Darkhaven: Diablo Veterans' Ambitious Next-Gen ARPG from Moon Beast Productions

In the action role-playing game (ARPG) space, few announcements carry the legacy weight of Darkhaven, the upcoming isometric dark-fantasy title from Moon Beast Productions. Revealed on January 29, 2026, this project reunites key veterans from Diablo and Diablo II to deliver what they call a "next-generation" ARPG—one that blends classic roots with bold innovations like fully dynamic, destructible worlds and deep modding support.

With a Steam page now live for wishlisting and a Kickstarter campaign set to launch soon (alongside a public demo planned for February 2026), Darkhaven is generating serious buzz among fans tired of incremental upgrades, always-online requirements, and predatory monetization.

Moon Beast Productions: A Legacy Team Returns

Moon Beast Productions was founded in 2021 by three industry legends:

Philip Shenk – Lead artist on Diablo 2
Peter Hu – Lead designer on Diablo 2
Erich Schaefer – Lead designer on the original Diablo (and brother of co-creator Max Schaefer)

Their credits span Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo III, Nox, Hellgate: London, Torchlight, and more. In late 2024, the studio raised $4.5 million in seed funding from investors including 1AM Gaming, CohhCarnage, and others—fueling their mission to "redefine" ARPGs with freedom, replayability, and innovation.

David Brevik (another Diablo co-creator) isn't officially involved but remains a friend with occasional discussions. The small, distributed team (San Francisco-based) is actively hiring via their site.

Darkhaven: Survival in a Living, Breathing Ruin

Set after civilization's collapse, Darkhaven casts you as a survivor operating from a fragile stronghold in a monster-reclaimed world. This survival-focused tone (closer to V Rising than pure power fantasy) emphasizes exploration, threat-hunting, and gradual reclamation over chosen-hero tropes.

Development began around early 2024 with a small team. The game is intentionally challenging, with a confirmed hardcore mode.

Key Innovations at a Glance

Feature	Details
Procedural Open World	Ecological rules create logical biomes; handcrafted points of interest ensure cohesion and memorable exploration—no repetitive hallways.
Fully Deformable Terrain	Dig/tunnel for resources, drain lakes, redirect lava, raise defenses/settlements. Changes persist permanently.
Rifts & Persistent Consequences	Interdimensional incursions scar the land (craters, warped terrain)—victories leave lasting marks.
Combat	Skill-based with free movement (jump, climb, swim, dash); verticality and smart enemy behaviors demand positioning and prioritization.
Itemization & Trading	No tiny incremental upgrades—build-defining gear (relics, runes, rune words, sets) stays viable long-term. Trading is core; almost nothing bind-on-pickup.
Inventory	Modernized Diablo II-style Tetris system (varied item sizes); material storage solutions like bags in discussion.
Multiplayer & Modes	Offline solo; persistent co-op and PvP realms (scalable from isolated to MMO-like networks). TCP/IP and rentable modded servers under consideration.
Modding	A core design pillar: in-client editor for real-time creation of items, monsters, classes, quests, and rules—even in multiplayer. UGC can be commercial; in-house scripting language.

Classes begin with the Witch in the demo; more planned but unannounced. Character customization is low priority for now. The UI seen in early footage is a placeholder (explicitly not inspired by Diablo IV); final polish comes later. PC-first with Steam Deck support; future console ports kept in mind but not prioritized.

Monetization & Roadmap: Player Ownership First

Moon Beast rejects free-to-play and predatory models: "You pay for the product = you own the product." No microtransactions or aggressive live-service elements. Bot prevention is under discussion, but trading remains unrestricted.

Upcoming Milestones (as of early February 2026):

Now: Wishlist on Steam for demo notifications.
Soon: Kickstarter launch (follow the "coming soon" page for alerts: Kickstarter).
February 2026: Public playable demo (timing to align with Steam Next Fest: Feb 23 – Mar 2).
Later: Early Access on Steam; full localization; potential console versions.

Demo will be English-only initially.

Why Darkhaven Matters: A Genre Reaction with High Ambition

Darkhaven pushes back against modern ARPG trends: persistent worlds over resets, meaningful loot over constant small upgrades, offline solo over always-online, and modding/community longevity over broad monetization. It targets players who value mastery, stakes, and ownership—a niche approach encapsulated by the idea that "a game for everyone is a game for no one."

Risks remain: a small team tackling persistent deformable worlds, scalable realms, and full mod support is ambitious. Execution (especially polish and follow-through) will be key. But with strong pedigree, responsive feedback to community input, and a player-first ethos, Darkhaven has real potential to stand out in 2026 and beyond.

Wishlist it, follow the Kickstarter, join the Discord, and keep an eye out for that February demo. The ruins await—will you reshape them?

Sources: Official Steam page, Kickstarter placeholder, Moon Beast announcements, community discussions (Reddit, Discord), press coverage (January 2026).