Upcoming expansion to the fastest-selling PC game of all time playable at gamescom
“Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all . . .”
COLOGNE, Germany-August 21, 2013-The defeat of Diablo, Lord of Terror, should have
given rise to an age of hope. Instead, it has drawn out a shadowy being of immense
power, whose malevolent purpose is yet to be revealed. Announced today at gamescom,
Diablo(r) III: Reaper of Souls(tm), the upcoming expansion to Diablo III, opens a
dark and terrifying new chapter in the ongoing conflict over the mortal realm of
Sanctuary.
Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, vanished after the events depicted at the
end of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction(r). In Reaper of Souls, he returns as the
Angel of Death and seizes the Black Soulstone, which contains the essence of the
Prime Evil. It now falls to the players to track down Malthael and stop him before
he unleashes irreversible havoc on the world.
Fortunately, a new hero is ready to join the cause and bring Malthael to justice-the
Crusader. Driven by a centuries-long quest to cleanse the corruption blighting their
beloved Zakarum faith, Crusaders are warriors of righteousness who have been
hardened through relentless, brutal combat with the foul evils plaguing eastern
Sanctuary. In addition to wearing immensely heavy armor and wielding a wide range of
cruel and punishing weapons, this new playable class in Reaper of Souls uses battle
magic to strengthen allies and weaken foes. A natural walking tank, the Crusader
adds power and versatility to any party of adventurers.
“From the beginning, Diablo has always been about the struggle between good and
evil, and Reaper of Souls explores the darker notes of that conflict,” said Mike
Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “This expansion also
represents a big milestone in the ongoing evolution of Diablo III, with key
enhancements to the core gameplay, along with a new act to experience, a powerful
new character class, tons of new loot, and even more end-game options. We think
players will love playing Reaper of Souls, and we can’t wait to get it into their
hands.”
In addition to taking the story of Diablo III from the legendary city of Westmarch
to the unhallowed halls of the Pandemonium Fortress in Act V and introducing the
incorruptible Crusader class, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls increases the game’s level
cap to 70. Players continuing on with their existing Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Demon
Hunter, Wizard, and Monk characters will benefit from an array of fearsome new
spells and abilities as they advance in level.
The expansion also accentuates the key features of the Diablo franchise, with a
greater emphasis on randomized environments to explore; epic new quests; horrific
new monsters to defeat; and substantial updates to the loot experience, enabling
players to further customize their characters with new and improved multilevel
Legendary items, new Blacksmith and Jeweler item-crafting options, and more.
Diablo III’s Paragon progression system is also being majorly upgraded for the
expansion, adding even more end-game character advancement and replayability. Two
new game modes-Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials-are being added as well, providing fun
and rewarding challenges for players to tackle when they’re not busy saving the
world.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is playable on the show floor at gamescom, and Blizzard
will be revealing further details about the expansion at
BlizzCon<https://www.blizzcon.com> and beyond as development progresses.
