Diablo 4 Announces Collaboration with Dark Manga Series Berserk

Blizzard Entertainment has revealed that the popular dark fantasy manga series Berserk will be the first of two IP collaborations coming to Diablo 4 in 2025. The announcement confirms what was hinted at in a recently published roadmap for the game.

The collaboration was unveiled through a brief teaser trailer shared on both Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal social media channels, suggesting the crossover will appear in both games. The teaser features a character battling demons while wearing the iconic Berserker armor from the manga series.

According to the trailer, players are invited to "Trace the path of the Black Swordsman" and are told "You have been branded" – references that fans of Kentaro Miura's dark fantasy series will immediately recognize. However, Blizzard has provided few details about what content the collaboration will actually include.

Many fans are expressing relief that this collaboration aligns well with Diablo's established dark themes. Some players had been concerned about potential crossovers after seeing Diablo's character Lilith appear in Call of Duty, raising questions about Blizzard's approach to collaborations between their franchises.

While no exact release date has been announced for the Berserk content, the previously released Diablo 4 roadmap indicates the first IP collaboration is scheduled for the April to July timeframe. This timing would coincide with the launch of Season 8, titled "Belial's Return," which begins on Tuesday, April 29.

The nature of the collaboration remains unclear, but some players are speculating it might follow a model similar to character skins released for World of Warcraft collaborations.

Berserk, created by the late Kentaro Miura, is renowned for its dark themes, intricate artwork, and profound influence on gaming culture. The series has notably inspired elements of FromSoftware's Dark Souls franchise, which shares thematic similarities with the Diablo series. This connection makes the collaboration particularly fitting for fans of dark fantasy gaming.

Other games like Dragon's Dogma, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Tales of Berseria also incorporate elements reminiscent of Berserk, such as character dynamics, plot motifs, and visual designs.

This announcement represents the first of two planned IP collaborations for Diablo 4 in 2025, with details about the second partnership yet to be revealed.