Yesterday, New York City registered an air quality index of 405 as a result of smoke from the ongoing Canadian wildfires. That number, measured on a scale of 500, was the worst of any city in the world by multiple magnitudes, and the worst air quality the EPA has ever recorded.


The smelly orange haze engulfed the city and gave New Yorkers a glimpse of what their home might look like in a post-apocalyptic world. Many people compared the skyscape to 2017’s sci-fi flick Blade Runner 2049, but in the end, it was a different fantasy franchise that stole the day’s smoke show.




Blizzard Entertainment’s action role-playing game Diablo IV was released on June 6 to rave reviews, living up to the hype created by its fantastic marketing campaign. But despite commercials featuring Megan Fox, it was a Times Square billboard with the game’s “Welcome to Hell” slogan that set the internet ablaze.


“Congrats to the entire marketing team at @Blizzard_Ent,” @dougboneparth wrote.


“Marketing team should be able to retire after this,” @alifarhat79 agreed.


Despite what the ad’s impeccable timing might indicate, similar billboards are posted all around the world, pre-dating the wildfire smoke. Still, that didn’t stop people from jokingly implicating Activision Blizzard as the wildfire’s real architect.


“Looking forward to the friendly headlines: ‘Did Blizzard start wildfires in Canada as part of a marketing campaign?’” Activision Blizzard's EVP corporate affairs and CCO Lulu Cheng Meservey tweeted.



In a digital age increasingly dominated by overproduced and invasive ad campaigns, it’s nice to see a good old-fashioned billboard lead the way… just not when that means the world as we know it has actually turning into Hell.