Former Diablo developers release Darkhaven demo, aiming to revolutionize the ARPG genre
Blizzard veterans who worked on Diablo 1 and 2 have embarked on creating an action RPG "unlike any other." Moon Beast Productions unveiled Darkhaven in late January, and now a demo is already available on Steam, allowing players to experience the core gameplay.
Such a rapid transition from announcement to playable build is pleasantly surprising. Usually after a trailer and bold promises, months or even years pass, but Moon Beast wants to get Darkhaven into players' hands as quickly as possible. The press release states:
This is closer to a pre-alpha than a polished teaser. Moon Beast decided not to water down their ambition with a narrow vertical slice, instead allowing players to experience the full, unfiltered version of what they are building.
Despite the early development stage, the demo offers several hours of open-ended gameplay in a persistent sandbox world. Players can level the Witch class to level 8, experimenting across three skill trees focused on mobility, positioning, and resource management.
Erich Schaefer, co-founder of Moon Beast and one of the main creative forces behind the original Diablo, says:
Our goal with this demo is to demonstrate two things at the same time. First, we're staying true to the addictive core of classic Diablo-style gameplay – progression, itemization, and build synergies. Second, we want to deliberately break from the pack in how worlds evolve, how replayability works, and how much agency players have over the land itself.
Darkhaven's main differentiator is its ever-evolving world. The dynamic and persistent open world is literally shaped by players – you can break through terrain, drain lakes, and redirect rivers. According to the developers, "world-altering events leave permanent scars" on the map.
The demo is available for free on Steam. The studio has also launched a Kickstarter campaign to accelerate development with the goal of launching in early access in Q4 2026.
