Blizzard Is Working on a New Diablo Project

A high profile job opening at Blizzard Entertainment suggests that there is a major Diablo project in the works.

Blizzard recently posted a new job listing (courtesy of VG247) that suggests there is some kind of big, Diablo-related project in the works. Unfortunately, the listing does not indicate whether this new project is a second expansion to Diablo III, something Hearthstone related, Diablo IV or something entirely different. The listing itself is for an art director position.

The art director for Diablo III and its Reaper of Souls expansion was Christian Lichtner, who joined Blizzard's development team in 2009. Lichtner's departure from the company last year suggests that Blizzard is hoping for someone to fill-in his shoes. Blizzard is looking for someone who has both "a minimum of 10 years’ experience in crafting video game art" and "a minimum of 5 years’ experience as a lead artist or art director." The job also demands experience with AAA titles, so there you have it. These required qualifications suggest a new expansion or full-fledged sequel to Diablo III.

Since this project is still looking for its art director, which is a fundamental part of the entire design process, this Diablo title is still in its earliest stages of development. Without even an art director to steer the direction of its concept art, I wouldn't expect much of this title will be said at BlizzCon 2015, especially considering that Blizzard will likely be focusing on the newly announced World of Warcraft: Legion. I wouldn't be surprised if this new Diablo project isn't even announced until BlizzCon 2016 or later.

Here's what a Blizzard representative said in response to Polygon's inquiries about the job listing:

"We don’t have any additional information to share. We’re always working on different projects and developing new ideas, but we don’t have anything to announce at this time..."

100 Video Game Facts You May Not Know