Diablo III is being developed

Diablo III is being developed as the definitive action role-playing game, and a true continuation of the Diablo series. Players will create a hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian or witch doctor, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. As these heroes adventure through rich and varied settings, unraveling an epic storyline and engaging in combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, theyll grow in experience and ability and acquire items of incredible power.

The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes. Most of those warriors who directly faced Hells armies -- and were fortunate enough to survive -- went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo III, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again.

Diablo III will be a fitting sequel to Diablo II, with the easy interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and enjoy. It will also include many new features that will take the Diablo action-RPG experience to the next level.


It does sound like they are being rather ambitious with the PvP, however, with the blog post detailing all the work that’s going into it. Once it does launch, it will include “multiple arena maps with themed locations and layouts, PvP-centric achievements, and a matchmaking system that will help you and your team get into fairly matched games quickly and easily.”

As for the campaign, they are putting the finishing touches on the game. The only thing they lack now is a solid release date. At an Activision conference call earlier this year, it was stated that Diablo III would launch sometime in the second quarter of 2012.

While some fans may not like this new Blizzard that cuts content to get a game out on time, I for one welcome this new Blizzard. While it’s important that teams take their time on a game to make it the best it can be, it’s equally unfair to delay a game for a feature that maybe only half of the player population would take advantage of. I didn’t complain when Space Marine didn’t launch with its arena co-op mode, but it was a delight to get it a month later when I had finished with the campaign. As long as the PvP arena stays free, Blizzard made the right move here.