Diablo 5 has surprised some longtime fans by appearing to move closer to the design philosophy of the original games, and Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson believes that could be a positive sign. Speaking about Blizzard’s upcoming action RPG, Wilson said he is “tentatively hopeful” after noticing several design choices that remind him of Diablo 1 and Diablo 2.
Wilson’s comments are particularly notable because Path of Exile was heavily influenced by the early Diablo games. He has previously been critical of some of the design changes introduced in later entries, making his reaction to Diablo 5 especially relevant to fans interested in the franchise’s direction.
Chris Wilson Wants Diablo 5 to Abandon Enemy Level Scaling
One of Wilson’s biggest concerns is how Diablo 5 handles enemy progression. In comments shared through his video discussion, he argued that Blizzard should return to a traditional system where different areas contain monsters of progressively higher strength.
“In my opinion, Diablo 5 absolutely must use a traditional system where the world has progressively more powerful monsters,”
Wilson said.
He believes this would allow players to decide how quickly they want to progress and where they should spend time grinding based on their character’s current strength. This differs from Diablo 4, where enemy scaling keeps monsters broadly aligned with the player’s level.
Wilson sees Blizzard’s decision to move toward a more linear world structure as a potentially encouraging sign. Diablo 5 game director Joe Shely has also indicated that the sequel will take a “somewhat different approach” to level scaling, although Blizzard has not revealed the complete system yet.
Procedural Environments and Inventory Changes Impress Wilson
Wilson also highlighted several other details that caught his attention in the Diablo 5 announcement. He pointed to the game’s logo, which uses flames reminiscent of the first two Diablo titles, as well as inventory designs featuring differently sized items.
“These are specific signals to players like me that there’s a chance they’re taking things back to basics,”
Wilson said.
The return of procedurally generated environments has also made Wilson particularly optimistic. Blizzard has confirmed that procedural generation will once again play a role in both dungeons and the overworld, potentially bringing back some of the unpredictability associated with earlier games.
However, Wilson still has questions about several major systems, including whether Diablo 5 will support offline single-player, how trading will work, and whether combat will emphasize player skill or character builds.
For now, Wilson remains cautious rather than fully convinced. “I’m tentatively hopeful for Diablo 5,” he said, adding that Blizzard has shown enough familiar elements to make him believe the series could be moving closer to its roots.
