Diablo 3 to ship early next year

Diablo 3 closed beta is underway and a lot we're expecting a 2011 release. Sadly, Blizzard announced that Diablo 3 will come out Q1 2012.

"With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible," says Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder.

"However, we didn't put so many years of work into Diablo 3 to release a game that was almost ready.

"The beta test is going very well, and we look forward to making the most of the extra time we're taking to deliver an experience that lives up to our vision for the game and the expectations of our players. Next year is going to be an incredibly busy one for Blizzard, and we hope an incredibly fun one for Blizzard gamers."

Beta testing has started on September 20, and with the added time, they will extending the beta and adding more testers. If your feeling lucky and want in on the Diablo 3 closed beta, head over to your Battlenet account now and opt to participate.

As much as I want Diablo 3, I can wait until next year. No rush. There are still a lot of amazing games that are set to come out this year so at least I can focus on those first. But Blizzard should give us a date already, seriously.

[Source: VG247, Eurogamer]