Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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Update on June 11: 2.6.9 PTR has ended! We appreciate your feedback through the PTR process! We will see you in Season 21!
Update on June 4: 2.6.9 PTR has been updated. Please see below for changes with "Developer's Note" annotations in RED.
Update on May 28: 2.6.9 PTR is now LIVE! We are looking forward to your feedback in the forums.

Wait, Nephalem. Do you sense that? Though the air remains tainted with a demonic brimstone stench, the world around you crackles with chaotic elemental energy. You have been deemed worthy. The primal forces of Sanctuary manifest to aid you in the fight against the swelling darkness. Channel untethered bouts of flame, forked lightning, slicing wind, and biting snow against the minions of the Burning Hells during the Trials of Tempests!

Our two-week PTR testing period for the 2.6.9 update begins May 28 and we're asking for your help to quell the tides of surging demons. Take a look at the preliminary patch notes below and start theorycrafting how y...

Inside look: Season 20's new sets featuring Rhykker

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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CJ 'Rhykker' Miozzi didn’t think he was going to like Diablo III Seasons when they first came out.

“I thought, well, I have my main character and all this progress. Why would I want to do a fresh start?” he recalls.

But Rhykker, a YouTube content creator whose Diablo III video guides routinely snag millions of views, now plays every single Season. The rush from level 1 to 70 keeps him coming back each time. He enjoys a challenge, and in Season 20’s case, it’s the hellishly difficult choice of which build he’s going to try next.

“I’ve been playing this game for seven years, and I think a big part of what keeps me playing is changing things up. But in general, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite anything,” he says with a laugh.

We were eager to hear his thoughts on the three new armor sets that arrived in Diablo III Patch 2.6.8 on March 3. To take a look at the mechanical guts of these new sets yourself, be sure to check out our latest patch notes.

Barbarian class set: Horde of ...

Patch 2.6.8 Now Live

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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Below you will find the final patch notes for the most recent update for Diablo III, Patch 2.6.8. Changes specifically from the last version of the PTR have been highlighted in RED.

Last updated February 28 @ 10:00 a.m. PST.

Below you will find the patch notes for the most recent update for Diablo III, Patch 2.6.8.

PATCH 2.6.8

New Season Theme

Season 20 is the Season of the Forbidden Archives. Many adventurers have come to learn the power that dwells within the ancient nephalem artifact, Kanai’s Cube. However, none understand this power better than the equally celebrated and reviled Horadrim, Zoltun Kulle. Kulle was able to unlock and harness the power of the Cube like none before, leveraging its power to siphon and archive the energies of powerful items. With Season 20, we explore the power Kulle might lend to your fingertips if his experiments went unch...

Diablo IV Quarterly Update—February 2020

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Quarterly Updates
Luis Barriga, Game Director

UI Design, Controller Support, and Co-Op
Angela Del Priore, Lead UI Designer

Monster Family & Design Highlight: Cannibal Tribes
Candace Thomas, Senior Encounter Designer

Hello, and welcome to the new blog section of the Diablo IV website!

The Diablo IV development team has been hard at work since BlizzCon and we are all still incredibly energized by the response to our announcement and follow-up blog posts. We can tell you are all excited to see more info coming from the team and about how the game is coming together.

Well, we have some great news for you today. We are stoked to deliver the first of our quarterly blog updates with you, and this one happens to be a doubleheader.

First, we have a word from our Lead UI Designer, Angela Del Priore, with some super cool updates on post-BlizzCon feedback, controller support on PC, and a deep dive into couch co-op. If you’d like to jump to her update r...

Patch 2.6.8 PTR Has Ended

Nevalistis 5 years ago

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Update: The 2.6.8 PTR has ended as of February 20, 2020. Thank you for your feedback and testing! We'll see you in Season 20!

The two-week PTR testing period for 2.6.8 begins February 6 and we need your help to make Season 20 better than ever!

We’ve got three brand-new class sets to dig into, an armful of Legendary item changes, and a pretty crazy game-changing Season mechanic that’s bound to blow the lid off your traditional build approach. Check out the preliminary patch notes below and start theorycrafting; Patch 2.6.8 is on its way!

