This article is based on translated interview originally published by buffed.de.
After watching the Midnight Cinematic, many players were left asking one question: what happened to Liadrin’s face?
At gamescom 2025, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas responded to the backlash and explained why Blizzard changed their cinematic style!
Why Did Liadrin Look “Off”?
In the interview with buffed.de, Ion said the choice was intentional. The cinematic and story team focused on showing human emotion in a clear and powerful way.
According to Ion, achieving facial expressions like grief, disgust, and resolve is extremely difficult when a char has glowing golden eyes, stylized features, or a stiff in-game model. That’s why Liadrin’s face looks more like a real person’s. They wanted us to feel what she’s going through.
“We interpret emotion through the eyes and mouth. If those are distorted, it gets harder,” Ion explained.
Is This the New Norm?
Game Director Ion Hazzikostas has not confirmed whether this hyper-realistic style is the norm going forward, only that Midnight’s Cinematic needed it to sell the emotional stakes…
You can read the interview here.
