KoRn has released its first new music in four years through an ambitious partnership with Blizzard Entertainment and Diablo IV.
The new track, Reward the Scars, arrives alongside a visually intense music video created to launch Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred, the latest chapter in Blizzard’s long-running dark fantasy franchise.
Mind blown.
Developed with 72andSunny, animation studio PASSION Pictures and director Philippe Guyenne, the film places KoRn inside the twisted psyche of Mephisto, the game’s infamous “Lord of Hatred.”
As the band performs, Mephisto violently tears through followers and enemies alike in a barrage of hand-drawn carnage, blending live action footage with aggressive animation inspired by the band’s iconic Freak on a Leash era visuals.
And honestly, this thing looks like it crawled directly out of a late-90s MTV nightmare in the best possible way. The campaign serves as both a music release and a major launch activation for Lord of Hatred, which concludes a multi-game story arc fans have been following for years. Watch below:
“This collaboration came together naturally. KoRn and Diablo live in that space of confronting darkness head-on,” said Kevin Bjelajac, VP of Brand & Creative Marketing at Blizzard. “With Lord of Hatred, we’re telling a story about consequence, choice and what it means to embrace or resist the pull of evil,” he added.
“Lord of Hatred is an amazingly dark, gothic conclusion to the Diablo IV story. One that needs an equally epic launch moment,” said Tim Wolfe, Group Creative Director at 72andSunny. “Having Korn’s ‘Reward the Scars’ become the rage fuel for Mephisto’s transformation as he obliterates all who oppose him felt like a perfect kickoff. Passion’s hand-drawn animation style just added fuel to the hellfire.”
PASSION’s Philippe Guyenne emphasized the handcrafted nature of the animation, specifically noting the absence of AI tools in the production process. “Every frame was handcrafted with skill by an incredible team,” Guyenne said. “We wanted to honor the dark illustrative roots of the game while fueling the fire for both fandoms.”
He closed with perhaps the most metal production quote of the year: “No respawn, no compromises, no AI.”
The partnership rollout began on April 23, when the track debuted on streaming platforms, expanded through KoRn’s performance of the song at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, and culminated with the release of the music video alongside the game launch on April 27.
For Blizzard, the collaboration taps directly into the overlap between heavy music culture and Diablo’s gothic fanbase. For KoRn, it marks a loud, bloody and surprisingly perfect return.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Blizzard Entertainment
AGENCY: 72andsunny
PRODUCTION COMPANY: PASSION
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on LinkedIn.
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