

5/15/12 * Reviews won't be up until later today at the earliest, but will most likely trickle in over the next week or two, as there were no review copies. Reviewers got access the same time as everyone else.



* And Yoshichan gets his own



* GAME IS LAUNCHED EVERYWHERE! Enjoy slaying demons!

5/14/12 * Be sure to enable Enhanced Tooltips and Elective Mode in the options menu. Elective Mode allows you to assign your skills in any manner, rather than being forced to choose from a specific category for each slot - allowing many more possible builds. Both are disabled by default.



* Error 37 is likely to happen if logging in as soon as the servers go up in your region. If you receive this error, just try again later. Read the last paragraph of the



* Spoiler thread is up here.http://bit.ly/KhzqbS



* If you pre-downloaded the game, it can now (finally) be installed. If you have issues (such as Error 108) please check the official tech support forums

5/12/12 * If you previously download the English or German EU clients, you'll need to download a new installer (links in the OP have been updated). If you install to the same directory, it'll only be a ~50MB patch, otherwise it will download the full 7.6GB again. More info here:

5/10/12 * OT Updated - Please check



* Closed beta players rejoice! For you are now



* Please be sure to visit the May 18, after which they will become unavailable forever. Note that you do not actually have to submit anything to Facebook. If you fill out all the other information on the last page, a regular "Finish" prompt will light up, and you should receive a confirmation email after clicking that.



* If you haven't already, I recommend setting up your



5/8/12 Please discretely tag all major story spoilers until May 29 or |OT2|, whichever comes first, which should be ample time for most people to at least complete normal. Feel free to post sans tags in the dedicated spoiler thread.



Appropriate: The Act 3 boss is Spoiler a rainbow-striped pony!?



Not Appropriate: Spoiler The Diablo dance-off with Deckard Cain in Act 4 was certainly unexpected.

Any minor random events (e.g. Jar of Souls or The Matriarch’s Bones) or other gameplay-centric elements do not need to be tagged.​ Reviews won't be up until later today at the earliest, but will most likely trickle in over the next week or two, as there were no review copies. Reviewers got access the same time as everyone else.And Yoshichan gets his own Eurogamer article . (Don't bother reading the comments.) GAF > Internet > GAFError 37 is likely to happen if logging in as soon as the servers go up in your region. If you receive this error, just try again later. Read the last paragraph of the launch day guide for details.If you pre-downloaded the game, it can now (finally) be installed. If you have issues (such as Error 108) please check the official tech support forums here for PC or here for Mac If you previously download the English or German EU clients, you'll need to download a new installer (links in the OP have been updated). If you install to the same directory, it'll only be a ~50MB patch, otherwise it will download the full 7.6GB again. More info here: https://eu.battle.net/d3/en/blog/4410912 OT Updated - Please check this post for a full list of changes.Closed beta players rejoice! For you are now "One of the Chosen" Please be sure to visit the launch site to claim your exclusive class sigils. The last day to do so is, after which they will become unavailable forever. Note that you do not actually have to submit anything to Facebook. If you fill out all the other information on the last page, a regular "Finish" prompt will light up, and you should receive a confirmation email after clicking that.If you haven't already, I recommend setting up your Battletag so you're ready to go when Diablo III launches (this is different from your SC2 identifier). I also suggest you acquire an Authenticator , as it will greatly increase your account security. The Dial-In and Mobile App Authenticators are free, or you can get a keychain one for $6.50 at the Blizzard Store.Please discretely tag all major story spoilers untilor, whichever comes first, which should be ample time for most people to at least complete normal. Feel free to post sans tags in the dedicated spoiler thread.The Act 3 boss isI never would have guessed.Any minor random events (e.g. Jar of Souls or The Matriarch’s Bones) or other gameplay-centric elements do not need to be tagged.​



Release Date | May 15, 2012 - WORLDWIDE

| May 15, 2012 - WORLDWIDE Server Unlocks | US : 12:01 AM PDT / EU : 00:01 CEST / AU : 5:00 PM AEST / ASIA : 12:01 a.m. Taiwan Time

| : 12:01 AM PDT / : 00:01 CEST / : 5:00 PM AEST / : 12:01 a.m. Taiwan Time Platform | PC + Mac

| PC + Mac Price | $59.99 US ($99.99 Collector’s Edition)

| $59.99 US ($99.99 Collector’s Edition) Genre | Action Role-Playing Game

| Action Role-Playing Game Players | 1-4 Online Co-Op Spoiler PvP Coming Soon™

| 1-4 Online Co-Op Developer | Blizzard Entertainment (Game Director - Jay Wilson)

| Blizzard Entertainment (Game Director - Jay Wilson) Rating(s) | ESRB: M / PEGI: 16 / BBFC: 15 / AU: MA15+ / GRB: 18

