Diablo 4 is coming to China soon, albeit with some significant changes, including blood becoming dust, skulls becoming creepy masks, and bones becoming stone. While Chinese gamers will soon be able to play Diablo 4, it is going to look a little different from the game fans have been playing for the last couple of years.
In 2024, NetEase and Blizzard renewed their partnership, beginning the process of bringing back games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch 2 to China after over a year of service being unavailable. However, Diablo 4, which was released after the dissolution of their original agreement, had never been licensed in China, meaning it could not return as easily as the other games. After over a year of waiting, the companies reached a windfall in July 2025, when the Chinese National Press and Publication Administration approved Diablo 4 for an import license.
Diablo 4's New Endgame Activity Offers Exclusive Cosmetics For the Best Players
Diablo 4's newest endgame activity will offer exclusive cosmetics for those who top the leaderboards.
Changes to Diablo 4 in China
- All blood is changed to dust
- Skulls on icons like Penetrating Shot are changed to masks or heads
- Certain monsters changed to be less skeletal or gruesome (e.g., Wandering Death made of stone)
Now, Diablo 4 is finally arriving in China on December 12, albeit with some pretty big changes. In order to secure this license, Diablo 4 had to remove certain elements from the game at the request of the NPPA. Now that the pre-release trial event for Diablo 4 is live in China, players are starting to get a feel for what these changes will look like. For starters, all blood splatters in the game have been replaced with dust. Additionally, skulls on many icons, such as the Rogue’s Penetrating Shot, have been changed to creepy masks. Perhaps one of the more noticeable changes in this version of Diablo 4 is Wandering Death, a frightening skeletal world boss that has become a solid stone construct in the Chinese version.
Many Western games approved for Chinese release go through similar adjustments to any blood, gore, bones, spirits, and religious iconography. For example, many undead creatures in World of Warcraft in China have been changed to remove these elements. In fact, the playable Forsaken model was redesigned to not have any bones jutting out from their arms and legs – a character customization that was later ported globally as an option for all fans.
These changes are only cosmetic; outside these visual elements, Diablo 4 players in China will ostensibly be able to enjoy the same ARPG that players are familiar with.
Season 11 of Diablo 4 arrives elsewhere on December 9, only a few days before its debut in China. With Divine Gifts, the invasion of Azmodan and the Lesser Evils, and the new Tower leaderboard system in Diablo 4, fans across the globe can look forward to an exciting end to 2025.
Diablo 4
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action-RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot.
Embark on the epic campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through a gripping story in a beautifully dark world, or explore an expansive end game: battle iconic bosses for powerful loot, fight back the encroaching onslaught of Hell in Helltides, master the Forge to create your ultimate weapons and progress powerful characters, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Discover the critically acclaimed franchise that defined the Action RPG genre. As the battle between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages on, hatred devours Sanctuary as evil spreads and a new wave of cultists and worshippers arise to embrace Lilith’s coming. Only a brave few dare to face this threat and bring light to the all-consuming darkness.
Expansive Open WorldForge your own path through the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, an ever-growing, fully explorable world teeming with challenges, quests, enemies, and loot. Join your fellow adventurers, rescue and retake besieged towns, delve into nightmarish dungeons and uncover lost secrets as you fight back evil. The many zones of Sanctuary are yours to explore, and with rotating areas of extreme peril like World Bosses and Helltide, danger lurks at every turn.
Immersive Character DevelopmentCreate and customize your character to face the encroaching darkness. Choose from one of five classes and build your hero with skills, abilities and cosmetics, creating a champion that is uniquely your own. Grow stronger as you progress through powerful Skill Trees and develop even more unique end game specializations with Paragon Boards.
Legendary Gear, Epic BattlesDiscover and experiment with a vast arsenal of powerful weapons, armor and more to fight back against the demons threatening Sanctuary. Explore unique combinations, create your own upgrades and collect a plethora of powerful tools to battle in immersive, action-packed combat against the deadliest of enemies.
Seasons & EventsThe tales of Sanctuary continue to unfold. Create Seasonal Characters and join in fresh adventures - master new mechanics and take on the latest threats in each new Season. Complete harrowing feats of the Season Journey and earn new Battle Pass rewards. Plus, sharpen your swords and get in the spirit of the seasons when Limited-Time Events sweep through Sanctuary.
End Game UndertakingsThere’s even more Diablo® IV to explore as you reach higher levels and more fearsome World Tiers. Face the greatest challenge yet as you take on the most powerful demons in The Pit, steel yourself against Uber Bosses to reap uber unique rewards, fight back overflowing armies of Hell as Helltides emerge across Sanctuary, battle larger-than-life World Bosses, and master the Forge to create the mightiest weapons fit for a hero.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Diablo 3
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- June 5, 2023
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- June 5, 2023
- PS5 Release Date
- June 5, 2023
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Wiki
Source: Wowhead