Table of Contents

PTR Details
- PTR Goals
- PTR Tips
Patch Notes
- General
- Seasons
- Classes
  - Crusader
- Items
- Bug Fixes
How to Participate in PTR
PTR Character Copy

Please note that this is a preview for PTR content, which is subject to change.

PTR Details

We’ll be conducting the Patch 2.6.8 PTR over the course of two weeks, starting Thursday, February 6. ...

[D3] Developer Insights: Balancing & Class Set Design

The Diablo III Team 5 years ago

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Developer Insights is our blog where we reveal some of the processes and philosophies behind our updates and designs. We have a lot going on in the world of Sanctuary these days, so please note that the following entry comes from the Diablo III team. Enjoy!

We’ve been working on multiple content patches for Diablo III, including Patch 2.6.7. which we released last November. This included two new class sets, one each for Crusader and Monk, and heavily revamped Whirlwind gameplay for the Barbarian. The result was shattering to the endgame meta—a result we were both ambitiously hoping for and pleased to see.

However, our work is far from done! We’re now developing Patch 2.6.8 and want to provide context on the approach we’re taking to address class set balance in our future patches before unleashing you onto the PTR. Let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

Paragon and Greater Rift Levels
- The Greater Rift 150 Cap
Solo vs. Group Design
”Creative” Game Mechanics and Anim...

The Darkening of Tristram Returns January 3!

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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Diablo’s anniversary is right around the corner, along with the Darkening of Tristram event! Whether you’re a series veteran craving nostalgia, or a newcomer hungry for your first taste of the franchise’s past, this annual loving homage to the earliest days of Diablo is for you.

Read on for more, including a closer look at the anniversary dungeon and its unique rewards.

Stop the Cultists

Your journey begins on the trail of a group of mysterious cultists causing trouble in Sanctuary. As you hunt them down in Adventure Mode, you’ll uncover clues leading to a portal into Tristram’s past, and the terrifying darkness that took hold of the town so many years ago. . . .

Explore the Cathedral

Follow the clues and you’ll soon find yourself in a realm of glorious RetroVision™, where an all-too-familiar cathedral looms. Explore the depths and you’ll discover familiar enemies and iconic items, all brought to life in the Diablo III engine. Meanwhile, deep beneath the catacombs, the...

System Design in Diablo IV (Part II)

David Kim 5 years ago

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In Part I, we addressed many of the open questions from the community about the Diablo IV game designs we revealed at BlizzCon. I recommend checking that out if you haven’t already.

Itemization is a huge core part of any Action RPG. We’re focusing specifically on itemization in this blog because it’s a complex and nuanced topic. Let’s start with two key principles that guide us as the Diablo IV development team.

First, we agree that adding depth and customization to your character through itemization is incredibly valuable and important to the game. This has been the most-discussed topic since we revealed Diablo IV. To be clear—we believe Diablo IV itemization should be deep and rewarding and that’s one of our highest priorities. Another important philosophy across the whole game for our team is the concept “Easy to learn, difficult to master.” This core philosophy helped many of us become the hardcore gamers we are today, and one we want to embrace throughout the Diablo IV develop...

Patch 2.6.7a Now Live

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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Below you will find the patch notes for the most recent update for Diablo III, Patch 2.6.7a.

Last updated November 20 @ 10:00 a.m. PST.

PATCH 2.6.7a

Lamentation
- Now increases the damage of Rend by [100-150%]
- Developer's Note: As we've indicated in forum posts, we overshot on Lamentation's original implementation during the 2.6.7 PTR. However, we also very much undershot the overall balance of Rend/Whirlwind's adjustments by removing this bonus completely. After reading a ton of your feedback and completing our own internal testing, we've settled on a middle ground we believe reaches the balance level we were shooting for.
Shield of Fury
- The benefit of this item now stacks up to a cap of 20
- Developer's Note: As many of you noted coming out of our 2.6.7 update, we also overshot on ...

Season 19: The Season of Eternal Conflict is Now Live

Nevalistis 5 years ago

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Season 19 begins November 22, alongside our next Diablo III patch. Read on to learn more about the brand-new Season of Eternal Conflict buff, two divinely inspired new class sets, and a handful of old and new item reworks coming in Patch 2.6.7!

