Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred Launch Roundtable Q&A – Blizzard Dives into Every Aspect of the Expansion
As part of their Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred review program, Blizzard set up a roundtable Q&A with all the reviewers involved to answer practically every major question about the expansion due to launch next Tuesday on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X. Keep scrolling to read all the answers from Game Director Brent Gibson, Lead Designer Rex Dickson, Lead Live Designer Colin Finer, and Producer Kyle Martin. We've grouped the responses by topic for convenience.
General Vessel of Hatred Questions
Could you introduce the system or content that you focused on the most during the development process of Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred?
Rex Dickson: It is hard to say if there was any one specific area of emphasis, as we expect all our content to meet or exceed ‘Blizzard Quality’ expectations. Dark Citadel and The Undercity were both significant investments, as were Mercenaries, but the two largest areas of focus were the campaign/world and all the major systems changes.
What specific aspects did you pay attention to when designing Nahantu, and what challenges did you face during the development process?
Rex Dickson: There were many aspects that were points of emphasis for us when designing Nahantu. One that comes to mind is how to achieve a warmer color palette while also delivering on that classic Gothic horror theme. Another is incorporating elements from Diablo II, like Travincal and Kurast Docks. I think the biggest challenge we had was ensuring creative alignment across such a huge team with so many amazing ideas.
[...]
