Blizzard banks on AI for next-level game design

Kaan Pinar -

Blizzard Entertainment, the masterminds behind games like World of Warcraft and Overwatch, have a brand-new magic trick up their sleeve: Blizzard Diffusion, an AI tool that cranks out concept art and images for video games.

  • According to an email from Allen Adham, Blizzard's chief design officer, the company is gearing up for "a major evolution in how we build and manage our games."

Zoom In; Blizzard Diffusion - named after the renowned text-to-image generator, Stable Diffusion - has reportedly been trained on the studio's IP, which includes games such as Diablo and World of Warcraft.

  • The tool is expected to snip out the monotony of design tasks, making room for creativity to blossom.
  • The unveiling follows Blizzard's application for a patent for AI tech to generate artwork for video games.
  • The AI system would mimic pre-existing images to create game graphics in specific art styles, offering a potential shortcut in building expansive virtual realms.

Zoom Out: With great AI comes great responsibility - or, in this case, potential job cuts, as developers voice concerns about the implications of the new tool.