It looks like Blizzard Entertainment has plans to release a proper, AAA title down the line. If the latest hint from the game developer is any indication, this huge project could point towards the much-awaited “Diablo 4.”
The development for the last “Diablo” title took a downturn following the “Reaper of Souls” expansion in March 2014 and “Rise of the Necromancer” DLC in June this year. Now, it seems that it is high time for the studio to revisit one of their classic franchises.
Blizzard is hiring
Blizzard’s career page indicates the studio is looking for software engineers, artists, audio technicians, and the like for the said IP.
There are quite a lot of key positions on the job listings at its Irvine studio.
Notably, some of these roles are related to the development of its popular hack and slash action role-playing game series. These new hires seem to show that the highly speculated “Diablo 2” HD remaster or a “Diablo 4” is on the cards.
The D4 clue
Blizzard's Irvine Studio is specifically in need of a Senior Environment Artists, Technical Artist, Senior Sound Designer, two Software Engineers, Character Art Supervisor, a Creative Director, and a Production Director for an unannounced title for the "Diablo" franchise.
Interestingly, the position of Production Director appears to be the most intriguing. It may have just confirmed Blizzard’s plan to produce a new “Diablo” or a remastered title.
The post, however, clearly stated that it’s going to be a proper, AAA video game.
Furthermore, the job listing describes the Production Director role as a rare opportunity at Blizzard to lead the development team of “Diablo,” one of the gaming industry’s genre-defining and bestselling RPGs in the history of video games.
The best person for the job must be a highly experienced producer who is extremely familiar with the art of game development, the studio’s industry, and most especially the “AAA environment.”
A long way to go
The third entry in the franchise is touted as the fastest selling games of all time on the PC platform. This tremendous success asks for a sequel that will inevitably arrive at some point.
So, it’s no longer a question of whether it will happen or not, but a matter of when.
The new job listings at Irvine studio could mean that it is still a long way to go for “Diablo 4.” The studio does not have a Production Director yet to spearhead the said project. From the looks of it, the “Diablo 2” HD remaster is way faster to release on short-term.
At the time being, "Diablo 3" is currently holding Season 11 offering players their chances to win exotic rewards, loots, and more.
