Diablo 4 Gets New Update From Blizzard

Diablo IV is once again in the spotlight with Blizzard sharing another quarterly update about the game ahead of its release. This is the first update on the new Diablo game that we’ve gotten this year with this one focusing more on the environments of Diablo IV including diverse areas players will explore as well as the dungeons they’ll delve into in search of loot. Much was talked about and shared regarding these environments with videos and concept art providing even more details, but the game still does not have a set release date following its delay which was announced late last year.

As usual, this latest quarterly update is a dense one that’ll matter most to those who’ve been following Diablo games over the years and are set on seeing what happens with this next one, so it’s best read through here to get the full effect. Along with concept art shared throughout the blog, you’ll find several videos underneath the blog’s “The World of Sanctuary subheader that show off specific parts of Diablo IV’s environments.

Some have already pointed out that the concept art shared here shows that the developers seem to be leaning into a much darker concept for Diablo IV. Comments from art director Chris Ryder reinforced that by saying the art team was working towards believability, not just realism.

“We approach creating the environments of Diablo IV through a darker and more grounded interpretation than earlier installments,” Ryder said. “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.”

Another interesting takeaway related to artwork but also the never-ending search for challenges and loot is that Diablo IV will feature over 150 dungeons for players to explore. Associate art director of environments Brian Fletcher talked about those plans as well as a shift in the creation of environmental art that allows for that number of dungeons.

“Dungeons are still that randomized content that you know and love from previous Diablo titles,” Fletcher said. “However, we added new and exciting features that allow us to make even more dungeons across the world of Sanctuary than ever before. In order to support over 150+ dungeons, we’ve had to shift the way we make environment art so that it’s flexible enough to be used in multiple locations and not just in a single dungeon.”

Diablo fans also recently got some news on Diablo Immortal, a game which also does not yet have a set release date.