Chris Wilson is back, baby! And this time, he’s not just making a sequel or chasing a trend. He’s starting fresh. In a surprise interview with David Brevik celebrating the 25th anniversary of Diablo II, Wilson announced the formation of a brand-new game studio: Light Pattern. For longtime fans of Path of Exile, this isn’t just a career update. It’s a seismic shift in the action RPG landscape.
Why walk away from something as established as Path of Exile 1 & 2? Why now? And what does Wilson hope to build that he couldn’t under the Grinding Gear Games umbrella?
A Boutique Studio with Big Ambitions
Light Pattern is a boutique studio, meaning it’s small, independent, and designed for creative freedom. The kind of place where vision takes precedence over market research, and development happens by passion, not committee. That’s exactly how Grinding Gear Games started, back when a group of friends worked out of Chris Wilson’s garage to build something they believed in.
Now, Wilson is circling back to that origin story.
He’s looking for people with a deep appreciation for games like Diablo II. That says a lot about what kind of experience he’s hoping to create: dark, challenging, and highly replayable. The hiring call mentions an Art Director and emphasizes moody worlds and genre-defining design. That doesn’t just sound like a game. It sounds like a manifesto.
Competing with His Own Legacy
Perhaps the most fascinating part of all this is that Chris Wilson isn’t trying to do something safe. He’s making a game that will directly compete with Path of Exile 1 and 2. Games he helped build into one of the most respected ARPG franchises in the world. That takes guts. And vision. And maybe a little bit of unfinished business.
It’s also a move that mirrors what David Brevik did with Diablo. Brevik didn’t follow genre conventions. He helped invent them. From color-coded loot to skill trees, Diablo II‘s fingerprints are all over modern gaming. Wilson knows this. He literally said he was “a little bit jealous” of Brevik’s creative independence. Founding Light Pattern isn’t just about launching a game. It’s about reclaiming the ability to make bold, uncompromising decisions.
Learning from the Past to Shape the Future
The interview itself was more than nostalgic fan service. It was a masterclass in how to build something timeless. Brevik spoke about crunch, patching chaos, and the raw pressure of launching a new kind of online game. But what stood out most was how much of Diablo II‘s design came from layering meaningful progression systems. Rewarding players just often enough to keep them hooked.
Wilson clearly took notes.
He wants to build something that honors Diablo II, not by copying it, but by channeling what made it unforgettable. That’s not an easy task in today’s gaming environment, where every bug becomes a headline and every design choice gets dissected on social media. Maybe that’s why now is the perfect time for a boutique studio. Where creative risks don’t get watered down by corporate oversight.
The Real News Isn’t the Studio. It’s the Philosophy.
It will be years before we get to play whatever Light Pattern is cooking. Chris Wilson may even go silent again, just like he did in the past. But here’s what matters right now:
✅ He’s stepping away from a giant to start something small.
✅ He’s choosing creative independence over comfort.
✅ He’s not trying to beat Diablo II or Path of Exile. He’s trying to build the next thing worth loving.
That’s not just exciting. That’s inspiring.
Chris Wilson’s return with Light Pattern is more than a comeback. It’s a quiet rebellion against safe, corporate game development. By going small again, he’s betting big on vision. If history is any guide, that’s exactly how legends begin.
