diablo iii press kit comp

8/12/2019 Diablo III Press Kit Comp

1/32PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Diablo III: Reaper of SoulPRESS KIT


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM Content

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls PRESS KITTABLE OF CONTENTS

3 FACT SHEET

5 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

8 ACTIVE PLAY SCREENSHOTS

11 CONCEPT ART

20 MEET THE TEAM


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM Fact Shee

PUBLISHER: Blizzard Entertainment

DEVELOPER: Blizzard Entertainment

GENRE: Action RPG

PLATFORMS: PC

RELEASE DATE: To Be Announced

PRODUCT OVERVIEW:

The defeat of Diablo, Lord of Terror, should have given rise to an age of hope. Instead, it has

drawn out a shadowy being of immense power whose malevolent purpose has yet to be revealed.

Reaper of Souls, the upcoming expansion to Blizzard Entertainments epic action RPG Diablo

III, opens a dark and terrifying new chapter in the ongoing conflict over the mortal realm of

Sanctuary.

Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, vanished long ago. In Reaper of Souls, he returns

as the Angel of Death and seizes the Black Soulstone, which contains the essence of the Prime Evil.

Should this dark power be unleashed upon the world, the results would be catastrophic.

Fortunately, a new hero is ready to join the cause and bring Malthael to justicethe

Crusader. Clad in massive armor and bearing an impenetrable shield, this new playable class

charges into battle wielding a range of cruel and punishing weapons and employing powerful battle

magic to strengthen allies and weaken foes. A natural walking tank, the Crusader adds might and

versatility to any party of adventurers.

For more details about Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, visit http://www.diablo3.com/reaperofsouls.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls PRESS KITFACT SHEET
http://www.diablo3.com/reaperofsoulshttp://www.diablo3.com/reaperofsouls


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM

GAME FEATURES:

Act V continues the story where it left off in Diablo III, taking players through the legendary

city of Westmarch to the ancient halls of the Pandemonium Fortress

Level cap increased to 70, enabling players to reach new heights of power

The Crusader enters the fray, joining ranks with the Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch

Doctor, and Wizard

New spells and abilities for each of the games five original heroes

Redesigned loot system drops fewer, but better items, rewarding players with usefulupgrades

Collect rare items of unprecedented power, including game-changing Legendaries

Customize your heros appearance and augment your items power with a new artisan, the

Mystic

Upgrades to Diablo IIIs Paragon progression system add even more end-game character

advancement and replayability

Battle a new menagerie of fiendish monsters slavering for the chance to feast upon Sanctuarys

heroes

Never stop exploring with Adventure Mode, where all waypoints are unlocked so players can

do battle in any setting

Engage in Loot Runs to test your mettle in 10-20 minute dungeons consisting of randomized

areas, monsters, and bosses

Take on Bounties for fun and rewarding objective-based challenges

Connect with your allies like never before with all-new updates to Diablo IIIs social system,

including Clans and Groups

CONTACT:

Chevon SlaughterPR Manager

(949) 955-1380 x14338

[email protected]

Fact Shee
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM Questions & Answer

Q:What is Reaper of Souls?

Reaper of Souls is the upcoming expansion to Blizzard Entertainments epic action

RPG Diablo IIIa dark and terrifying new chapter in the ongoing conflict over the

mortal realm of Sanctuary.

Q:What is the story of Reaper of Souls?

Following the defeat of the Prime Evil by the Nephalem in Diablo III, the mortal realm

of Sanctuary should have entered an age of hope and prosperity. Instead, this event has

drawn out a shadowy being of immense power, one more sinister than any demon.

Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, vanished long ago. In Reaper of Souls, he

returns as the Angel of Death and seizes the Black Soulstone, the ancient artifact containing

the essence of the Prime Evil. It is now up to the Nephalem to track down Malthael and

thwart his plans, a journey that will take them through the legendary city of Westmarch,

across the fetid swamps of the Blood Marsh, and into the ancient halls of the Pandemonium

Fortress.

Q. What new features can we expect to see in Reaper of Souls?

In addition to expanding the story of Diablo III with an all-new, action-packed Act V

and introducing the incorruptible Crusader class, Reaper of Souls increases the games

level cap to 70. Players forging ahead with their existing Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk,

Witch Doctor, and Wizard characters will benefit from an array of fearsome new spells and

abilities as they advance in level.

