Diablo V itemisation explained

Diablo V's itemisation is the area Blizzard has described in the most detail, and the direction is explicit: strongly influenced by Diablo II.

Confirmed

• Itemisation is strongly influenced by Diablo II.
• Items of different sizes occupy different numbers of inventory squares.
• Equipment sets return.
• Runes and runewords in the style of Diablo II are planned.

Developer statements

• Blizzard is experimenting with stat requirements on gear.
• Items should be understandable, memorable and desirable over the long term.
• Crafting is intended to build on ideas from Lord of Hatred.

What "understandable" implies

Stated as a goal, it is a critique of where modern action RPG loot ends up: long affix lists where the difference between two drops is a spreadsheet question. Diablo II items were legible partly because they were constrained.

That reading is ours. Blizzard stated the goal, not the diagnosis.

Attribute requirements are the risky one

Attribute requirements were a real build constraint in Diablo II: you spent points to be allowed to wear things. Reintroducing that changes character planning from optimisation to budgeting. Blizzard called it an experiment, which is honest - and until 1 October this page listed it as confirmed two headings up, which was not. It now sits with the developer statements, where an experiment belongs.

Not addressed

Drop rates, trading, item levels, stash space, seasonal item resets, and whether sets are aspirational or transitional. All open.