Diablo 3
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Upcoming Hearthstone and Diablo 3 Q&As
Blizzard is holding two upcoming Q&As for Hearthstone and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls: Hearthstone Q&A on Google+ this Friday between 1:00 pm and 1:30 p.m. CDT Diablo III Q&A on Twitch.tv on Monday, March 24 starting at 11:00 p.m. CDT To get your questioned answered for the Hearthstone Q&A tweet them using the hash tag #HearthstoneDay. For Diablo III, use #D3QA when tweeting to @Diablo. There isn't any information on who to tweet at about Hearthstone, but including @PlayHearthstone in your question couldn't hurt. Hearthstone recently came out of beta and launched a mount practically everyone wants, and Diablo III's first expansion is about to release. Lots of exciting things for Blizzard games right now, and it's clear that they realize the community has lots of questions about the future of things. There isn't any news on a WoW Q&A, however things are pretty quiet right now over all. Almost as if there is a calm before a storm...
Watch the fury of Diablo III's Crusader in action
With all of the fun that players seem to be having with the recent Diablo III pre-expansion patch, it might be easy to forget that there's still more to come with Reaper of Souls -- including a new class, the Crusader. Blizzard hasn't forgotten, of course, and the studio posted a new video today to spotlight the class' mechanics, lore, and visual flair. On paper the Crusader sounds like a near-invincible melee class, but how does it look in action? Check out the video after the break and you tell us.
Diablo III welcomes you to the Blood Marsh
Blood Marsh: That doesn't sound too inviting, does it? But it does sound like something that would fit right in with Diablo III's cheery locales. It probably crushed the interview when it applied to be a zone in the game. Diablo III has a fetid and murky blog post today spotlighting the Blood Marsh region from the upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion. According to Blizzard, the Blood Marsh is "a massive, swampy stretch of land, split by rivers and tributaries often utilized for passage and trade." The theme of "blood," both the red substance and lineage, is integral to the zone's story. Adventurers in the region will discover signs of an ancient civilization, battle creatures like the bogans and blood golems, and unlock the mysteries of the Ruins of Corvus.
What Diablo III's Reaper of Souls has to teach Warlords of Draenor
First off, let me say that I'm not agitating for WoW to copy all of Diablo III's improvements. A lot of the stuff D3 is doing now since the 2.0.1 patch are things WoW absolutely should never, ever do. But as valuable as it is to say that WoW should copy some of D3's better innovations, some times it's even more valuable to be absolutely clear on what would never, ever work if it were ported to the MMO space. (And vice-versa, as I think some of the problems that patch 2.0.1 solves are problems caused by trying to make D3 too much like an MMO). So, then, what can we learn from patch 2.0.1's successes? Well, both WoW and D3 are loot based games -- at their hearts, you kill monsters for their loot in both. Diablo III's Loot 2.0 is an amazing system for itself -- it's fun and exciting when the loot you get from monsters ends up being awesome. But for WoW I think a system this personally rewarding would be insane. World of Warcraft is not set up for you to have some of the coolest, best items you'll ever see just drop from random trash, because WoW isn't a game designed around the idea of constantly going on reaping trash stomping dungeon crawls. The social aspect of WoW, with communal play of small 3, 5 and larger group content isn't the same as D3 and its multiplayer. If anything, Warlords' item squish is already a cautionary tale of the kind of excess that Diablo III not only rewards, but exults in. Nothing helps drive the lesson home that these are different games like their different approaches to loot. That said, WoW can learn something from D3 in terms of the way loot works.
Diablo 3 offers 50% bonus XP until March 24
To prepare humanity for the March 25 arrival of the Reaper of Souls expansion, Blizzard has decreed that anyone playing Diablo 3 before March 24 will receive an additional 50 percent experience for each demon slain. Along with readying players for the expansion, this promotion highlights the recent 2.0.1 patch. As we recently reported, the patch drastically alters the way Diablo 3 functions. Not only is there now a new loot scheme in place, but the game also features a Paragon Leveling System that allows players who have otherwise maxed out a character's potential to expand their abilities even further. Those hoping to get a jump on those Paragon Levels should find the experience point boost very helpful. The sole caveat here is that the bonus experience points are only available to those playing Diablo 3 on either PC or Mac. Those battling the infernal legions on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are out of luck. [Image: Activision Blizzard]
Get ready for Diablo III's expansion with a 50 percent XP boost
Hey look, it's more Diablo III news! It's almost like there's a forthcoming expansion or something. In any case, Blizzard is offering 50 percent bonus experience, which should give you a head-start on the new Paragon leveling system. The bonus period ends on March 24, and it only applies to PC and Mac versions of the game. If you want a full run-down of everything new and improved with the recent 2.0.1 patch, click past the cut and watch the What's New video.
Blizzard unleashes Diablo III: Reaper of Souls commercial
If you were watching Sunday night's episode of The Walking Dead, you may have noticed a little commercial for Blizzard's Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Blizz is certainly no stranger to TV commercials, and this cinematic trailer gives us a glimpse into the good-vs.-evil plot of the new expansion that's set to go live on March 25. You can now update to the pre-patch which already includes plenty of goodies to tide you over before launch, and be sure to watch the commercial included after the jump below.
