Blizzard bulking up Diablo dev team

Company job postings call for art leads to work on unannounced PC title from the crew behind the first two Diablo games.

It's been more than four and a half years since the Diablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion pack came out, and that time has apparently done nothing to diminish fans' enthusiasm for an unannounced sequel to the action role-playing series.

Even now, the slightest hint of Diablo III's existence is enough to get the Internet buzzing. Whether it's the acknowledgement that Blizzard North employees were working on an unannounced project when the studio was shuttered last August, or the e-mail of a Czech musician claiming to have recorded music for the project, rumors of Diablo III persist, popping up every few months to rile the Blizzard faithful.

This month's riling comes straight from Blizzard itself, which has posted a number of intriguing entries on the jobs section of its Web site. The positions, which were posted yesterday, call for an art director and various leads to join "the team behind Diablo I and II" for "an unannounced PC project."

The job descriptions offer few clues as to the nature of the next project. The lead 3D environment artist position calls for a candidate with a solid grasp of form, color, and light who "has experience modeling and texturing a diverse visual range of characters and creatures." Blizzard's also looking for a lead 3D character artist with "experience modeling and texturing a diverse visual range of characters and creatures" and a lead 3D character animator who has "experience animating both human and non-humanoid characters." The lead 3D character animator position also calls for knowledge of inverse kinematics and other facets of 2D and 3D animation, suggesting that the game will have some detailed visuals. Each position calls for familiarity with 3ds Max, while the lead 3D character animator will also need to know Maya and Character Studio.

Online speculation immediately turned to thoughts of Diablo, a franchise Blizzard has previously acknowledged wanting to continue at some point. Currently the company's only announced projects are the long-in-development Starcraft: Ghost for consoles and the Burning Crusade expansion for World of Warcraft.

Blizzard representatives did not immediately return requests for comment.

197 Comments

  • jerfaceisugli

    Posted Dec 31, 2007 2:15 pm PT

    If you think about it, diablo has been copied so many times by so many games. So since we are so tierd of those games, they might have to boot the the style or something. In other words, Blizzard is going to have to do something with Diablo that no other games have done. Only because the game has been copied. But I count on Blizzard to get it right. They always do. They put a name on rts, mmorpg, and rpg. Not a name actually, the name. THE NAME!!! I WANT MORE DIABLO!!!

  • KrimsonTwilight

    Posted Dec 10, 2007 7:25 pm PT

    HEAR THIS BLIZZARD! I WANT ME SOME MORE DIABLO

  • superbaler

    Posted Aug 11, 2007 1:27 am PT

    Different dev team or not, Diablo already has a great foundation and fan-base. It doesn't require the same dev team to build on top of that foundation. Just because it's not the same team, does not mean they cannot do better than the original team. All I'm trying to say is, 'others' can still come in and continue the legacy of Diablo and do it successfully. I patiently await Diablo III

  • Jason5550123

    Posted Aug 10, 2007 5:56 pm PT

    I think they should make a Diablo 3. It doesn't really matter who makes it, as long as it has the same game style as the first two games, it should be very awesome especially with new characters and stuff like that.

  • classicfan

    Posted Apr 30, 2007 9:09 am PT

    No way I'd rather have a new Diablo game any day over stupid WOW Sorry but that genre is for 8/12 year old freaks! lol.D3 would destroy WOW any day!.I've been begging for a sequel to D2 since I last played it in 2001.and the game came out when? 1998?.thats like now 9 years ago?. So I hope we oldschoolers finely get our way!No offense to kids but you had your fun!

  • can0of0cheese

    Posted Apr 15, 2007 11:55 am PT

    The only real reason too want diablo 3 is the story, because the original crew have already left blizzard and works on the hellgate London. The story wasn't that good either... like i went to hell three times (not counting diablo 1) so diablo should be pretty dead by now.

  • SolInvictus-HGG

    Posted Apr 2, 2007 2:16 am PT

    All Diablo fans will be looking forward to Hellgate: London instead, from the team that made Diablo. Speaking as a Diablo fan, I am not interested in playing a game made by a completely different team without the same design goals and talent of the original developers.

