free from established design conventions and revitalize the hack-and-slash experience. The team, comprised of Diablo I and II alumni, aims to deliver a more open and dynamic ARPG, harkening back to the elements that made the early Diablo games so distinctive.

Details about the game remain scarce, but the involvement of highly experienced developers suggests a strong possibility of a top-tier action RPG. However, breaking into a saturated market filled with high-quality competitors will be challenging. The recent success of Diablo IV's "Vessel of Hatred" expansion, for instance, highlights the strong existing fanbase and potential resistance to switching games.

The competition is fierce, with established titles like Path of Exile 2 also vying for players' attention. The recent launch of Path of Exile 2 was exceptionally successful on Steam, achieving a peak concurrent player count exceeding 538,000, ranking it among the platform's top 15 highest peak player counts.