Diablo 3 offering limited-time 50% XP boost
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, the first expansion for the series launches on March 25, and Blizzard has just unleashed a limited time boost to get players ready for tackling all that new content. Starting today, players of Diablo III will receive a 50% bonus XP boost to all characters on their account -- perfect for getting a leg up on patch 2.0.1's new Paragon Leveling System. With the new system, all characters share and contribute to a single, account-wide Paragon level. In addition to Paragon Leveling, patch 2.0.1 also includes the new Loot 2.0 system, a newly revamped Difficulty system, Clans and Communities, and skill updates to all five hero classes. You do not need to have pre-ordered Reaper of Souls to benefit from the experience boost -- all active Diablo III accounts have access to the bonus experience and all the new systems introduced in patch 2.0.1. But if you want to take advantage of the bonus XP, better hurry -- the offer ends on March 24.
Diablo III's Loot 2.0 patch tweaks difficulty, drops, and more
Blizzard unleashed its Loot 2.0 patch on Diablo III denizens today. Joystiq reports on a "heavy reworking" of the fantasy dungeon crawler's loot system as well as the addition of "Smart Drop" functionality that increases the likelihood of useful class-specific baubles. DIII's difficulty has also been overhauled, with a dynamic system standing in for the previous Nightmare, Hell, and Inferno challenge levels. There are more changes, too, including social functionality and of course plenty of character and mob tweaks.
Joystiq Streams Special: Diablo 3 and Loot 2.0 madness [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
Today's the day, Diablo 3. This particular Wednesday is when you blossom into the game that so very many people wanted you to be when you came out back in 2012. Today, you get Loot 2.0. Maybe claiming that Loot 2.0 is the day that Diablo 3 comes of age is an exaggeration, but the massive update Blizzard delivered to its famous dungeon crawling game today is certainly the most significant update yet. From here on out, "Smart Drop" will make it far easier for players to get their mitts on armor, weapons, and other rare loot specific to their character type, negating the need for the game's divisive auction houses in the process. To check out Loot 2.0, Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) and Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM) dive into its infernal guts to check out the changes. This crew reflects a variety of different experience levels. Richard has yet to play the PC version of the game. Alexander, meanwhile, has never played Diablo 3 at all. It's all happening on the Joystiq Twitch channel at 4PM EST. Come and hang out with us. [Images: Blizzard]
Loot 2.0 comes to Diablo 3 in massive new patch
Starting today, Diablo 3 is ... well, it's very different. Blizzard has released a humongous patch for the game, overhauling many of its features. The highlight is probably the introduction of "Loot 2.0," a heavy reworking of the loot system that was first announced alongside the Reaper of Souls expansion last year. Among other changes, Loot 2.0 features the "Smart Drop" system, making it more likely that the items players discover will be specifically tailored to their character class. The Nightmare, Hell and Inferno difficulty modes have been replaced by a new dynamic difficulty system, which itself is divided into subcategories: Normal, Hard, Expert, Master and Torment, with the latter being further divided into six gradations. New social features include Clans and Communities, which give players access to private member rosters, news and info postings, and dedicated chat. On top of all this are loads of character-specific updates, boss and monster tweaks, new stats for heroes and more than we could possibly squeeze into this post. For every little detail, you can peruse the patch notes, and Blizzard's official online Diablo 3 guide has also been updated to walk players through all the changes. Oh, and don't forget that there's one huge change that's still to come: The auction house is closing on March 18. [Image: Activision]
Major updates coming to Diablo III with patch 2.0.1 release today
Though there's still some waiting to do before Reaper of Souls arrives, if you've been twiddling your thumbs hoping for the latest patch to hit Diablo III, you're in luck -- Lead Producer Alex Mayberry has announced on Twitter that patch 2.0.1 will be live today. This patch brings some big changes for Diablo players, including social groups Clans and Communities, itemization updates, paragon updates, class updates, crafting updates, difficulty updates... and more. For all the details, check out the patch notes. If you're one of the players who grew tired with Diablo III after launch, this laundry list of changes -- combined with a quiet, patch-free time in World of Warcraft right now -- may give you good reason to revisit the game in advance of Reaper's release. We know that's where we're headed!
Diablo III's Paragon 2.0 just might be going live today
Although there is no official word on Diablo III's site, Senior Producer Alex Mayberry tweeted that patch 2.0.1 will be going live today. The major feature of this patch, also known as Paragon 2.0, is that it adds more end-game character advancement and replayability with the updated Paragon leveling system. The changes include removing the level cap for earning Paragon experience, making Paragon levels account-wide, and allowing players the freedom to allocate Paragon Points however they want within the category (defense, offense, core, or utility) that each specific level's point is awarded. Catch more details about Paragon 2.0 on the official site. [Thanks to Wesley for the tip!]