New Season Theme

Season 19 is the Season of Eternal Conflict and with it come an awesome array of killstreak rewards! Inspired by the war waged between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, you‘ll earn increasingly powerful effects as you unleash destruction upon your foes. So rack up those kills and clear the battlefields in the name of Sanctuary!

All players will benefit from the Pandemonium buff during Season 19. For each stack of this buff, you’ll receive a small boost to movement speed and bonus damage, ultimately capping out at 50% movement speed and 100% damage at 1000 stacks. In a...

A Letter from our Game Director – BlizzCon 2019

Luis Barriga 5 years ago

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Dear Diablo family,

Thank you all for a great BlizzCon. We unveiled Diablo IV with our announce cinematic, establishing the tone for our overall creative vision moving forward. We hope you all dug that.

We also showed you our gameplay trailer, showcasing our classes, monsters, and open world, and invited you to take the first step in this journey toward Diablo IV together. We can tell from all the questions and excitement we’ve seen online and in-person that you are eager to find out more.

The lines to our demo stations and Dark Gallery were packed all weekend long and we were floored by the overall reception—especially from long-time Diablo players. We were blown away by how often we met people who came back to play the demo again and again. The stories you shared with us about Diablo and what this series means to you moved us and inspire us to do our best.

We’ve been taking this week to assess and discuss our takeaways from BlizzCon, and we love all the deep discussions happeni...

Patch 2.6.7 Now Live

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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Below you will find the patch notes for the most recent update for Diablo III, Patch 2.6.7. Changes from the PTR have been highlighted in RED.

Last updated November 12 @ 10:00 a.m. PST.

PATCH 2.6.7

BlizzCon 2019 has come and gone, but not without incredible announcements and unforgettable memories! Thank you from the bottom of our hellish hearts to our community, whether you joined us live in Anaheim or from the comfort of your couch via Virtual Ticket. We miss you already and can’t wait to get back to work!

In case you missed any of the info extravaganza we threw your way, we’ve compiled all the Diablo-oriented highlights right here in one handy guide. We’ll be keeping it updated throughout the week as more recaps, interviews, and community features become available. Let us know if we missed something—we’ll be happy to add it in!

Last Updated: November 7

Blogs & Panel Recaps

Blogs

BlizzCon Recap: Day 2

Nevalistis 5 years ago

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BlizzCon 2019 is officially a wrap! This year has been incredible for the Diablo development teams as well as our amazing community. If you need to catch up on Day 2’s activities, we’ve got you covered.

The Dark Gallery Awaits

Our show space is a little different this year, and we’ve set up the Dark Gallery to embody all things grim, dark, and Diablo. Featuring the masterful art of our development team from across multiple entries in the Diablo series, an array of hand-crafted living Legendaries by Vulpin Props, and housing the elegantly terrifying Lilith herself (courtesy of Henchmen studios), taking a walk down this aisle is sure to leave a lasting impression.

[Panel] Artists at Work: Diablo

Moderated by Lead VFX Artist Daniel Briggs, Senior Concept Artist Robert Sevilla, Senior Character Artist Jairo Sanchez, and Senior Animator Corey Peagler walked us through the creation and updating of various parts of Sanctuary, including monsters and class animations. Seeing is ...

Diablo IV Feature Overview

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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We know you’re all eager to learn as much about Diablo IV as possible, and we’re incredibly excited to share everything with you! To get you started, we’re taking a comprehensive look over the features and details we’re sharing at BlizzCon 2019 and answering a few of the most common questions you undoubtedly have about the next mainline entry in the Diablo franchise.

The Classes of Diablo IV

At launch, Diablo IV will have five unique character classes, each bringing its own distinct mechanics that embodies their respective fantasy. Today, let’s talk about the first three we’re bringing to life: the Barbarian, the Sorceress, and the Druid.

Barbarian

A brutal, physical warrior, the Barbarian roams around the battlefield constantly, dishing heavy damage and wielding an array of powerful weapons with ease. With the Arsenal system, Barbarians can swap between different types of weapons, such as from a heavy two-handed mace to a pair of sharp, agile hand axes, depending on the situati...