PC Requirements



Minimum:

Windows® XP/Vista/7 (latest service packs) with DX 9.0c

Intel Pentium® 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+

NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better

1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista/7)

12 GB available HD space

DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)

Broadband Internet Connection

1024x768 minimum resolution

Recommended:

Windows® Vista/7 (latest service packs)

Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz

2 GB RAM

NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better

Mac Requirements



Minimum:

Mac® OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer

Intel® Core 2 Duo

NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better

2 GB RAM

12 GB available HD space

DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)

Broadband Internet Connection

1024x768 minimum resolution Recommended:

Mac® OS X 10.7.x or newer

Intel® Core 2 Duo

2 GB RAM

NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M or ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 or better The latest system requirements can be found The latest system requirements can be found here .​





Windows

en-US

en-GB

en-SG

German

French

Spanish-ES

Spanish-MX

Italian

Polish

Taiwan Mandarin

Korean

Portugese



OS X

en-US

en-GB

en-SG

German

French​ You can be extra prepared to face the forces of Hell by downloading the game ahead of time, even if you didn’t preorder a digital copy, using the links below. Just select your desired language and OS.

You mean there's a reason for all that clicking besides loot?!​

Click the class crest to view the respective “Heroes Rise” video. Click anywhere else in each banner to go to the official class page. ​

As heroes make their way across Sanctuary in Diablo 3, they’ll encounter several individuals who may accompany them on their quest. These companions will assist players in combat with powerful skills of their own as well as flesh out the story on the run with banter between themselves and the player character. In addition to regular equipment the player finds, each follower can be equipped with special items unique to them, such as Templar Relics, to increase their power.



*Note that in multiplayer games, where the might of multiple heroes bears upon the forces of Hell, followers will have to stay in town.*​

As with the character class banners, click on each follower to go to the respective official page. ​





The Blacksmith salvages unwanted magic (blue) or better items into crafting materials which he then uses to craft weapons and armor. While they often have some fixed properties or pre-defined ranges, like most items in Diablo, the arms created by the Blacksmith have randomly generated properties.



The Jeweler can combine lower quality gems into better ones, add sockets to items, as well as extract gems from equipment - for a price. Gems give powerful stat enhancements when socketed and have different, special properties if inserted into a helm or weapon. You’ll need to invest in these precious stones for your heroes to be at the peak of their capabilities.

Initially upgraded with only gold, eventually artisans will require pages, books, or tomes of knowledge to advance their craft to the highest level (10). Even then, the absolute best craftable items must be learned from rare recipes found in the world.​ Crafting in Diablo 3 is not done directly by the player, but carried out by skilled artisans who agree to assist the hero on his/her journey.Initially upgraded with only gold, eventually artisans will require pages, books, or tomes of knowledge to advance their craft to the highest level (10). Even then, the absolute best craftable items must be learned from rare recipes found in the world.​





Besides the gold auction house, which relies solely on the currency generated in-game, Blizzard has introduced the optional Real Money Auction House (RMAH) where players can buy and sell items for real-world currency. The proceeds from auctions in the RMAH can be added to either your Battle.net balance or cashed out via PayPal (for an additional fee) in certain regions. The RMAH will go online approximately one week after the launch of Diablo 3.



Transaction Fees:



There is no listing price - these fees will be charged only if an auction successfully sells.



EQUIPMENT



Transaction Fee: 15% of Final Sale Price (Gold Auction House) $1.00 USD/$1.00 AUD per item (RMAH)

Transfer Fee (to PayPal): 15% of Amount Being Transferred



COMMODITIES



Transaction Fee: 15% of Final Sale Price (Gold Auction House) 15% of Final Sale Price (RMAH)

Transfer Fee (to PayPal): 15% of Amount Being Transferred



Adding an authenticator to your account increases the maximum Battle.net balance from $100 to $250. Also note that REQUIRED to be able to cash out auctions to PayPal.



The above is hardly a comprehensive resource. For more information, please read



PayPal Cashout Profit Table​ In addition to an in-game player-to-player trade interface (which should be familiar to anyone who’s played WoW), as well as the ability to simply drop items on the ground as a means of trading items, Diablo 3 features a full-fledged auction house. Unlike other games, you don’t access the auction house from a physical location in the game, but through a menu interface accessed from the character selection screen. From there you can view your shared stash as well as the inventory of all your characters. Due to the randomized nature of most items in Diablo 3, weapons and armor can be found primarily by using a series of filters (e.g has the intelligence stat, with a minimum of value of 7) as search parameters.Besides the gold auction house, which relies solely on the currency generated in-game, Blizzard has introduced the optional Real Money Auction House (RMAH) where players can buy and sell items for real-world currency. The proceeds from auctions in the RMAH can be added to either your Battle.net balance or cashed out via PayPal (for an additional fee) in certain regions. The RMAH will go online approximatelyafter the launch of Diablo 3.There is no listing price - these fees will be charged only if an auction successfully sells.of Final Sale Price (Gold Auction House)per item (RMAH)of Amount Being Transferredof Final Sale Price (Gold Auction House)of Final Sale Price (RMAH)of Amount Being TransferredAdding an authenticator to your account increases the maximum Battle.net balance from $100 to $250. Also note that Battle.net SMS Mobile Alerts areto be able to cash out auctions to PayPal.The above is hardly a comprehensive resource. For more information, please read this guide and be sure to check the FAQ.

