In April, I had the chance to speak with lead developers of Diablo 4 regarding the creative challenges faced by their teams when it comes to naming gameplay elements after years of developing and refining the game. The consensus was that it’s quite demanding.

Recently, in discussions with the lead artists of the Diablo series, I ventured a similar question: After years of crafting numerous spiky and sinister armor designs, how do they maintain their creative edge when faced with creating new pieces, especially during collaborations such as the one with Berserk?

Emil Salim, the lead artist for Diablo Immortal, stated, “What I encourage for the art team is to get out from Diablo once in a while. On the weekend, stop looking at Diablo imagery. Go to the museum, go to experience other things, go to Coachella, go look at various really different forms of art. That’s where a lot of the original ideas come from.”
Translation: What I encourage for the art team is to escape from Diablo imagery occasionally and explore various art forms to gain fresh perspectives.

According to Salim, even collaborations with projects like Berserk bring new inspirations, rejuvenating their creative process: “Having this kind of collab really helped us in the art team, because visually, it gives us a refresh.” Translation: Collaborating with diverse projects provides new visuals that encourage fresh concepts.

Viviane Kosty, another lead artist, emphasized the analogy between art and cooking, noting that understanding various cuisines can enhance creative output. “Art is very similar to cooking and fashion: you should always be aware of what you are creating while being inspired by others’ work,” she concluded.