  • ciezar

    Posted Mar 24, 2007 9:06 am PT

    All Diablo fans wait for the Diablo 3

  • WhoAmI222

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 7:08 pm PT

    LOL... ' i need anger management ' should be ur comment ' ..... we are all making comments on the game, but the hideous fool is making comments on the form... LOL ' Stupidity ' is my comment for u

  • s0ild_snake

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 8:24 am PT

    sweet

  • SmallPower

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 4:11 pm PT

    grammatical errors + unfounded speculation + lame jokes + fanboy nerdgasm = my comment

    it's a winning formula

  • WhoAmI222

    Posted Jan 5, 2007 3:24 pm PT

    blizzard should be making this game.. about 90% chance cuz the game is famous and very Profatible and also one of the writters of diablo 'Knaak' stated "i would not Continue to write novels for a dead game" i think tis a very intriguing statment ....... Diablo III should be out, just have to wait for a long time....................................................................................................................................... perhaps...........................

  • SgtWildey77

    Posted Dec 26, 2006 4:32 pm PT

    The thought of Diablo 3 just about brings me to the point I would be at if the Swedish Bikini Team knocked on my front door. Ok, bit of an overstatement but just the same I've been playing the Diablo series faithfully since it's original release. My predictions for D3 were 'The Chronicles of Tyreal', the ever present and quite rebellious angel. Whether I'm right or not doesn't matter but I'm afraid the storyline of D3 is going to feel 'forced'. The end of 2 pretty much wraps things up so... maybe Blizzard will keep the Diablo engine/game play but go with a completely new story. As much as I'm tempted by the idea of D3, maybe a Bladerunner or anti-hero storyline (God of War) would be more appropriate. What do you guys think?

  • Detavion

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 5:24 pm PT

    I hope to god that Blizzard is working on Diablo 3! Even though I loved the first two Diablo games just the way they were, I think Diablo 3 would be even more godly if it was an MMO.......set it in an imense world with next-gen graphics. I want it to be pretty much a WoW with faster gameplay, and better graphics.

  • damned_beast

    Posted Nov 28, 2006 6:19 am PT

    yeah megaman is right. you dont hire musicians to make a patch. Hope its Diablo 3

  • MegaManAX

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 9:04 am PT

    They wouldn't hire a new musician for a new patch.

  • vampiredust99

    Posted Nov 7, 2006 8:56 am PT

    sweet

  • Diablospawn7691

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 6:32 pm PT

    Unfortunatley I think this was just for the 1.11 patch. Although if they do decide to make D3 I will be one of the first to prorder asap

  • t-bag11

    Posted Aug 24, 2006 11:54 pm PT

    if they don't make this game i will go to their head office and slap them myself. diablo was the most addicting game i've ever played. diablo 2 i never got until i got a newer computer and i still play it. they would be throwing away one of the best franchises anyone's made. it'd be interesting what kind of story they could come up with. i'm reading the first book which is great as well. something you should check out if you haven't already.

  • evanparker2134

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 2:15 pm PT

    I never really liked D2 in the first place. I don't understand how they can differentiate D2 from D3 aside from implementing a new graphics engine. It'll just be more of the same hack and slash you know and that I hate.

  • skullcaptain

    Posted Aug 12, 2006 7:06 am PT

    Cool! Hopefully they made the whole game into 3D, or add in some new Acts, new character class (like ninja), new uniques, new sets, new runewords, made ladder items available on sp, mp gamers enable to use hamachi setting for mp games across sea and borders. Looking forward to the releasing of D3. (Hopefully the title is Grand Finale)

  • Galamode

    Posted Jul 4, 2006 3:18 pm PT

    Diablo 3 =/= MMO...
    ... I hope

  • Dinghy_Dog

    Posted Jul 3, 2006 8:10 am PT

    World of Diablo

  • The_Emperor

    Posted Jun 24, 2006 5:21 am PT

    If Blizzard do nothing about the Diablo series in the future they are stupid. But since they have proved to us so many times before that they are not, I would say it is Diablo 3. The name alone would bring in tons of money, even if the game would be poorly done, and blizzard are not people to make poor games.
    Sooner or later they will make a Diablo 3 and it will rock.

  • shsgaels43

    Posted Jun 23, 2006 11:10 pm PT

    omfg cant freakin wait

    oh and if you only played diablo 2 and not one its deffinetely one to check out

  • Jon_Sly

    Posted Jun 15, 2006 8:44 am PT

    I would love and I mean LOVE for a D3 to come out. D2 was by far spent over a year if not more of my life. I spent decades on that game.