The expansion also builds upon several key features of the Diablo franchise, with agreater emphasis on randomized environments, horrific new monsters, epic new quests, and

substantial updates to the loot experience. The redesigned loot system in Reaper of Souls

focuses on rewarding players with even better treasure through targeted smart drops,

new and improved multi-level Legendary items, and a third artisan, the Mystic, who can

augment an items power and appearance.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls PRESS KITQ & A


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A new Adventure Mode has been added as well; with all Waypoints unlocked in thismode, the entire world becomes the players battlefield! Included in Adventure Mode are

two new game features, Bounties, a randomized objective system, and Nephalem Rifts

aka Loot Runs, a randomized dungeon system, provide fun and rewarding challenges for

players to tackle when theyre looking for new ways to test their might. Diablo IIIs Paragon

progression system will also be receiving several updates for the expansion, adding even

more endgame character advancement and replayability.

Q. What is Adventure Mode?

In Reaper of Souls, players will be able to experience the world of Sanctuary throughtwo different games modes: Campaign Mode and Adventure Mode.

In Campaign Mode, players reprise their pivotal roles as the heroes of Sanctuary in

this latest chapter of the continuing Diablo saga. All quests, cut-scenes, in-game movies, and

NPC dialogue will be available and progression is intentionally linear. Campaign Mode is

very similar to how Diablo III plays currently.

Adventure Mode is Diablo IIIs new sandbox mode, where players have the freedom

to explore and play the game however they like. All waypoints are now unlocked, soplayers

can go where they want, when they want. The waypoint list has been replaced with awaypoint map, a metaphor for the world that serves as a guide for Bounties and a checklist

of completed gameplay options. The world is literally your battlefield! Adventure Mode also

includes the aforementioned Bounties and Nephalem Rifts.

Q: Can you give us more background on Malthael?

Quiet and elusive, Malthael was an enigma even to his own kind. In the years following

the destruction of the Worldstone, this revered member of the Angiris Council grew

increasingly distant and withdrawn, prone to long periods of isolation. Malthaels eventual

disappearance led to his transformation into the Angel of Deatha cataclysmic threat tothe people of Sanctuary.

Questions & Answer


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Q: What can you tell us about the new class: the Crusader? Will the Crusader beavailable to all players?

Crusaders are righteous warriors who have been hardened through relentless, brutal

combat with the foul evils plaguing eastern Sanctuary. In addition to wearing immensely

heavy armor and wielding a wide range of cruel and punishing weapons, this new playable

class uses battle magic to strengthen allies and weaken foes. A natural walking tank with

a plethora of mid-range melee abilities, the Crusader adds power and versatility to any

party of adventurers. The Crusader class will only be available to players who purchase the

expansion.

Q. Have any changes been made to the difculty scaling or settings in Reaper of

Souls?

In Reaper of Souls, the game difficulty settings have been updated to Easy, Normal,

Hard, Torment, Demonic and Apocalypse. Similar to the way the tiered settings and

Monster Power work in Diablo III, higher difficulty levels present more powerful enemies

who will potentially reward players with more powerful loot! Unlike the previous tiered

difficulty system, though, players are not required to defeat the game on a lower setting in

order to unlock a higher difficulty setting. These settings can be selected at any time, for

both Campaign Mode and Adventure Mode, making it more convenient than ever to find the

level of challenge thats right for you!

Q.How does the new Paragon system work? Will the new Paragon system be

available to all players?

Weve made three significant changes to the Paragon system:

There is no cap on Paragon levels. Players can now earn as many Paragon levels as they

please.

Paragon levels are now account-wide per game type. Normal characters on an account

will share a Paragon level. Similarly, all Hardcore characters on an account will share a

Paragon level. Any Paragon experience you gain on your Normal or Hardcore characters

will contribute to your accounts Normal Paragon level or Hardcore Paragon level.

Players will now earn Paragon Points each time they level up. These points can then

Questions & Answer


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM Active Play Screenshot

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls PRESS KITACTIVE PLAY SCREENSHOTS


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM Active Play Screenshot


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM Concept Ar

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls PRESS KITCONCEPT ART


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PRESS KIT::Diablo III: Reaper of SoulsTM Meet the Team

DAVE ADAMS

Lead Level DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a lead level designer on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Dave Adams oversees

the level design team in the construction of dungeons and exterior environments. His team creates

scripted events, boss fights, seeds the world with monsters and monster populations, and place loot

in the game for player to discover.

Adams joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2003 as a lead level designer, and served as

senior level designer on the Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King expansions to World of

Warcraft. Before joining Blizzard, Adams served as lead level designer on Metal Arms: Glitch in

the System at Swingin Ape Studios.

