Diablo fans, you’ve waited 11 years for Blizzard to release the third Diablo game, and you may have to wait a bit longer. Though the closed beta just began on Sept. 20, Activision Blizzard has revealed that Diablo III will not hit shelves until ‘early 2012.’ Blizzard plans to extend the closed beta test, and add more testers than it originally planned.
“With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible. However, we didn’t put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “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.”
We wish we were shocked, but big franchises like Diablo bet the farm with each iteration. Blizzard knows what it has to deliver and needs more time. If more studios had the ability to spend 11 years making a game, we might end up with some better titles…or a lot of Duke Nukem Forevers.
Those looking to be involved in the beta can joint Battle.net and opt in, or head to the Diablo III website.
