Diablo IV Quest Dev shows how the narrative sausage is made

DiabloThe story of isn’t necessarily the main appeal of the popular action RPG series. When you’re in the thick of it, frantically chasing endless streams of glorious loot, it’s very easy to forget the details of where you’re fighting, or who even lives in this world. Even so, Diablo IVThe developers of think it has an interesting story to tell in its tense world, and a lead quest designer recently took to Twitter to showcase some of his team’s world-building techniques at work.

Diablo IV scheduled to land on June 6 this year. His arrival will mark the end of a decade-long wait since the last main entry in the long-running franchise. People who pre-ordered the game got their first taste of the weekend beta on March 17th, followed by a general public beta the next week. A role-playing game in a rich fantasy world, Diablo IV takes place 30 years after the events of Diablo III and features Lilith as the main antagonist. And the open beta has given us a taste of the upcoming game’s narrative approach.

Heading to Twitter on March 27th to talk about a small but important storytelling and worldbuilding moment, Diablo IV Lead Quest Designer Harrison G. Pink dissects an early moment from the demo where your character and an NPC, Lorath, try to enter a town and are stopped by the local guards. Coincidentally, this beat plays out as a result of a series of designer choices.

When you arrive in town, the guards will ask your character and Lorath to perform a ritual before entering. This conveys the deep meaning of religion to these people, Pink says, but it also gives us a glimpse of Lorath as a character, as he just doesn’t let himself be bothered and penetrated with such behavior. We also learn that he is well known to the guards who have come to tolerate such insolence from him.

Additionally, this small sequence sets realistic expectations for your player character’s importance (or lack thereof) in this world. “We teach the player that while they are the protagonist and hero of the story, they are not omnipotent,” Pink wrote. “There are other people, cultures, and groups in the story who have their own desires, and you can’t just dismiss them because you’re the main character.” (Table game masters beware.)

Last but not least, Pink explained that the whole reason this sequence came about was because the game needed to separate your character from the NPC. This narrative beat allows Lorath to emerge naturally while also educating you about the world and its people. Win.

Continue reading: Diablo IV Is The Perfect Head Empty, Kill Shit Game

While I’m very much looking forward to the “Head empty, kill shit“ experience this Diablo IV I promise I’m also excited to see if the game can tell a new story in this beloved universe. We’ll all find out how well it can deliver in just a few short months.