When hes not conceiving of interesting locales to chal lenge the heroes of Sanctuary, Adams

enjoys classic car restoration and ice hockey. He holds a degree in Film Studies from the University

of California, Irvine.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls PRESS KITMEET THE TEAM


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LEONARD BOYARSKY

Senior World DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a senior world designer for Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Leonard Boyarsky was involved

in developing and implementing the lore and story of Diablo III, and now is continuing that work

on DiabloIII : Reaper of Souls. His work also includes expanding the history and themes of the

franchise.

Boyarsky started at Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in January 2006 in his current position.Before that, he worked at Interplay Entertainment Corp. and Troika Games, helping to create

classic role-playing games such as Fallout and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.

Boyarsky holds two degrees in illustration a Bachelor of Arts from California State

University, Fullerton and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Center College of Design. In his

spare time, he consumes books, games, and movies at a rapid pace.

Meet the Team


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ANDREW CHAMBERS

Senior Game DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a senior game designer on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Andrew Chambers

is responsible for numerous game design duties and has spearheaded the design of the new class

making its debut in Reaper of Soulsthe Crusader.

Chambers joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2010 as a member of the Diablo III design

team. In this role, he helped design and implement the games crafting and achievement systems.Before arriving at Blizzard, he was a lead designer at Relic Entertainment, heading up Dawn of

War: Winter Assault. He has also been a lead designer on a number of other projects at Relic and

Microsoft.

Previously, Chambers taught fundamentals of game design at Vancouver Film School. In

addition to playing computer games, Chambers enjoys playing golf and is currently training to

enter the sectional qualifiers for the U.S. Open.

Meet the Team


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WYATT CHENG

Senior TechnicalGame DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a senior technical game designer on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Wyatt

Cheng is responsible for reviewing, tuning, and balancing skills and runes across all of the games

classes. He also monitors and adjusts difficulty, champion monsters, crafting, and random item

generation, among other game systems.

Cheng joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2003 and has contributed to many memorablebosses in World of Warcraft, such as the Twin Emperors, Patchwerk, and the Four Horsemen, in

addition to his work on Diablo III.

Cheng holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Simon Fraser University. In addition to

computer games, his hobbies include board and card games, as well as playing the guitar and

cooking.

Meet the Team


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TRAVIS DAY

Game DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a game designer on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Travis Day contributes to

the development of new game features and class improvements. Since joining the team, he has been

primarily focused on itemization, conceiving of new and interesting ways to reward players for

their heroic feats.

Day joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2005 as a game master in the customer servicedepartment. He also worked as a QA analyst before becoming a game designer. His first position as

a game designer was as a member of the World of Warcraft team, handling item design duties.

Travis is an avid board game player who can usually found with a pair of dice in hand. He

also spends a lot of his free time playing the Netrunner collectible card game.

Meet the Team


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JOHN HIGHT

Production DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As Blizzard Entertainments production director for Diablo III, John Hight is responsible

for coordinating all development team efforts. This involves overseeing all aspects of the project,

including all post-launch game updates, as well as managing the production of the console version

of the game.

Hight joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2011 as lead game producer on the award-winningWorld of Warcraft expansion, Mists of Pandaria. His career in games development began in the

early 1990s, and in the years prior to joining Bl izzard, he has worked on over 40 games on various

platforms. As an executive producer, he has worked on numerous award-winning franchises

including Command & Conquer and Neverwinter Nights. While at Sony Computer Entertainment

of America, Hight was instrumental in the development of many critically-acclaimed titles,

including Shadow of the Colossus, flOw, flower, and God of War 3.

Hight holds a B.S.E. in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico and an

MBA from USCs Marshall School of Business. He served as a board member of the Academy

of Interactive Arts & Sciences and was the lead author of Game Development Essentials: Game

Project Management, a comprehensive introduction to game project management that trains

readers in the tools and techniques necessary to become effective team leaders. He also taught

game production for four years at the top-ranked Interactive Media division of the USC School of

Cinematics.

In his free time, Hight enjoys tabletop gaming, scuba diving, photography, watching movies,

and riding his Harley.

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BRIAN KINDREGAN

Lead WriterBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As lead writer for Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Brian Kindregans primary responsibility is

to shape the story and characters for the Diablo III universe. Kindregan oversees all the in-game

text in Diablo III, and has a key role in developing the storyline for the franchise. This includes

coordinating with Blizzard Entertainments creative development department to ensure that the

stories told in licensed products like novels and comic books maintain consistency with the Diablo

games.

