In one of the more unexpected crossovers of the year so far, Diablo 4 has come to Milan Fashion Week. Marketing is beginning to ramp up for Diablo 4, with its launch date now just a few months away.
Many fans of the franchise are remaining cautious about Diablo 4 as last year's release of Diablo Immortal was a critical disaster for Blizzard, with many fans criticizing the game for its aggressive focus on microtransactions. Despite this, Diablo Immortal was a huge financial success for the company, and fans will be hoping that Blizzard does not take this as an endorsement of microtransactions for future Diablo games. Perhaps more concerning for fans was Blizzard's staunch defense of its approach post-launch, so only time will tell if Diablo 4 will suffer the same fate.
The collaboration came out of nowhere, with Danish clothing brand Han Kjøbenhavn revealing the Diablo 4-inspired looks at Milan Fashion Week. The looks revealed at the show seem to be heavily inspired by Diablo 4's antagonist Lilith, with the company's creative director Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen revealing in an interview with Polygon that he was inspired by the "big, beautiful evil Renaissance" art style seen in the game. The move is part of Blizzard's ramping of marketing for the game, with rumors that Diablo 4 open beta dates will be coming soon, too.
The full collection is fascinating to look at, with strong block colors of red, black, and white defining the collection, named "Chthonic Penumbra" by Han Kjøbenhavn. It's easy to associate gaming clothing with basics like hoodies and t-shirts, so it's interesting to see high-fashion take a crack at it, using out-of-the-box thinking to create interesting pieces that dig deep into what the games are about. With these pieces, the Diablo inspiration is clear, and the designers have done a great job of capturing the essence of the games. There haven't been many instances of video games appearing at Milan Fashion Week, but it's a big part of what makes these pieces so special.
Looking forward, the launch of Diablo 4 promises to be huge for the franchise. Despite the controversy surrounding the game, Diablo Immortal was the biggest launch in the franchise's history, so general audiences have never been more aware of its existence. Make no mistake, expectations are still high for Diablo 4, with Diablo 3 and its expansions continuing to receive new content to this day, over a decade after release. If the sequel receives similar support, Diablo 4 has a brilliant chance of being a hit.
Diablo 4 launches on June 6, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Polygon
