The original Diablo video game first released in 1996.
Blizzard Entertainment published Diablo for Microsoft Windows in December 1996. Blizzard North developed the game, which combined action role-playing with randomly generated dungeons, character classes, equipment collection, and real-time combat.
The game follows a hero descending beneath the cathedral of Tristram to confront the demon Diablo. Its dark presentation, loot-focused progression, and replayable dungeon structure became foundational influences on later action role-playing games.
Diablo was followed by the Hellfire expansion in 1997 and then by Diablo II in 2000. The original release date is sometimes confused with the date of a later console port or with Diablo II's launch, but the first Windows release is firmly associated with 1996.