The DIABLO IV Art Team Checks in for the Latest Development Diary

Blizzard is hard at work on Diablo IV, and we’ve got a new quarterly development update. This time, Game Director Luis Barriga, Art Director John Mueller, Associate Art Director for Characters Nick Chilano, and Lead Character Artist Arnaud Kotelnikoff talk about the visuals of the characters for the game and character customization. In the official blog post, we learn that the team didn’t want to lean too much into realism, and used the cinematics from Diablo III as their foundation for the art style. It’s also explained that most of the story cutscenes will be rendered using the game engine instead of being pre-rendered. Fans can see that at work in the Rogue Announce trailer for the game.

We also learn that Diablo IV uses physically-based rendering to create realistic lighting on characters and materials. They’ve also expanded the dye system allowing you to customize each part of your armor although materials will react differently. There’s a lot more for fans to enjoy, so check out the entire post for all the details.