Kindregan started at Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in 2009 as a senior writer, joining the

StarCraft II development team. Prior to joining the company, Kindregan worked at Bioware,

contributing as a writer on Jade Empire and Mass Effect 2. He also has experience as a storyboard

artist with several companies in the film industry, including Warner Bros., Sony Imageworks,

Disney, and Universal, and has taught storyboarding and visual storytelling as an instructor at

California Institute of the Arts.

When hes not writing stories or shaping characters, Kindregan spends his spare time

gaming on PC and console. His other hobbies include sketching and reading science fiction,

fantasy, and contemporary fiction novels. He also holds a bachelors degree in fi lm from the

California Institute of the Arts.

Meet the Team


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JULIAN LOVE

Lead Technical ArtistBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a lead technical artist on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Julian Love is

chiefly involved with character concepts, as well as visual ef fects for heroes, monsters, and bosses.

The technical art department serves as a bridge between the programming side and the art side

of game development, building custom art tools during production and provides the means by

which the animators can bring life to the characters. Loves team also works on special effects,

breakables, and lighting.

Love joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2001 as a technical artist and has held senior

technical artist roles over the years, working on numerous projects. In fact, Love was a member of

Blizzard North and has been working on the Diablo franchise since its earliest days.

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KEVIN MARTENS

Lead DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As lead designer on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Kevin Martens is responsible

for overseeing the creation and refinement of the games levels, classes, rules, story, and monster

and treasure distribution, among other areas.

Martens joined Blizzard Entertainment in early 2009 as Lead Content Designer, becoming

Lead Designer in early 2012. Before arriving at Blizzard, he worked at BioWare, where he heldleadership roles in the development of the Baldurs Gate series, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire,

and Dragon Age: Origins.

In addition to computer games, Martens is an accomplished chef, and likens the mixing of

flavors in unexpected and enjoyable ways to the process of game design.

Meet the Team


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ALEX MAYBERRY

Lead Game ProducerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a lead game producer on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Alex Mayberry is

responsible for overseeing the games content pipeline from beginning to end.

Mayberry joined Blizzard Entertainment in September 2004, serving as senior producer

on World of Warcrafts first three expansions. Before arriving at Blizzard, he held positions at

Swingin Ape Studios and Electronic Arts, among others.

In addition to computer games, Mayberrys interests include cycling, playing piano, and

creative writing.

Meet the Team


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JESSE McCREE

Senior Level DesignerBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a senior level designer on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Jesse McCree

is an integral part of the level design team tasked with conceiving of and building the games

challenging environments. His work on Reaper of Souls has primarily been focused on new

gameplay features like Nephalem Rifts and Adventure Mode.

McCree joined Blizzard Entertainment in 2005 as a senior level designer, and served assenior level designer on the Burning Crusade and as lead level designer on the Wrath of the Lich

King and Cataclysm expansions to World of Warcraft.

In his free time, McCree enjoys flexing his communication skills as a licensed ham radio

operator. He is also a part-time DJ and music producer, a gardener, and a trained four-wheel drive

vehicle operator.

Meet the Team


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JOSHUA MOSQUIERA

Game DirectorBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As game director for Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III development team, Mosqueira is

responsible for overseeing the overall game design of the Diablo franchise, including its transition

to a new platform and for a new audience. This involves maintaining the games creative vision,

and overseeing a team of designers as they refine the games critically acclaimed gameplay

experience.

Mosqueira joined Blizzard Entertainment in May of 2011. Before arriving at Blizzard, he

held positions at Ubisoft Montreal, Relic Entertainment, and Vicarious Visions. His experience

as a creative director, design director, and lead designer has spanned numerous genres, including

real-time strategy games, first-person shooters, and action games. His prior credits include Far

Cry 3, Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and Homeworld 2.

Mosqueira has over 15 years of experience as a pen-and-paper designer and RPG writer with

over 20 titles to his credit for White Wolf, Steve Jackson Games, and Dream Pod 9. He also served

in the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders of Canada) Regiment for eight years.

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JASON REGIER

Technical DirectorBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.

As a technical director on Blizzard Entertainments Diablo III team, Jason Regier oversees

the engineering backbone that powers the Diablo franchise and has been a lead engineer on the

Diablo III development team since it began. This includes the graphics engine, the UI and other

client-side systems, and relentless optimization to ensure a fast-paced action experience.

Regier joined Blizzard Entertainment in 1999 as an engineer on Diablo II and has beendeeply involved in the franchise ever since.

When hes not eliminating technical hurdles, Regier enjoys watching and playing sports. Hes

been a lifelong soccer player and wi ll be cheering on the U.S. in the next World Cup. He also enjoys

watching movies.

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