Countdown finally begins for Diablo III

After over a decade in development the third instalment in classic RPG franchise Diablo finally has a release date, with publishers Blizzard announcing the game will launch on May 15, 2012.

The game will be available both from retailers and via Blizzard’s Battle.net website, and will cost US$59.99.

Mike Morhaime, CEO and founder of Blizzard Entertainment, says they are now in the ‘homestretch’ after years of development and months of beta testing by hundreds of thousands of players.

"We look forward to putting the final polish on Diablo III over the next two months,” Morhaime says, "and delivering the ultimate action-RPG experience to gamers worldwide.”

Five classes of character will be on offer in Diablo III – barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, and demon hunter.

Blizzard is also offering fans of its other major title, World of Warcraft, the chance to play Diablo III for free when it is released, simply by purchasing an annual pass to the MMO. This offer expires on May 1.

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