Blizzard honours late Diablo III dev with secret cow level

A new Diablo III easter egg has surfaced that pays respect to a late developer of the game.

Artist and environmental designer Kevin Kanai Griffith passed away in late 2014 following a battle with cancer.

Now, Blizzard has revealed a bonus level in the 2012 RPG that serves as a virtual memorial to Griffith, joining his in-game character namesake King Kanai and the mythical Kanai’s Cube object.

Kanai’s Stomping Grounds are populated with murderous bovine – a reference to the iconic Diablo II secret cow level, which was itself inspired by false rumours of a similar easter egg in the original game. Players who enter are backed up by the NPC Chief Elder Kanai, modelled on Griffith’s own Barbarian character.

Although the event was added back in Diablo III’s 2.4.0 patch, the portal is only accessible during March – the month of Griffith’s birth.

For those interested in visiting the tribute, the entrance is found near the Immortal Throne in the Ruins of Sescheron during Act 3 of the game’s narrative.

“For those of you who may not know, Kevin was a talented and dedicated member of the Diablo III development team who passed away in October of 2014 from a rare form of cancer,” community manager Nevalistis wrote on the game’s blog.

“If you’d like to read more about Kevin, we included a short biography of his contributions to Diablo (and Blizzard as a whole) in the Kanai’s Cube preview.

"This event is a chance for folks to get to adventure with Kanai one more time. We hope you enjoy the opportunity as much as we do.”

Thanks, PC Gamer.