"The objective is to achieve believability not realism...the atmosphere is very real in certain places where weather and D2R Ladder Items lighting are taking a bigger visual role in Diablo IV. "All images in Diablo IV filter through the lens of what Blizzard calls the dual design pillars "old masters" and "return to darkness."


"The Old masters' Pillar offers us a lens through which to examine our work by contemplating the techniques classical painters like Rembrandt used, with their careful use of details, tonal range, and the masterful use of color palettes," Ryder writes. "The "return to darkness" Pillar is a line of reference in everything from dungeons and lighting and symbolizes the idea that Sanctuary is the dark, dark medieval gothic era."


The zones in Diablo IV will feature variations of weather and lighting, like fog and rain, as well as exciting props. As lead animator and props designer Chaz Head explains in the update, the ships moving in the ocean and the nets hanging in the market that are drying in Diablo IV's Scosglen Coast area all exist to "breathe life into the amazing designs and the terrain" and give "real-world scale that the Diablo world represents." Other areas featured as part of the monthly update include the dusty grasslands of the Orbei Monastery and the "oppressive" medieval city of Kyovoshad.


Tavern in Diablo IV.


The update also delved into the process used by the team in bringing Diablo IV's dungeons alive. With the number of dungeons planned to be part of the game's launch, the team had to alter the way they created their environment art in order to be able to be used in multiple areas instead of just one location.


"In order to produce so much high-quality content, we came up with clever strategies to reuse tile sets and also add enough variety so that we can be able to cover more than 150 dungeons." Brian Fletcher, associate art director for Buy D2R Ladder Items environment art, writes. "All while providing fresh experiences each time."