Diablo Franchise

Preview June 18, 2026

Crimson Moon, an upcoming third-person co-op hack n' slash with roguelike elements, is drawing comparisons to both the Diablo franchise and Dark Souls in a new hands-on preview from IGN. The game tasks players with controlling a Nephilim—a half-human, half-angel hybrid—in battles against demons, vampires, undead, and other monsters besieging the Gothic city of Gildenarch.

The preview, written by Will Donnelly after playing a demo build of Crimson Moon, positions the title as an interesting hybrid: adopting familiar Soulslike mechanics like stamina management, dodge rolls, blocks, and parries while maintaining the fast-paced hack n' slash action associated with Diablo-style games. The developer behind Crimson Moon was not named in the preview.

What Changed

The IGN preview highlights several notable design elements that distinguish Crimson Moon from typical Soulslikes:

Walk speed is significantly faster than comparable titles—Donnelly notes most of the time he didn't need to dodge because positioning allowed him to stay out of enemy attack range

Attacks, including heavy attacks, come out quickly with what Donnelly describes as 'satisfying crunchiness'

Combat includes light and heavy attacks, stamina management, dodge rolls, blocks, and parries

Special abilities include a quick charge attack for closing distance and a massive two-handed overhead swing—both on cooldowns that require resource management

Art direction described as 'Gothic architecture meets heavy metal album cover' with colorful visuals featuring blood splatter on stonework

Players progress through districts of Gildenarch, reclaiming areas from monster infestations while collecting story fragments and opening chests

What This Means for Players

For players familiar with both the Diablo franchise and Soulslike titles, Crimson Moon offers a potential bridge between these two distinct gameplay philosophies. The emphasis on faster movement speeds and positioning over reliance on i-frames could appeal to action RPG fans who find traditional Dark Souls pacing too deliberate.

The roguelike elements remain less developed according to Donnelly's assessment—he describes the loot system as feeling 'superficial'—suggesting this may be an area where Crimson Moon still needs refinement before release. The inclusion of co-op multiplayer adds social gameplay options that Diablo players have long enjoyed in Blizzard's franchise titles.

The game's Gothic setting and demon-hunting premise will feel familiar territory for Diablo veterans, though the third-person perspective differs from the isometric views standard to the franchise.

What's Next

No release date or platform information was provided in the IGN preview. The game appears still in development with no announced publisher. Players interested in following Crimson Moon's progress should monitor gaming news outlets for additional previews and announcements regarding availability and launch timing.