Going once! Going twice! Do I hear any final bids on this Stone of Jordan? Too late, because Diablo 3's controversial auction house has now closed. Blizzard have just posted to confirm the demise of both the Gold and Real Money Auction Houses. Their closure follows the release of the much-lauded patch 2.0.1 , which added a new loot system specifically designed to "cut the legs out" from the game's marketplace.

While the Auction House window will remain in-game until June 24, it's only purpose now is to let former auctioneers access their "Completed" tab to pick up any previously listed items or gold. For details on the transition, and what has happened to any active listings, check out Blizzard's FAQ .

As for the future, it's looking pretty positive. The recent patch has already done great things for the spirit and feel of the game, as was recently explained by Tom . This can only be helped now that loot is once again a thing primarily designed to improve the quality of your build, rather than the size of your wallet.

Diablo 3's first expansion, Reaper of Souls, is due out next week. To celebrate, the game is currently on sale , at 45% off until March 24th.