This Monday (28), AnimeNew was present at an international press conference promoted by Blizzard Entertainment to present the unprecedented collaboration between two references from the dark universe of fantasy: Diablo and Berserk. The interview revealed details never before disclosed about the creative process, the inspirations and the challenges behind this historical union.
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Represented by artists Emil Salim (Diablo Immortal) and Viviane Kosty (Diablo IV), Blizzard studios opened the backstage of the partnership that promises to mark the trajectory of both games deeply. We hear passionate reports, technical analysis and thrilling statements about the impact of Kentaro Miura's work on the construction of this fans long awaited by the crossover.
A partnership that emerged naturally between two dark universes
Since the beginning of the conversation, it is clear that Diablo and Berserk share more than a similar aesthetics: both dive into the depths of the struggle for survival in war -torn worlds, darkness, and suffering. Emil Salim went straight to the point to comment that when the art team received the collaboration proposal, the reaction was immediate. “It was like finding a lost piece of a puzzle. Berserk's narrative, loaded with pain, violence and resistance, fits perfectly into the essence of Diablo.”
Viviane Kosty reinforced this vision by saying that, visually, the connection between universes has always existed. According to her, the transposition of Berserk elements to Diablo IV occurred almost intuitively, respecting the dark medieval base that characterizes both. "It's a meeting of worlds that were already dialogued without realizing it ," he said.
How the art team balanced the tribute to Kentaro Miura with the aesthetics of Diablo
In the name of AnimeNew, we directly asked Blizzard artists what it was like to balance the tribute to Kentaro Miura's work with the need to maintain the solid visual identity of Diablo. Emil Salim and Viviane Kosty's response revealed not only a technical concern, but also a deep emotional respect for Berserk's author.
Salim explained that both he and Viviane are great admirers of Miura's work, especially the way the author portrayed violence almost poetically. "Miura had a unique way to convey brutality with lyricism ," he said. Inspired by this approach, the team sought to incorporate what they called "manga energy" into the new immoral Diablo kinematics.
Salim explained that the team inserted fast cuts between 3D scenes and 2D visual moments, stylized as hand -drawn manga pages to convey this influence. "Throughout the new movie, you'll see these quick cuts, almost as stereotyped anime compositions, and this was done intentionally to capture the spirit of Miura's work ," he said.
Viviane Kosty complemented by bringing a specific perspective on the development of Diablo IV . She explained that, being a PC game and console, there was room to highlight complex textures on 3D models, ie something they used to make a more subtle and deep tribute to Miura's original work.
“If you look closely at GUT Berserker armor in the game, you'll see small notches, brands and grooves that simulate the shadow lines that Miura drew on your manga,” said Viviane. She pointed out that the team sought to cross the feeling of Miura's illustrations to the 3D environment. Thus, allowing the most attentive fans to recognize the reference immediately.
"It's our way of maintaining the feeling of the original, even adapting it to a new media ," he said. "It was a very conscious decision of the art team, made not only as creators, but as fans who wanted to provide a proper tribute."
Eclipse adaptation: recreating trauma in the form of gameplay
One of the highlights of collaboration is the adaptation of the eclipse arc, one of Berserk's most iconic and brutal moments. Emil Salim revealed that Diablo Immortal's Struggler's Bane event was designed to capture exactly the feeling of despair, isolation and resistance that Guts faces in the manga.
During the event, the game environment changes dramatically. The sky becomes red and the enemies attack more speed and ferocity. The player's character receives an increase in damage. "We wanted the player to live the eclipse, not only watched. That would feel the same terror and adrenaline we feel reading the manga ," said Emil.
Viviane added that although Diablo IV focused more on visual representation and less in the direct adaptation of narrative events, the spirit of resistance and loss that permeates Berserk was also carefully incorporated into cosmetics and scenarios.
Choice of characters: Golden acts as the basis for immersion
The team chose with extreme caution the Berserk elements that would be incorporated. Emil Salim compared the vastness of Berserk's content to a gigantic buffet of characters, weapons and iconic places. Thus, for Immortal Diablo, the decision was to focus on the arc of the “golden age”, considered one of the most emblematic in the series.
Among the highlights are the fight against Nosferatu Zodd as boss, the eclipse -inspired ambiance and the presence of emblematic elements such as the Red Cross and the Falcon Band. However, already in Diablo IV, the bet was on skins that represented the essence of Guts, Griffith and the Skull Knight, adapted with creative freedom to fit the proportions and varied styles of the game classes.
Viviane pointed out that the goal was to make fans recognize immediately
The team preserves Berserk's brutality without censorship
Emil Salim and Viviane Kosty clarified journalists who preserved all Berserk's brutality without censorship. "There was no content from Berserk that we considered 'too' for Diablo. On the contrary, we tried to absorb as much as possible to this poetic brutality that characterizes the work ," Viviane said enthusiastically.
In addition, the Blizzard team assured that, for Diablo being an adult classification game, there was creative freedom to explore the darkest layers of Berserk without compromising authenticity.
Tribute of fan fans: the thrill of working with the legacy of Miura
Another exciting moment of the press conference was the artists' report on the personal impact of working with original references by Kentaro Miura. Emil described the experience as "entering a masterpiece museum." Both reported the feeling of seeing unpublished turning from characters such as Guts, Griffith and the Golems.
Viviane pointed out that many members of the art team grew up reading Berserk, and that bringing these characters to life was a dream come true. "Every texture, every detail was made with love and respect. It was like honoring a master who formed our passion for dark fantasy ," he said.
New collaborations in sight? The future of crossovers in Diablo
Closing the press conference, Emil Salim revealed that the experience of working with Berserk paved a way for future partnerships in Diablo. Thus, with the creation of an internal structure to manage external collaborations, Blizzard now feels more prepared for new projects.
Viviane also signaled enthusiasm for future opportunities. "We want to continue bringing experiences that make sense, respect the story of Diablo and that thrill players authentically ," he said.
New collaboration of Diablo with Berserk honors Kentaro Miura's legacy
More than honoring Kentaro Miura's legacy, this collaboration represents a milestone for Blizzard, paving the way for future integrations that respect the spirit of Diablo . Thus, fans of both universes, now the expectation of living this fusion firsthand, facing demons, reliving trauma and celebrating survival - essence that both Berserk and Diablo have always shared.
