Diablo 4 leak suggests Switch 2 release

IGN reported on August 6 that a new leak points to Blizzard Entertainment releasing *Diablo 4* on Nintendo Switch 2 in mid-September, citing a report from Dealabs leaker billbil-kun. The report says the game would arrive more than three years after *Diablo 4* first launched on PC, PlayStation and Xbox in June 2023. IGN said the leak also points to a digital eShop release and a boxed retail version that would include only a download code. Blizzard and Nintendo have not announced a Switch 2 version. (ign.com) ### What exactly did the leak claim? IGN said the leaked details point to a mid-September launch, with the Switch 2 edition priced at $69.99 in the United States, £62.99 in Britain and €69.99 in Europe. Polygon, citing the same Dealabs report, said the release date could be either Sept. 15 or Sept. 18, though it said Blizzard had not confirmed those dates. Polygon reported that the leak did not establish whether the game’s “Lord of Hatred” expansion would be included. (ign.com) IGN’s write-up similarly focused on the base release timing, price and format, rather than any bundled expansion content. ### Why is the “code-in-a-box” detail getting so much attention? IGN reported that the physical Switch 2 version would be a “code-in-a-box” release, meaning buyers would get retail packaging with a digital download code instead of a cartridge. (ign.com) Nintendo Everything, citing billbil-kun, said the same thing in its summary of the leak. That format matters because Nintendo releases have traditionally been associated with cartridge-based retail copies, and a boxed code-only version changes how collectors and secondhand buyers use a game. (polygon.com) The reports did not say why Blizzard or Nintendo would choose that format for *Diablo 4*. ### Where did this report come from, and how firm is it? Dealabs leaker billbil-kun was the source cited by IGN, Polygon and Nintendo Everything. (ign.com) IGN described billbil-kun as “ever-reliable,” while Nintendo Everything said the leaker has “an accurate track record” and appears to get early retailer information. Those descriptions are the outlets’ characterizations, not official confirmation from Blizzard or Nintendo. Polygon also said earlier signs had surfaced in ratings activity. It reported that Indonesia’s ratings system had previously listed *Diablo 4*’s “Lord of Hatred” expansion for Nintendo Switch alongside other platforms before the listing was removed, and that Taiwan’s ratings board later briefly published a Switch 2 classification for the game before removing it. ### Why are people connecting this to Gamescom? Gamescom’s organizers say the 2026 show runs from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 in Cologne, with Gamescom week beginning Aug. 24 and Opening Night Live scheduled for Aug. 25. (ign.com) That places the event a few weeks before the leaked September launch window. Polygon said that if the report is accurate, Gamescom would be a logical venue for an official reveal later this month. Nintendo has already confirmed it will exhibit at Gamescom 2026, according to multiple outlet reports on the company’s event lineup. (polygon.com) ### What is still unconfirmed? Blizzard and Xbox had not officially announced a Switch 2 version of *Diablo 4* as of August 6, according to Polygon and IGN. Neither report included a public statement from Blizzard confirming the platform, release date, price or packaging. (gamescom.global) The next concrete dates are already on the calendar. Gamescom opens in Cologne on Aug. 26, after Opening Night Live on Aug. 25, and the leaked launch window reported by IGN points to either Sept. 15 or Sept. 18 for *Diablo 4* on Switch 2. (polygon.com) (gamescom.global) (ign.com)