After the developers of Diablo 2 revived their ARPG with the new Warlock class, the competition also feels the pressure of the genre.
Who is it about? Darkhaven is an ARPG like Diablo or Path of Exile, but it is heavily crossed with sandbox and survival elements like in Valheim or Enshrouded. While fighting hordes of monsters and demons, you also have to actively dodge enemy attacks.
There are many rare items, runes, and relics in loot, which can massively influence the players’ builds. In the survival area, tunnels can be dug, resources harvested, and even entire cities built. The ARPG can also be played in single-player or with friends on Steam.
The developers behind the game are no strangers. They have already worked on Diablo 2 many years ago and know ARPGs very well. However, while their Kickstarter campaign for funding is running, they also have concerns.
Here you can watch the trailer for Darkhaven:
Pressure from the competition
How do the developers feel? In an interview with PCGamer, the developers of the new project also spoke about the pressure of the genre. With Path of Exile 1 and 2, Diablo 4, and Diablo 2, as well as Last Epoch, there are many competitors with loyal fans.
The developers clearly feel the pressure of the genre. Peter Hu, one of the original developers, explains: “There are tons of mixed feelings […] In a way, we are an indie company competing against a giant, and that is a hard path.”
Despite the competition, there is no bad blood between the developers. Lead Character Artist Phil Shenk emphasizes: “We feel the pressure, but I don’t hate them [Blizzard] for it.”
In fact, it is quite the opposite. He is incredibly proud that a game created almost 30 years ago is still so popular today. It is not common for a game to receive an update along with a new class after all this time.
How do the developers want to succeed? The developers of Darkhaven want to carve out their own niche with the game. Their title is not intended to stand in direct competition, but to realize a unique concept through the combination of ARPG and survival sandbox.
So far, this plan seems to be working. As of February 25, 2026, the ARPG stands at about €185,000 on Kickstarter and has nearly reached its goal. There are still more than three weeks left to support the game.
Whether to support Darkhaven and whether the concept fits can be discovered by everyone in the current free demo on Steam. Those who want to learn more about the special ARPG can read more about it here: New ARPG by former Diablo developers starts demo on Steam, allowing you to build an entire settlement
