'Diablo IV' confirmed to launch at BlizzCon 2019 by gaming magazine ad

Things might not be looking so great for Blizzard Entertainment right now due to the recent "Hearthstone" debacle. Nevertheless, recent speculation regarding BlizzCon 2019 as the stage for the unveiling of "Diablo IV," is getting mixed reactions from the gaming community. People have been calling for the boycott of its products and services since the incident and it is taking a toll on the company's stocks as well.

In the past few days, there have been reports of the game studio issuing bans to players and users who are posting messages relating to the political unrest in Hong Kong. While these actions are not helping restore its image among gamers, a new leak could just be the answer. It appears sources have stumbled upon an intriguing piece of evidence a little over a week before BlizzCon 2019, which suggests "Diablo IV" might be revealed sooner than anyone thinks.

A report from CCN details that the rumours came about courtesy of an ad listed in the latest edition of GameStar, a German gaming magazine. Looking at the image posted online, a page from the publication shows the cover illustration for "The Art of Diablo" artbook from Blizzard.

Additionally, another photo just below promotes another artbook called "The Cinematic Art of The World of Warcraft." According to the translated text for the former, the item includes artwork from the all previous installments of the game and mentions "Diablo IV" as well.

Some individuals are viewing it as a possible typographical error referencing the upcoming Diablo Immortal for mobile devices. However, it was noted that Robert Brooks, a senior writer for Blizzard's creative development team curated the publication. Hence, sources are implying the information is hinting at Diablo IV being one of the biggest announcements in store for fans.

Given that the artbook is slated to come out at BlizzCon 2019, it's likely the developers are planning to officially reveal the latest entry to the beloved action role-playing franchise in one of the presentations scheduled for the event.

Blizzard is in a precarious situation right now due to the growing sentiments against its practices. Moreover, the ongoing penalties it is imposing to people using its platforms spread awareness about the pro-democracy rallies ongoing in Hong Kong are creating negative publicity. It remains to be seen if the purported BlizzCon 2019 debut of "Diablo IV" can make a difference.