BlizzCon Recap: Day 1

Nevalistis 5 years ago

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The sun sets on the first day of BlizzCon 2019 amid cheers, great company, and some truly stunning announcements. If you’re not here with us at the Anaheim Convention Center, here are the Diablo-related highlights from earlier today!

Diablo IV Unveiled

We revealed the next major entry in the Diablo franchise today to an incredible reception. With a new darkly gruesome cinematic, fully playable demo on the convention floor, and an exciting list of panels to continue the deluge of information tomorrow, we can’t wait to show you more about what awaits the fate of Sanctuary.

We’ve prepared a more comprehensive blog with today’s details, so check it out if you haven’t already!

Lilith Wings Revealed

We know you’ve been waiting eagerly to find out more about the Diablo III Virtual Ticket goodie. Wait no longer and feast your eyes upon Lilith’s Embrace, modeled after the wings of Lilith, Daughter of Hatred.

All Virtual Ticket and BlizzCon pass holders will receive these wings ...

Diablo Immortal Update

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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Across Blizzard, there is so much Diablo in the works that there will be a way for everyone to explore Sanctuary. For those of you eagerly awaiting an update on Diablo Immortal, the team has been hard at work on the game: honing our plan and vision, solidifying our goals, tightening mechanics and game systems, and laying the groundwork for what a Blizzard mobile MMO ARPG needs to flourish. Let’s review the basics before we look at what the future holds for this new adventure.

What is Diablo Immortal?

Diablo Immortal is a mobile MMO ARPG currently planned for iPhone and Android devices. We want it to include all the things you know and love about Diablo: multitudes of monsters to slay, troves of loot to collect and customize, and powerful classes to play with friends or on your own.

What makes Diablo Immortal different?

In addition to the new platform, the shift to mobile MMO ARPG embraces online multiplayer. While we still want players to be able to enjoy the game solo, Diablo I...

Diablo IV Unveiled

Blizzard Entertainment 5 years ago

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After the destruction of the Black Soulstone, the defeat of the Prime Evil, and the fall of Malthael, Angel of Death, countless lives have been lost and the denizens of Sanctuary find themselves struggling through the darkest of ages. Years have passed and, as some semblance of regular life starts rebuilding, a threat as old as the land itself begins to stir.

Diablo IV is the newest incarnation of the genre-defining ARPG players have come to know and love. Hellish new features, brutal challenges, and an indisputable return to darkness lie at the core of the game. Take a glimpse into the terror that awaits:

A Bleak Future

Diablo IV takes place many years after the events of Diablo III, after millions have been slaughtered by the actions of the High Heavens and Burning Hells alike. In the power vacuum, a legendary name resurfaces—Lilith, daughter of Mephisto, the whispered progenitor of humanity. Her grip on Sanctuary cuts deep into the hearts of men and women alike, cultiv...

Patch 2.6.7 PTR Has Concluded

Nevalistis 5 years ago

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Original

Update: The 2.6.7 PTR has ended as of October 24. Thank you for your participation!

The one-week PTR testing period for 2.6.7 begins October 17 and we need your help to make Season 19 better than ever!

We’ve begun introducing brand new class sets to Diablo III as outlined in our Ongoing Support blog, heavily revised several Barbarian Legendaries at the direct request of the community and continued to iterate on our approach to Seasonal buffs and how they can change up the overall gameplay experience. Take a look at the preliminary patch notes below and start theorycrafting; Patch 2.6.7 will be arriving before the end of the year!

PTR Details

We’ll be conducting the Patch 2.6.7 PTR over the course of one week, st...

Diablo III Dev Tracker

Barbarian class set: Horde of ...

Table of Contents:

Table of Contents

New Season Theme

Table of Contents:

Table of Contents

New Season Theme

Table of Contents:

Blogs & Panel Recaps

The Dark Gallery Awaits

[Panel] Artists at Work: Diablo

The Classes of Diablo IV

Barbarian

Diablo IV Unveiled

Lilith Wings Revealed

What is Diablo Immortal?

What makes Diablo Immortal different?

A Bleak Future

Table of Contents

PTR Details

Links