Diablo III upgrading Paragon endgame system
Level-capped players will have a "Paragon 2.0" system to look forward to when Diablo III: Reaper of Souls releases. Blizzard outlined three major changes yesterday that will affect the endgame progression system. First, there will be no level cap for Paragon levels. Second, Paragon levels will be shared account-wide, with all normal characters sharing levels and all heroic characters doing the same between them. Third, players will get new Paragon points to spend in four categories: core, offense, defense, and utility. When the expansion goes live, players will receive their new Paragon levels based on the sum of the accumulated Paragon experience on each account. Hardcore heroes who died at 60 will also contribute to this XP pool. Players without the expansion will transition to Paragon XP at level 60, while players with Reaper of Souls will do so after hitting level 70.
Diablo III works on new community tools
Getting together with a buddy to slay the forces of Hell should be a lot easier when Diablo III: Reaper of Souls comes out, as Blizzard is adding in a couple of new social tools for the expansion. The first tool is the addition of clans, Diablo III's version of guilds. Anyone can form a clan, although a player may be part of only one clan at a time. Clans are limited to 120 members and will be searchable with a clan finder feature. Then there will be communities, which are larger and more casual social circles within the game for like-minded players. Unlike clans, communities can support unlimited members, and players can be part of more than one at a time. Communities and clans will be supported by a new interface in the game that includes messages of the day and achievement notices.
How social slaying works in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls will serve social slayers by giving them formal and more casual options to band together and go a-lootin' in Blizzard's popular role-playing game. Clans, which are invite-only, have a 120-person maximum and were designed for smaller, more tight-knit groups of players to coordinate schedules and gameplay goals. Anyone can create or request to join a clan, but players may only be enrolled in one clan at a time. Communities, on the other hand, are a more casual means to essentially the same end. They can be open or closed, and players can be members of multiple communities at the same time. There are also no player caps on communities, so they can be as small or as large as players see fit. Both features are live in the ongoing Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls closed beta and will be unlocked in the full game prior to the expansion's launch next month, on March 25. Custom tabs in the user interface of Diablo 3 will keep clan and community members up to date by displaying news, recent Legendary Item drops found by members (which you can ogle from within the menu) and a dedicated chat channel for direct lines of communication. Good hunting! [Image: Activision-Blizzard]
Diablo 3 sales reach 15 million across all platforms
Diablo 3 total lifetime sales have reached 15 million, Activision revealed during its annual earnings call today. The last time we heard from Activision, back in November, the game had just reached 14 million. Those extra million copies are in large part thanks to Diablo 3's launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in September of last year; a PS4 version is due sometime this year. In our Deja Review piece, we found the new controller-driven inputs favored the melee characters most. An upcoming expansion for Diablo 3, titled Reaper of Souls, is due to land on PC and Mac next month, on March 25. The expansion has already been confirmed for PS4, though Blizzard has yet to announce its availability on Xbox 360 and PS3. [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition content revealed
With all the talk of Warlords of Draenor and Hearthstone around here, you might have forgotten about Blizzard's other expansion release next month. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls makes it debut on March 25, and the contents of the physical Collector's Edition were finally revealed earlier this week for all to see. Purchasers of the Collector's Edition will receive several digital items, including the Treasure Goblin Pet for World of Warcraft, StarCraft II character portraits and Malthael Decals, and a Spectral Hound minion with a set of aesthetic artifacts -- helms and weapons -- to be used with Diablo III's new transmogrification feature. Of course, this is all available with the Digital Deluxe version of the game as well, so why would you want a physical Collector's Edition? In addition to the digital goodies found in the Digital Deluxe edition, those purchasing the Collector's Edition will get a Behind-the-Scenes DVD and Blu-Ray two-disc set featuring interviews, round-table discussions and behind-the-scenes commentary on the game's development, the official Reaper of Souls soundtrack, The Art of Reaper of Souls -- a gorgeous hardcover book featuring early sketches, artwork, and 3D renders from the game, as well as a Malthael mouse pad. The Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition is available for pre-order on Amazon for $79.99, as well as at a variety of other retailers. As with all Collector's Editions, supplies are limited -- if you want the physical version and all the bonuses it has to offer, you may want to pre-order your copy sooner rather than later.
Here's what's in D3's Reaper of Souls CE
Want to give Blizzard more money? Now you can thanks to the Reaper of Souls collector's edition. Diablo III's expansion drops on March 25, and while the devs have mentioned the retail-exclusive CE box before, today's post marks the first time you can actually lay eyes upon the wonderment.
Here's what lies in wait within the Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls 'Collector's Edition'
The first expansion for Diablo 3, which ushers in an era free of auction houses, is set to launch on March 25, digitally and in store. Today, Blizzard has revealed the contents of the Reaper of Souls expansion, retail-exclusive Collector's Edition box set, featuring a variety of the company's typical special offerings. Like previous special editions of its games, the collection will include a soundtrack, behind-the-scenes DVD (and Blu-Ray), art book, themed mouse pad and in-game content for its library of software. The in-game content includes a "Spectral Hound minion" and aesthetic artifacts, which allow players to "transmogrify" player gear with a thematic visual flair in Diablo 3; a "treasure goblin pet" which explores World of Warcraft's Azeroth through a series of portals; and special player portraits and decals in StarCraft 2. Blizzard notes "Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition is available in limited quantities" and only at select retailers.
