BlizzCon returned in a big way after several years away and delivered some major announcements. One of the biggest was the partnership between Blizzard Entertainment and Netflix to produce an animated Diablo series. The RPG franchise has established itself as one of Blizzard’s most successful properties, so it comes as little surprise that it is making the jump to television.

In a recent interview, Johanna Faries, head of Blizzard, reiterated the company’s plans to bring more of its IP to other formats and explained why the studio chose Diablo to demonstrate the potential of an initiative that could expand in the future.}

Diablo IV

Why is Blizzard making a Diablo animated series?

After 30 years of history, Diablo will make the jump to television with an animated production from Netflix. There are currently very few details about the series, but fans hope it will take advantage of the franchise’s rich lore to deliver a story worthy of its universe.

Faries wants Blizzard to live up to its name and provide “entertainment with a capital E” to its players and everyone interested in its fantasy worlds. In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, she revealed that one of her goals is to expand the reach of Blizzard’s biggest IP through projects that can make their way to film and television.

The executive confirmed that the Blizzard team is heavily involved in the production of the Diablo animated series. Developers won’t simply serve as consultants; they will also be able to make decisions and share ideas with Netflix’s creative team. The goal is to bring Diablo to a wider audience and offer something different to players who cannot spend countless hours with its games.

“We have a very large community of Blizzard fans, but that doesn’t always necessarily translate into a lot of hours of gameplay,” Faries said. “This is another way to deepen our relationship with our Diablo community, expand and enrich the conversation with our fans, and potentially bring in new followers who may not have time to dedicate hours to playing, but who certainly can dedicate hours to engaging with this new way of storytelling.”

Meanwhile, Lydia Bottegoni, Blizzard’s executive vice president of story and franchise development, believes it is extremely important to “meet people where they are.” She sees a large potential audience for Diablo and other franchises on television, making an animated series a way to capture the attention of new fans.

Diablo Netflix

Blizzard will adapt more of its franchises for new formats

Blizzard’s chief is impressed by the success of several recent video game adaptations. During the interview, she celebrated the popularity of Fallout, Arcane, and A Minecraft Movie, all of which [became major successes](LEVEL UP article) that generated millions of dollars and [boosted the popularity of their respective franchises](LEVEL UP article).

With several franchises under the Xbox umbrella performing well on television, Blizzard plans to adapt more of its iconic properties, in addition to Diablo. During BlizzCon 2026, Faries offered a hint at what could be coming in the future.

“To our Overwatch community, to our Warcraft community, know that there are some very interesting conversations happening,” the executive said, referring to potential adaptations.