Diablo III to release in early 2012
Diablo fans have been holding onto hope that Diablo III would release this year, and apparently Blizzard was hoping for the same. Unfortunately for all of us, our hopes have been dashed.
Blizzard’s Mike Morhaime announced by way of the Battle.net website that Diablo III will not make its intended “late 2011? release date. Instead, it’s now expected to release at some point in early 2012.
“With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder. “However, we didn’t put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready.”
On the bright side, this means that the currently-ongoing Diablo III closed beta will be extended, which in turn likely means more opportunities to get in – and for those who already are in, even longer to play it.
“The beta test is going very well, and we look forward to making the most of the extra time we’re taking to deliver an experience that lives up to our vision for the game and the expectations of our players. Next year is going to be an incredibly busy one for Blizzard, and we hope an incredibly fun one for Blizzard gamers.”
Busy indeed. In addition to Diablo III, Blizzard’s still working hard at getting StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm ready in time for a 2012 release, and there’s even rumor that another World of Warcraft expansion is targeted for a 2012 release date.
