Reportedly, THPS remake developer Vicarious Visions is now working on a remake for Diablo II in his new role at Blizzard Entertainment.
It is understood that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remake developer Vicarious Visions is producing a remake of the classic Blizzard Entertainment Diablo II. Such news comes on the heels of Blizzard’s acquisition of Vicarious, which has spent the past 15 years serving as a subsidiary of Activision.
Vicarious’s new role as Blizzard support team allows him to stay in Albany, New York. However, the studio has undergone considerable change in terms of its leadership. Studio chief Jen Oneal in particular received a promotion and sat on Blizzard’s own leadership team as executive vice president for development. In her absence, Vicarious’s chief operating officer, Simon Ebejer, has taken on the role of studio chief. A statement from Blizzard noted that “the two entities have already worked together.”for some time, “yet the details have not yet been made public.
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According to a report by Bloomberg, Blizzard’s Team 1, the crew behind the universal team Warcraft III: Reforged, leads development on Diablo II ‘‘s remake until last year. Blizzard disbanded Team 1 and assigned some of its members to other parts of the company, and others were reportedly let go over time. As a result, responsibilities for Diablo II’s revival (also referred to as Diablo II: Risen) was handed over to Team 3, the crew currently attached to Diablo IV. Sources familiar with Blizzard’s operations say Bloomberg with which a group within Vicarious helped Diablo II since last year.
Whether a project is the best use of the talents and resources of Vicarious Vision remains to be seen. Many fans expressed disappointment as soon as the news that the team was merged into Blizzard became known. Most are worried about Vicarious possibly suffering the fate of Activision’s Raven Software, which before last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, has not developed its own project since 2010’s forgotten Simplicity.
The publisher acquired Vicarious in 2005 and has been doing so for the 15 years since. The New York studio oversaw the development of many notable Activision franchises, including those such as Skylanders. Recent successes have made Vicarious penetrate the stratosphere, thanks to his highly acclaimed work on the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. Last year, the developers revived a beloved 90s franchise Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, which has become the fastest in the series’ history. Congratulations, Diablo 2‘s own remake treatment would be just as good.
Source: Bloomberg
