Diablo IV already has two expansions in the works, according to Rod Fergusson in a new interview. There’s also a new devblog on the graphics of Diablo IV just in time for launch day.
For those who didn’t get a chance to play during Early Access, launch begins rolling out tonight. The Kinda Funny Games team has an interview with Rod Fergussonon review reactions, and the long-term plans for the game. Acknowledging that for a game like this, the main game is about to launch and they are already working on several content releases to come. They wanted to keep Diablo IV grounded in the darkness and gothic sense of the earlier games. Fergusson even acknowledges that the business savvy might have just decided to bring wings and pets over, but they are working with a specific dark vision. And more is on the way.
“We have to build things in parallel. Right now as I sit here we're about to launch the main game, we're finishing up season one, we're working on season two, we're working on expansion one, we're kicking off expansion two - all that's happening right now. We haven't even launched the game yet!” he says in part of the interview. In essence, “you’re kind of always shipping”.
With the first Season set to hit in July, it makes sense that they are already working on Season 2, and at least one expansion. But now they are preparing to start work on the second one. He didn't offer any details, but it's Diablo, so it’s likely we can expect new zones, probably new parts of Sanctuary to explore, new villains and bosses, and eventually, more classes.
With all that behind the scenes work in mind, the new devblog on the graphics of the game and the ways that visuals help to tell the story is out. “Those slaying demons across Sanctuary will quickly notice a defining feature of Diablo IV—it is invitingly dark. This aesthetic harkens back to the universe’s roots, to the beloved gothic tones of the original Diablo and Diablo II.” With that darkness, they also acknowledge that after almost three decades of the franchise, technology has changed dramatically.
The full devblog is divided into sections, each written by a different developer on things like graphics and supporting a wide variety of hardware, technology innovations (and just how things have changed), the use of HDR (including changes in HDR since open beta), lighting, technical art, scalability, and more.
It’s a lot of behind the scenes and technical stuff, but there’s a story here that even casual fans can appreciate. There are a lot of image and video examples walking us all through these ways that the team worked to create the “invitingly dark” environments we’ll all see very soon.
