Diablo IV talks itemization, customization, and visual effects in latest dev blog

    
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Soooo the last time we got a Diablo IV quarterly update, it was before the massive newsbomb that Diablo IV, along with Overwatch 2, was being delayed in the wake of Blizzard’s ongoing scandal, which saw Diablo IV’s game director ousted back in August. The news went over poorly with investors, along with anyone else who’s been watching the company’s pipeline for the last few years.

Nevertheless, the remaining team is apparently pushing onward and in fact doesn’t even acknowledge the delay and the storm cloud hanging over the company’s head in its deep-dive into itemization and VFX.

The itemization section explains that skill rank affices are returning in this MMO entry in the franchise, that legendary powers will appear on multiple item slots, that there will be a “stronger emphasis on character power that is earned by all the little decisions you make while leveling up and exploring the world of Sanctuary” instead of just gear, and that the game will put a heavy emphasis on build customization. The VFX section, on the other hand, talks up physically based rendering and ways to “support the core pillars of gameplay,” which are “deep hero customization, itemization, and combat readability.”

Activision-Blizzard is considered a controversial company in the MMO and gaming space owing to a long string of scandals over the last few years, including the Blitzchung boycott, mass layoffs, labor disputes, and executive pay fiasco. In the summer of 2021, the company was sued by the state of California for fostering a work environment riddled with sexual harassment and discrimination, the disastrous corporate response to which has further compounded Blizzard’s ongoing pipeline issues and the widespread perception that its online games are in decline. As of fall 2021, multiple state and federal agencies are currently investigating the company and the industry has called for Bobby Kotick’s resignation following fresh reports on his misdeeds.
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