  • homiebo

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 11:06 am PT

    thats going to be cool no doubt

  • Beesond

    Posted May 30, 2006 7:54 pm PT

    I would like another MMORPG, but Diablo 3 shoudn't be it. Although you should be able to still get in huge groups of people and have huge battles like MMORPGs but with out actually being one, lol thats a confusing statement. But you should be able to have a great complete feeling adventure in the single player, yet be greatly tempted to play the multiplayer. Along with many others I just dont have the time to get the best stuff in MMORPGs, and the end game stuff is always some of the best content in a lot of games. Either way, I cant wait to play a 3D diablo, oh it will be sweet, if this what the game is going to be that blizzard is planning on creating.

  • JinLeonhart

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:33 am PT

    No no, F*****G MMORPG, I dont have time+money 4 that ~_~

  • cloudstrife145

    Posted May 26, 2006 7:41 am PT

    Yes. MMO would be nice....only for battle.net.
    I just can't wait for it. ^_^

  • pastelero

    Posted May 26, 2006 6:39 am PT

    Please please tell me Diablo 3 will *NOT* be an MMORPG! That would really suck big time. The best part about D2 was the flexibility it gave with either Single or Mulitplayer gaming.

    Is this all Blizzard cares about now? The money? Take care of your fans, dammet!

    I guess I can kiss my dreams of Diablo 3 LAN parties away now. Fhack!

  • diablosamja

    Posted May 25, 2006 3:50 am PT

    We Want DIABLO 3!!!!

  • eddycharla

    Posted May 14, 2006 10:12 pm PT

    This is great, Diablo, Diablo 2 and the expansion: Lord of Destructiona are some of the greatest games ever

  • pokeman41

    Posted May 7, 2006 1:56 pm PT

    could they really make Diablo II even better it's awesome already. What's next the father of all three Prime Evils?

  • eromort

    Posted May 2, 2006 8:52 am PT

    DIABLO 2 is the best game ever!
    i really hope it`s d3 because im a hardcore diablo fan.

  • evilwillsurvive

    Posted Apr 30, 2006 12:44 pm PT

    I wouldnt really want it to be like WoW. I hate that game.
    It should be free online on battle.net

  • olsteradamus

    Posted Apr 20, 2006 8:43 pm PT

    Diablo III would be way too cool. I sincerely hope Blizz revisits that universe at some point, however not having the same team does create some worry.

  • sertacayhan

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 1:20 pm PT

    Diablo 1 and 2 are the most addictive games I've ever played. It must be Diablo 3

  • Savius

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 7:31 am PT

    FFS you Starcraft fans go away! Every second post - "Starcraft would be better." As if it would! Theres like 1000 good RTS games out there, but theres nothing like Diablo. Go post in a Starcraft forum somewhere else and let us loyal Diablo fans bask in a moment of hope for D3.

  • EchoSae

    Posted Mar 25, 2006 10:32 am PT

    Diablo III wouldn't be bad, I'm waiting for another StarCraft RTS game though.

  • ColdPizzaKid111

    Posted Mar 25, 2006 10:04 am PT

    All I want is to have D3 be like D2 and D2:LOD with more quests and better graphics.

    Hell I still play D2:LOD.

  • Tyuca

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 3:13 pm PT

    STARCRAFT 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STARCRAFT 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STARCRAFT 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STARCRAFT 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, why Diablo 3 ??? dam!!

  • l_o_k_i_n

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 2:18 pm PT

    rumours, rumours, rumours.
    Even if that's true it is a work for a few years.

  • mfritz55

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    StarCraft 2 all the way. Think about it. They're already gearing up for it with Ghost, and the only thing Diablo-related we've seen since 2 is the novels. There's so much more they could do with the StarCraft story. Don't even get me started.

  • Micke12345

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 11:03 am PT

    No i would rather see a pay per month Diablo 3 whitout any hackers !

  • frank16ve

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 9:32 am PT

    well i will be much more interested if they said they are making starcraft 2, don t you think guys... and girls

  • arjnav

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 7:26 am PT

    if its true, it's huge!

  • Micke12345

    Posted Feb 13, 2006 5:10 am PT

    I hope there is a monthly fee eaven whitout mmo, because then there wont be any hackers. Hackers destroy all good games, except those that you pay for each month.

  • doninciong

    Posted Feb 12, 2006 4:10 pm PT

    Im still content with diablo 2... i just started playing early 2005 and, i must say, even for the games age... i got the game because i read about HELLGATE LONDON...

    IMO, a NEW title would be better than D3...

  • The_Code

    Posted Feb 12, 2006 2:34 pm PT

    Blizzard is by fare the best in the bussiness.

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