Go To Hell
Go to Hell
I’ve been in Hell for more than five years now, and I like it. In this case, my Hell is working on the Diablo franchise for Blizzard Entertainment, and my time in Hell has been pretty great.
I came onto the franchise with Diablo IV, and once that shipped, worked on expansions and seasonal content. Early this year, I migrated over to the next iteration of Diablo, which we referred to only via codename, to prevent anything from leaking. But now we don’t need a codename anymore.
At this past weekend’s BlizzCon in Irvine, CA, Diablo V was officially announced, with a target date of early 2029.
Obviously I can’t tell you much about what I’m working on in terms of the specifics. Diablo V is set about a century after Diablo IV, and the world of Sanctuary has fallen to Diablo himself, making for a very post-apocalyptic setting. It’s very much the dark storytelling elements players expect from the franchise, but with some new wrinkles like the player joining a caravan of characters traveling through the demon-infested world. Again, I can say very little, but I can tell you that I’m enjoying the world my fellow narrative designers are getting to play in, and the characters we’re getting to write.
Here are a couple of press stories with as much detail as has been revealed:
Diablo IV is also definitely not being mothballed. New seasonal content will continue, including Season 15, which debuts today.
Making comics offers relative instant gratification. When you’re done making a comic, it’s not very long before it’s out in the world. That’s not the case with a lot of other media, especially videogames. Diablo things I’m working on now won’t see the light of day for almost three years. That’s not a complaint, merely a comparison. The franchise is healthy, with a dedicated audience, and I feel fortunate to be contributing to it.
Baltimore Bound
Later this month I’ll be back at the Baltimore Comic Con, easily one of the best conventions in the country, very much a COMIC con. The con runs Sept. 25-27. I’ll be set up at Booth #203, a corner space, along with my buddy David A. Rodriguez, who will be bringing his excellent comic BattleMex to the show, along with some Skylanders comics we co-wrote.
My schedule has me on three panels for the weekend:
*3 p.m. Friday, “The Big Guns: Taking on Comics’ Greatest Legacies,” Room 339.
*11 a.m. Saturday, “Real Spy Comics” (along with some actual intelligence operatives, Room TBA.
*3 p.m. Saturday, “When Titans Clash” (DC/Marvel crossovers), Room 343.
I should be set up by opening time on Friday, but I’m actually flying in on Friday morning this year, so me keeping my schedule is dependent upon the airline keeping its schedule. I usually fly in Thursday afternoon, to have a more relaxed lead-up to the con, but this year I’m seeing Texas degenerates Treaty Oak Revival play a show in Syracuse on Thursday night, so I’m making the trip Friday morning.
After Baltimore, I have just a few appearances remaining in 2026. But a few 2027 dates have been confirmed already. Seems like invitations come in earlier and earlier, which is actually much appreciated as it helps in sorting out a reasonable schedule. Announcements on those as soon as I can.
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