The 30-second version
- Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026Runes and runewords are coming ("Diablo II-style Runes and Runewords").
- Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026They are part of the crafting system.
- Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026That crafting is "inspired by Lord of Hatred's approach."
- Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026No specific rune or runeword has been revealed.
What exactly did Blizzard say?
One sentence in "Forging the Next Era": Diablo V gets a rich, deep crafting system modeled on Lord of Hatred's approach, "with Diablo II-style Runes and Runewords." Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026
That's it. No rune list, no recipes, no example runeword.
| Fact | Status |
|---|---|
| "Diablo II-style" runes and runewords | Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026 |
| Part of a "rich and deep" crafting system | Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026 |
| Crafting inspired by Lord of Hatred's approach | Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026 |
| No specific rune or runeword shown | Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026 |
| Some affixes on the inventory mockup carry a glyph icon | Provisional[B1] bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net · verified Oct 6, 2026 |
| Those glyphs could be socketed runes | Speculation[B1] bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net · verified Oct 6, 2026 |
![[B1] bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net · verified Oct 6, 2026](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/so/SO1SAMW0BP3N1789064286361.png){kind=link}
What does "Diablo II-style" mean here?
Blizzard hasn't spelled it out for Diablo 5. What we can say is that the whole loot philosophy points at Diablo II: items that are "readable, memorable, and worth chasing across hundreds of hours." → Diablo 5 items Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 9, 2026
Any clues in the BlizzCon inventory?
Maybe. On the inventory image Blizzard showed, stamped "In development content · Not final," a few affixes on the War Spear and the Ancient Shield carry a glyph icon nobody has explained. Provisional[B1] bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net · verified Oct 6, 2026
In development · not final · © Blizzard Entertainment
How will crafting work?
Runes live inside the crafting system. Blizzard has said three things about it, and an interview adds a fourth:
| Fact | Status |
|---|---|
| A "rich and deep crafting system" | Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 10, 2026 |
| "Inspired by Lord of Hatred's approach" (Diablo IV's expansion) | Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 10, 2026 |
| It includes "Diablo II-style Runes and Runewords" | Confirmed[B1] news.blizzard.com · verified Oct 10, 2026 |
| Some caravan survivors will be "craftspeople" | Confirmed[T2] warcraft.blizzplanet.com · verified Oct 6, 2026 |
| The idea of knowing one character as "the blacksmith" and another as "the jeweler" returns | Interview[T3] windowscentral.com · verified Oct 10, 2026 |
That last row comes from a Windows Central interview with two team members, Tiffany Wat and John Mueller, that doesn't attribute each line to one of them. They want back the blacksmith and jeweler you know by name, "because they're like the last denizens of Sanctuary." They didn't say what each one makes. Interview[T3] windowscentral.com · verified Oct 10, 2026
Still unknown: who handles runes. No caravan character has that role announced. → Diablo 5 items
What we don't know yet
As of October 10, 2026, Blizzard has not said:
- which runes exist, or how many;
- whether Diablo II rune names return;
- how runes combine into runewords;
- whether they go into sockets;
- what exactly the crafting borrows from Lord of Hatred;
- which caravan character works with them;
- what crafting can make or upgrade, and with which materials.
Sources
- Blizzard: Diablo V: Forging the Next Era (Sept. 12, 2026). Tier 1. Checked Oct. 10, 2026.
- Blizzard: inventory image, "In development content · Not final." Tier 1.
- Blizzplanet: panel transcript. Tier 2.
- Windows Central: interview with Tiffany Wat and John Mueller (Sept. 13, 2026). Tier 3, interview. Checked Oct. 10, 2026.
FAQ
Does Diablo 5 have runewords?
Yes. Blizzard has confirmed Diablo II-style runes and runewords as part of the crafting system.
Which runes will be in Diablo 5?
Unknown. As of October 9, 2026, Blizzard has not shown a single specific rune or runeword.
Are Diablo II runewords coming back?
Blizzard only says "Diablo II-style." It has not said whether any specific rune or runeword returns, or keeps its name.
Will runes go into sockets?
Not confirmed. Some icons on the BlizzCon inventory mockup could be socketed runes, but Blizzard has not explained them.
Speculation[B1] bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net · verified Oct 10, 2026
Is there crafting in Diablo 5?
Yes: a "rich and deep" crafting system inspired by Lord of Hatred, with runes and runewords. Crafters will be survivors in your caravan.
Changelog
- 2026-10-09: first version. No Diablo II section until we have an official source.
- 2026-10-10: "Who will craft runewords?" becomes the crafting section, anchored (
#crafting), with a table and the blacksmith and jeweler from the Windows Central interview (status interview). Crafting gets no page of its own: there are only three official facts. Official article re-checked on Oct. 10, 2026.