Difficulties - It’s Not Over Till Inferno



Diablo doesn’t end when the story is over. A significant amount of new content to be explored awaits brave adventurers after completing an initial run through the story. The more advanced Nightmare and Hell difficulties return from Diablo 2, as well as the brand new Inferno difficulty, available only after the Hell difficulty is defeated, and is balanced around players at the level cap (60). Inferno is intended to be an intense challenge that requires both potent equipment and skillfulness to overcome, though it can be completed solo, as well as in a party. As players advance through each difficulty, they will encounter:



More vicious monsters with a greater number of affixes, some of which can’t be found in Normal

Progressively more powerful weapons and armor, including legendary and unique items and sets

Rare recipes for crafting

And More…

Think it will be easy?



Nephalem Valor - The Item Hunt Evolved



Designed to prevent endgame magic-find runs from becoming stale, Nephalem Valor is a buff that kicks in at level 60. Players will receive a stacking buff to magic and gold find for every rare or champion pack they kill. Killing a boss while the buff is active will result in extra loot drops from the boss. However if you change a skill, rune, passive, or leave the game, the effect wears off - encouraging endgame players to pick a solid build and stick with it for the most efficient farming. Thus doing full run-throughs of areas, sweeping for champions and rares, rather than simply rushing to the boss will be the most effective way to find the best items at level cap.



Hardcore - One Life To Live



Hardcore makes a comeback in Diablo 3, and is as unforgiving as ever. Unlocked after leveling at least one character to level 10 in “softcore”, you have just one life to live in this mode. If When you are slain, your character is dead for good and becomes inaccessible, including weapons and armor equipped, along with anything else that may have bee in their inventory. Dead champions level 10 and up can be viewed in a “Hall of Fallen Heroes” which displays a model of the character at time of death, along with their gameplay statistics. Hardcore characters have a separate shared stash and pool of gold (as well as artisans) from softcore characters, and at least at launch will not be able to access the real-money auction house - only a hardcore exclusive gold auction house.



If you think you can endure the challenges posed by Hardcore, there are sure to be special achievements in store, as well as unique banner customization options.​ Diablo doesn’t end when the story is over. A significant amount of new content to be explored awaits brave adventurers after completing an initial run through the story. The more advanced Nightmare and Hell difficulties return from Diablo 2, as well as the brand new Inferno difficulty, available only after the Hell difficulty is defeated, and is balanced around players at the level cap (60). Inferno is intended to be an intense challenge that requires both potent equipment and skillfulness to overcome, though it can be completed solo, as well as in a party. As players advance through each difficulty, they will encounter:Think it will be easy? Think Again. Designed to prevent endgame magic-find runs from becoming stale, Nephalem Valor is a buff that kicks in at level 60. Players will receive a stacking buff to magic and gold find for every rare or champion pack they kill. Killing a boss while the buff is active will result in extra loot drops from the boss. However if you change a skill, rune, passive, or leave the game, the effect wears off - encouraging endgame players to pick a solid build and stick with it for the most efficient farming. Thus doing full run-throughs of areas, sweeping for champions and rares, rather than simply rushing to the boss will be the most effective way to find the best items at level cap.Hardcore makes a comeback in Diablo 3, and is as unforgiving as ever. Unlocked after leveling at least one character to level 10 in “softcore”, you have just one life to live in this mode.When you are slain, your character is dead for good and becomes inaccessible, including weapons and armor equipped, along with anything else that may have bee in their inventory. Dead champions level 10 and up can be viewed in a “Hall of Fallen Heroes” which displays a model of the character at time of death, along with their gameplay statistics. Hardcore characters have a separate shared stash and pool of gold (as well as artisans) from softcore characters, and at least at launch will not be able to access the real-money auction house - only a hardcore exclusive gold auction house.If you think you can endure the challenges posed by Hardcore, there are sure to be special achievements in store, as well as unique banner customization options.​

Screenshots















Videos











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Special Thanks to ZealousD for his series of D1 and D2 videos as well as the avatars, MrMister for the creating the Battletag List and Graphic, and the indomitable Yoshichan (along with the other two) for advice and helping edit the OT.​