The first day of BlizzCon 2016 draws to a close, and what a day it’s been! Between celebrating our past, revealing the future for Diablo III, and throwing an anniversary party to remember, there’s a lot to cover on all the excitement shaking up the Anaheim Convention Center!

Looking Back on Twenty Years in Sanctuary

On December 31, 1996, the world knew true terror as they descended into the haunted depths below Tristram Cathedral. On that fateful day, Diablo brought a whole new experience to the role-playing game genre that continues to resonate with players to this day.

Reflecting on our long and storied past, it’s crazy to think we went from a game that supported only a single language (English) and introduced the world to Battle.net…to the game’s latest iteration, spanning five platforms and 13 languages.

We may have also made some other improvements along the way.

This year marks the twentieth milestone in the history of the Diablo franchise, and we’re honored to have had you all along for the ride through the years. From the very first utterance of the Butcher’s iconic “Fresh meat!” to the announcements we’ve shared with the world today, we thank each and every one of you who have grown alongside this series. It’s humbling to have been a part of your lives and we hope we’ll continue to hold a special place in your heart for many years to come.

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary—In-Game!

What’s an anniversary without a party? We’ve got a very special anniversary event coming up in-game to celebrate all twenty years of our history with you! Join us in Patch 2.4.3 as the Darkening of Tristram kicks off and takes your nephalem back to the first time evil invaded a humble, tiny town in Sanctuary.

Head to Old Tristram in Adventure Mode during the month of January to discover a portal where you can explore a Diablo III recreation of the events that transpired in the original Diablo. Filled with iconic enemies, familiar faces, and some old-school items, this event is a nostalgia-packed adventure down memory lane. Transmogrification rewards, achievements, and a few extra surprises await those brave enough to plumb the depths below Tristram.



All presented in GLORIOUS RetroVision™.

Patch 2.4.3 will be hitting the PTR next week, so keep an eye on the front page for news about patch testing.

Load up your Loadouts! Introducing the Armory

We’ve all been there. Your stash is stuffed to the brim with all your different sets and legendary items. You just want to take a break from pushing Greater Rifts to farm a few Death’s Breaths, but who has time to swap out all those skills and gear?

We’re making it easier than ever to swap seamlessly between your favorite styles of game play by introducing the Armory. The Armory is an equipment manager that stores up to five full load outs for your characters. This includes your skills, passives, items, Kanai’s Cube powers, and even your Legendary Gems!

It’s so beautiful. Like the explosion of a loot-filled Treasure Goblin.

The Armory will be coming to Diablo III sometime in 2017—as release draws closer, we’ll have more to share!

Rise from Your Graves: Necromancer Revealed

A new nephalem will begin their part of Diablo III’s story as the Necromancer arrives in New Tristram in 2017. This young, enigmatic member of the Priests of Rathma has sensed a need for their unique power, answering the call on behalf of their mysterious and oft-misunderstood brethren.

We’ve thoroughly covered a more detailed outline of what (and when) to expect the Necromancer in-game over in our Necromancer Overview, so be sure to check out that blog to unbury the deadly details.

Day One and Done! Join us Tomorrow

That’s all we’ve got for you today from Day 1 of BlizzCon 2016! There’s a ton more we’re eager to share on the show floor, and we’ll be digging into more of our future feature content during Saturday’s Developer Talk and Q&A.

Until tomorrow, nephalem!