Industry Project — Level Design

Diablo
4

Refining dungeons and overworld spaces across Sanctuary — working alongside Blizzard's Level Design and Environment Art teams.

Genre ARPG
Engine Proprietary
Platform PC, Console
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Genre
ARPG
Engine
Proprietary
Company Size
100+
Duration
Apr 2022 – Feb 2023
Platform
PC, Console
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Refined numerous dungeon and overworld spaces in Sanctuary to improve player flow and visual clarity.
Handled pathing, chest placement, enemy spawns and POI placement in various locations around Sanctuary.
Utilized proprietary tools to fine-tune navmesh and occlusion systems, ensuring smooth traversal and clear line of sight.
Streamlined environments by removing redundant assets and optimizing foliage density to support performance and readability.
Collaborated closely with Blizzard's Level Design and Environment Art teams to maintain alignment with core gameplay and artistic vision.
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Diablo 4 screenshot 1 Diablo 4 screenshot 2 Diablo 4 screenshot 3 Diablo 4 screenshot 4
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Our role on Diablo 4 focused on refining navigation, visibility, and player interaction to ensure smooth and engaging gameplay. We cleaned up the nav mesh, adjusted objects that obstructed the player's view, and added pathing points of interest to guide AI behavior more effectively. Large objects like trees and rocks were configured to fade out when blocking the player's character, helping maintain visibility during combat. We also placed treasure chests to reward exploration and reinforce environmental storytelling. Throughout the process, we worked closely with Blizzard's Environment and Level Design teams to uphold both design standards and artistic vision.

As an external dev being able to work with an industry giant and learn from their team was the opportunity of a lifetime. Working so closely with Blizzard and the Diablo team to ensure every update supported the core gameplay experience. We had daily syncs with the Level Design team which guided us to review changes, share progress, and align on visual and gameplay goals. In addition to polishing and cleanup tasks, we also offered feedback on early blockouts and edits for various areas across Sanctuary.