News May 20, 2026

Marcin Undak, lead engine engineer on Diablo 4, recently shared his thoughts on game development philosophy at the Digital Dragons conference, citing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a prime example of what smaller teams with passionate junior developers can achieve. The discussion centered on the evolving challenges of balancing experienced veterans with fresh talent in modern game development.

The conversation arose during a question-and-answer segment where an indie character artist noted that major studios like CD Project (known for The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077) appear to have fewer junior developer positions available, with expectations for those roles continuing to rise. Undak's remarks come at a time when industry discussions about ballooning AAA budgets and development timelines have made games like Clair Obscur particularly noteworthy.

What Changed

During his Digital Dragons presentation, Undak highlighted several key points about modern game development: - He described Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as "a great example" of what passionate teams can accomplish - The Diablo 4 lead emphasized the importance of blending experienced developers with raw talent - Sandfall Interactive's approach demonstrates that AA-sized games built with smaller teams and outsourcing can achieve significant success - Creative lead Guillaume Broche brought experience from Ubisoft, but the studio intentionally hired young developers due to budget constraints - The game has achieved strong sales while sweeping multiple awards in the industry

What This Means for Players

While this discussion focuses on development philosophy rather than specific game changes, it offers insight into the future of action RPG creation. Undak's comments suggest that smaller, more agile teams with passionate developers may increasingly challenge traditional AAA development models. For Diablo 4 players, this could indicate a broader industry shift toward diverse project scales and innovative approaches to game design that prioritize creative vision over massive budgets.

The success of titles like Clair Obscur demonstrates that players value compelling gameplay and fresh ideas over graphical scale alone—a philosophy that resonates with the hack-and-slash community's appreciation for satisfying combat systems and build diversity.

What's Next

Undak's remarks reflect ongoing industry conversations about sustainable game development practices. As more studios observe how smaller teams achieve commercial and critical success, we may see continued experimentation with team structures across the genre. Diablo 4 continues its seasonal content rollout while the broader ARPG landscape evolves to include diverse approaches to game creation.