Items and Inventory

25:31 Diablo 5's items are modeled on Diablo II: Blizzard has announced item tiers, larger items that take more inventory slots, the return of the belt slot and of gear-based sets, stat requirements still under test, and a crafting system with Diablo II style Runes and Runewords. "Itemization in Diablo V is inspired by Diablo II," Blizzard says, and the team's goal is items that feel "readable, memorable, and worth chasing across hundreds of hours". Although Diablo 5 had only just been announced, the Forging the Next Era panel made time for "some of the crunchier bits", showing an inventory screen, concept art and "not final", built on three pillars of itemization: "depth, clarity, and identity". "And belts," came the reply.

Quick facts

Tiers and a bigger inventory

26:12 Diablo 5 will feature item tiers: "Items will start simple and then grow and go on a journey with you." The inventory on screen had multi-slot items, part of the team's approach "to really nail the item's identity": the same item seen on the ground, in your inventory and on your character.

26:55 The art team likes the larger icons, and there are "some really great solutions for any controller players" worried about moving those items around. Gear-based sets are returning too: the team loved what the talisman did in Diablo IV's Lord of Hatred, but wants the set concept attached to gear again, because finding one piece "kind of gives you this quest", and it has ideas to make sets "broaden the number of builds that are available rather than shrinking them".

27:53 The team is "experimenting a bit with stat requirements on items", though "not sure if that's final". Itemization, the panel said, should be like New York City: easy to find "something cool" in Times Square straight away, with the best deli and the best pizza to discover as you master it and "define your own builds".

Why Diablo II

9:06 The team told IGN that "some of the crunchiness of Diablo II that really speaks to many of the core ARPG players" inspired stat requirements on items, item tiers, "the return of the belt slot" and multi-slot items in the inventory.

9:58 Why the belt? "The simple answer is that the belt slot is generally more exciting slot than the pants slot," came the answer. It reflects how the team balances the set of items a player chases between weapons and armor, and it lets the art team make gear sets that look more cohesive.

Runes and Runewords

Blizzard's own summary adds that Diablo 5 will have "a rich and deep crafting system, inspired by Lord of Hatred's approach, with Diablo II-style Runes and Runewords", and that "larger items once again take up more slots in your inventory".

What is still unknown

Everything above comes from BlizzCon 2026 (Sep 12 and 13), and the inventory shown there was marked "not final". As of Oct 21, 2026, Blizzard has not said whether players can trade items, what the rarity tiers are called, how large the stash is, which Runewords exist, or how the "really great solutions" for controller players handle multi-slot items. Stat requirements are an experiment the team may drop. Diablo 5 is due in Spring 2029 (see Release and Development).

Frequently asked questions

Does Diablo 5 have Runewords? Yes. Blizzard says Diablo 5's crafting system, "inspired by Lord of Hatred's approach", includes Diablo II style Runes and Runewords. It has not named any Runewords yet.

Is the belt slot back in Diablo 5? Yes. The developers told IGN that "the return of the belt slot" is one of the Diablo II ideas in Diablo 5, because a belt is a more exciting slot to chase than pants.

Does Diablo 5 have item sets? Yes. Gear-based sets return, with the set tied to pieces of gear again rather than to a talisman as in Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred, and the team wants sets to widen the number of builds.

Do items take more inventory space in Diablo 5? Yes. Larger items take up more slots in the inventory, as in Diablo II, and Blizzard says it has solutions for controller players.

Will Diablo 5 items have stat requirements? Maybe. Blizzard says it is "experimenting with stat requirements on gear" and is not sure it is final.

Can you trade items in Diablo 5? Blizzard has not said, as of Oct 21, 2026. Its BlizzCon reveal covered item tiers, sets, the belt, the inventory and crafting, but not trading.

Sources

• Diablo 5: Forging the Next Era, Blizzard Entertainment, Sep 12, 2026
• Diablo 5 | Forging the Next Era Panel | BlizzCon 2026, Diablo, Sep 13, 2026 (video)
• Diablo 5 To Launch With More Classes Than Any Other in the Franchise, IGN, Sep 13, 2026 (video)