Now, Blizzard is doing another tribute, but one that hits a little closer to home. In the upcoming 2.3.0 patch for Diablo 3, the developer will be introducing a new item that pays homage to a former employee who passed away from cancer last year.
The item, known as Kanai’s Cube, is named after an employee named Kevin Kanai Griffith, and can be used by players to upgrade items in Diablo 3. The cube will offer players a range of item customization options, and has the potential to extract a Legendary power from the item.
Blizzard offered these thoughts on their Battle.net blog on naming the Kanai Cube after Griffith:
Griffith joined the Blizzard team in 2005 as an artist, and worked on numerous high-level projects with the developer. His work included World of Warcraft’s Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Mists of Pandaria expansions. He also worked on the accompanying Trading Card Game, before joining the Diablo 3 team, where he worked on the main game and the Reaper of Souls expansion.
Griffith was diagnosed with Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS) cancer in 2012, but continued working on Diablo 3 through treatment. In fact, according to Blizzard, Griffith was instrumental in creating the weather and day/night cycles in Diablo 3’s Adventure Mode. Sadly, Griffith passed away October 17, 2014.
Blizzard offered some additional thoughts about Griffith’s work and service, and provided a small look into why the developer felt naming the Cube after him was so important.
What do you think about Blizzard’s tribute to their fallen employee and friend in Diablo 3? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Source: Battle.net
