Ex-Path of Exile Co-Founder Cautiously Cheers Diablo 5

A rival is offering Blizzard a bit of early goodwill. Chris Wilson, the ex-co-founder of Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games, has said he is tentatively optimistic about Diablo 5, the next entry in Blizzard's long-running action RPG series.

Diablo 5 was revealed at BlizzCon 2026 only a couple of weeks ago, and players will be waiting a while. The game is currently slated for Spring 2029, which leaves plenty of time for plans to change and for the genre to keep moving.

Wilson's take was measured but positive. In his words, "as far as I'm concerned, that's a step in the right direction." The comment carries extra weight because of who is making it. Path of Exile has spent years as the most prominent alternative to Diablo, drawing in players who wanted deeper build customization and more complex systems than Blizzard's series offered at the time.

Praise from someone on the other side of that rivalry suggests the early impression of Diablo 5 is at least pointing where ARPG fans have been asking for. Wilson did not present it as a finished verdict, and with the release date so far out, nobody can. There is little concrete to judge yet beyond the announcement and the direction it implies.

For Blizzard, a friendly nod from a Path of Exile figure is a useful early sign, though it will not settle the biggest questions. Players will want to see how the game handles endgame depth, loot, and long-term support, all areas where Path of Exile built its reputation and where Diablo has been challenged in recent years.

With a little under three years to go, expect more details to trickle out. For now, one of the genre's best-known names is saying Blizzard appears to be heading the right way, and in a rivalry this heated, that counts for something.