Diablo 4 is on the horizon, slated to launch June 6th, 2023. Diablo 4 will hit PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, and promises to take the legendary franchise to all-new heights with ongoing content, a refocus on dark and gothic imagery, and refined combat.
Developer Blizzard Entertainment is offering a range of convoluted Diablo 4 preorder bonuses and differing editions as is probably expected, with a wide variety of cosmetic items both inside Diablo 4 and in some of Blizzard's other games like World of Warcraft. As the hopeless and long-suffering Blizzard fan I am, I dropped a preorder on the collector's edition as soon as it went live, but in a haze of irresponsibility, another item on the Blizzard store caught my eye.
This £650 ($780) Diablo 4 Lilith statue, depicts the game's central antagonist.
I can't afford it. I have no space for it. I still bought it.
A diabolical addition for any Diablo fan's collection
I had immediate buyer's remorse when I hit the "buy" button on the Blizzard Store, but be warned, the store (at least in the UK) has no mechanism that I could find to cancel an order without contacting support — who have yet to reply to my requests to cancel. To the store's credit, they were incredibly quick to process and ship the order, with the statue arriving heavily packaged up just two days after I ordered.
Crammed with polystyrene and foam, the Lilith statue arrives in separate parts and must be assembled. A large metal spike sets Lilith on the meticulously-detailed volcanic base, with large pegs for both wings at her flank.
The statue stands at a whopping 24.5 inches tall, with a wing span of 16.5 inches and a depth of 10 inches. Comprised of polyresin, PVC, and ABS, this statue and its hefty base clocks in at a whopping 19.02 lbs. If you fancy picking this one up, be sure you have somewhere suitably large and stable to accommodate Lilith in all of her infernal grace.
Sculpted and painted by Blizzard's own artists Laurel Austin, Brian Fay and Ehren Bienert, Blizzard's Lilith statue is a true sight to behold. It was after curiously peeking into the box that my buyer's remorse immediately washed away, and I accepted my fate as a newbie connoisseur of the video game arts. I will find space for this statue, I thought, relegating my Amazon Echo to the floor.
Lilith is one of Diablo 4's central antagonists and is represented in much of the game's marketing. Lilith is the daughter of Mephisto, a demonic lord who joins Diablo and Baal as one of the three prime evils. Lilith is significant in the game's lore since her unholy union with the archangel Inarius effectively gave birth to the first humans, known as nephalem. Diablo revolves around an endless conflict between the forces of heaven and hell, with the mortal realm of Sanctuary caught in repeat crossfire. The feud between Inarius and Lilith will be central to Diablo 4's plot, and Blizzard sought to immortalize her refreshed design in this lovingly crafted statue.
The detailing and materials used clearly are representative of the price point, with meticulous attention paid to the statue's shape, proportions, and character design minutiae. Her armor is carefully accented in gold trimmings, whose colors never stray or bleed from their intended reliefs, with skin detailing and biological textures looking as though they'd been pulled straight out of the intro cinematic.
Lilith's wings have an incredible leathery finish that completely masks the medium, appearing almost hauntingly lifelike, separated by spider-like fingers that curl up in an attack-style formation. Lilith's vestments are gold-flecked and regal, truly befitting of the Queen of Succubi, as she hoists a similarly anatomical demonic skull in the air.
There's some contention in the Diablo community over whose skull is actually represented here. Some say it's Lucion, Lilith's brother. Others say it's simply Diablo, implying the vanquished prime evil could have another role to play in the upcoming sequel. Either way, Blizzard isn't saying just yet, so we'll just have to wait and see.
The Diablo 4 hype is decidedly real
Diablo 4 has a legendary legacy to live up to, and all signs thus far are quite positive. I haven't yet gone hands-on for myself, but those who preorder are able to get early access to an upcoming open beta, slated for Spring 2023.
Diablo 4 arrives at the tail end of a difficult few years for Blizzard. Rocked by scandals, staffing issues, the ongoing acquisition by Microsoft, and unionization movements, 2023 looks to be a brighter year for the company. World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is being well-received so far, Overwatch 2 has some monetization criticisms but remains a fun and popular iteration of the trend-setting hero shooter, and Diablo II Resurrected achieved acclaim as a faithful reimagining of the classic action RPG. If Diablo 4 hits the ground running when it launches on June 6, 2023, it could wind up as a game of the year contender, making the grade on various best Xbox games and best PC game lists. If Microsoft manages to land its $69 billion dollar Activision Blizzard acquisition, it could also end up day one in Xbox Game Pass too, for good measure.
If you fancy yourself a collector with cash to burn (or are simply irresponsible with money like me), you can take a look at this stunning Lilith statue over on Blizzard's website, which is available now in the EU, UK, and United States.
