Posted in: Blizzard, Diablo, Diablo IV, Games, Video Games | Tagged: Blizzard Entertainment, Diablo, Diablo IV

Diablo IV Releases Their Latest Developer Update For Q1 2022

Blizzard Entertainment's development team for Diablo IV has released a new blog updating us on the game's latest progress. The primary focus of this blog is centered around environments, as they take you on a tour of several they have designed for the game, which includes some video previews of what they got cooking. You're getting perspectives from multiple people including  Art Director Chris Ryder, Associate Art Director Brian Fletcher, Associate Lighting Director Ben Hutchings, Lead Exterior Environment Artist Matt McDaid, and Lead Props and Interactives Artist Chaz Head as they discuss making the world in which you are treading into. You can read the full blog here and check out a snippet of it along with one of the videos they released below. However, if you're looking for any news about a release date, you're not getting one in this entry.

We approach creating the environments of Diablo IV through a darker and more grounded interpretation than earlier installments. The aim is for believability, not realism. Believability comes through our use of materials and deliberate construction of architecture and artifacts you will come across as you play through dungeons and the open world. In addition, regional weather conditions, varied local biomes, and a sense of history set the foundation of how an object or place should look visually in a medieval world like Sanctuary.

After all, Sanctuary is full of history, struggle, and conflict, giving us many opportunities to depict a diverse world full of compelling locations in a dark gothic-medieval setting. Even the wealthiest areas in Sanctuary are challenging to exist in. Leaning into these characteristics adds to the richness of the world. It gives us a springboard to elaborate on the space visually, giving it a sense of identity we can lock onto and build around. The atmosphere is almost tangible in places, with weather and lighting play a more prominent visual role in Diablo IV.

When it rains, surfaces get wet, puddles form in ruts and hoof prints, the ground feels muddy, the atmosphere is heavy and damp. Contrast that by making your way into a hazy fire-lit tavern that instantly contrasts with the atmosphere outside, a rare place of refuge and warmth. We want to take you on a journey, hinting at a location's past or recent events. The satisfying part of our work is developing and jamming on a location's unique visual story, pushing and pulling the art until it becomes an iconic backdrop for combat, exploration finally screams Diablo.

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