Last month at Blizzcon, Blizzard Entertainment announced an upcoming patch for Diablo III, simply dubbed Patch 2.40. Alongside massive list of interface tweaks, gear set rebalances, ability changes, and overall quality-of-life improvements, Blizzard’s Diablo crew mentioned the new zone within which Patch 2.40 will be taking place: Greyhollow Island, a brooding island filled to the brim with savage monsters and what appears to be a strange cult. Blizzard released a trailer for Patch 2.40 on Friday that shows off more of Greyhollow’s chilling locales, which can be seen below:
Unlike previous patches, Patch 2.40 will introduce a storyline that players will follow through objects and events scattered around the zone. Blizzard sets the stage for Greyhollow with the following blurb, found on Diablo III’s blog page:
Miles off the coast of Westmarch lies an island that many believe to be little more than legend. Cut off from the rest of Sanctuary’s developed civilizations, Greyhollow was once the center of a grand empire. Often times, such isolated societies grow and advance at incredible rates, and Greyhollow was no different. Its citizens devoted their cause to a mysterious and, as is often the case in Sanctuary, completely evil being. For reasons still unknown to this day, this unimaginably advanced society collapsed, leaving ruin, chaos, and a lingering curse behind.
Over the years, inquisitive adventurers would catch glimpses of this land off in the distance, though many presumed it to be an illusion, perhaps even a trap devised by the many evils that inhabit the world. Those who found their curiosity insatiable attempted to travel to and explore the land, dreaming of notoriety or wealth. Instead, each journey ended in tragedy, as those foolish enough to pursue this myth were never to be seen again.
Greyhollow’s setting is far removed from the dank dungeons and demonic fortresses that have typically populated the Diablo series over its near 20-year history. An autumnal malaise seems to have descended upon the island and its inhabitants, and players will be subjected to the ancient forces of nature that rule the place. According to the blog post, Greyhollow’s flora and atmosphere are primarily inspired by the Pacific Northwestern coastlines along which Technical Artist Wojahn’s formative years were spent. These influences can be seen in the above trailer, which showcases foggy redwood forests and tempestuous sea coves.
Senior Game Designer Joe Shely stated on the blog that “Greyhollow Island is about being alone in the woods at night […] It’s an untamed island filled with natural and supernatural dangers.” The island’s creatures take on a distinctly primal aspect to boot, with heavy influences from Cascadian mythology. Sasquatch-like enemies make a reappearance from Diablo II, while all manner of wasps, wolves, crabs, treants, satyr-like beings, and horned beasties emerge from the woodwork to torment the player. Strange idols and shrines made of tangled branches, horns, furs, and skulls also dot the landscape, which take on a stylized Wiccan aspect intertwined with the visual elements of Northwestern Native American mysticism.
The Diablo team also sets out to explore new storytelling methods with Patch 2.40. Rather than force players to trudge through a central narrative, Senior World Designer Leonard Boyarsky wants players to dictate how they will experience Greyhollow’s story. Its dark past is fragmented, found in the various journals and events that players will “stumble upon.” Boyarsky noted on the blog post that “[the Diablo team] focused on less of a main narrative, and more on mystery and side story and having the player piece together what was actually happening.” Exploration over exposition seems to be the mantra of Greyhollow, with a sinister subplot lurking ever-present in the background of the player’s mind. The Diablo team hopes to ultimately “makes Sanctuary [Diablo III’s world] feel a lot larger and more alive than ever” with this new storytelling approach.
No release date has yet been announced for Patch 2.40, but current Diablo III players can help beta test the patch’s Public Test Realm by following the instructions found here (though the instructions apply to Patch 2.30’s PTR, they are applicable to Patch 2.40). Patch 2.40’s projected storytelling methods may also shed light on any future plans Blizzard has planned for the series; a listing on Blizzard’s careers page for an “Unnamed Project” appeared earlier this Fall, but it has since disappeared from the site.