On August 10, Travis Day, one of the developers of World of Warcraft, Diablo 3, and other Blizzard games passed away. He was one of the most influential figures in the Blizzard community and received numerous tributes in the games he worked on.
Who is the developer? Travis Days worked at Blizzard since 2005. He is best known for his role as Senior Game Designer on Diablo 3 and World of Warcraft, with primary responsibilities including items and balancing.
We interviewed Day in 2017 about artifact weapons in Legion. He worked at Blizzard for 13 years before seeking new challenges, such as at Phoenix Labs (Dauntless) and Lightspeed LA, a studio of Tencent.
Day gained a sort of legendary status in the Blizzard community through his feedback on warriors during the original beta tests of World of Warcraft, showing that Fury warriors were significantly stronger than many believed.
Classic players might still know him by the name Indalamar, his warrior:
This feedback, along with his experience in theorycrafting, is said to have played a part in why he was hired at Blizzard at all. He received multiple accolades in the form of references:
- The NPCs Travis Daybreak and Adept Yad M’Sivart in WoW are named after him
- The item Ramaladni’s Gift is a tribute to him in Diablo 3 (“Ramaladni” is “Indalamar” spelled backwards)
- The ring Ramaladni’s icy grip and the two-handed axe Ramaladni’s butcher blade in World of Warcraft remind of him
- The card “Indalamar” is a Horde warrior in the WoW trading card game
Many players appreciated Day’s work and his experience, which also resonated outside of Blizzard. He provided tips for loot in Anthem, which fans demanded to be implemented.
Many of his former colleagues also praised Day as an “incredible friend, designer, and colleague.”
Travis Day’s sister Rachel announced his death on Twitter. She does not mention a cause of death. Travis Day passed away at the age of 41.
