Diablo III: The King in the North was the proposed second expansion for Diablo III.
The game was expected to be revealed at BlizzCon 2015. However, the plan was scrapped, and the expansion's content was broken down into free patch content. Examples included the Ruins of Sescheron and Greyhollow Island.[1] The content was released for free at the insistence of Mike Morhaime. According to Morhaime, this decision "was about winning back the hearts and minds of people who were disappointed with the original release."[2] Reportedly, Blizzard Entertainment was reluctant to commit to a second expansion because Diablo III lacks a steady revenue stream (aside from its Asian, free to play model), whereas most of its other games involve either a subscription fee or microtransactions, therefore the game has low profitability compared to other Blizzard games in most regions (Asia being a notable exception).[1]
In July 2016, it was reported that the expansion was put on hold due to a lack of available staff.[3]
Trivia
- "King in the North" is a title of note within the setting of A Song of Ice and Fire.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 2016-07-06, Source: Blizzard Broke A Second 'Diablo 3' Expansion Into Patch Content. Forbes, accessed on 2016-07-07
- ↑ 2015, Diablo 3’s huge free updates are thanks to Mike Morhaime, dev team wants Nemesis system on PC. PC Games, accessed on 2016-07-08
- ↑ 2016-07-04, 'Diablo 4' Release Date News: Blizzard To Hire New Game Director Before Title’s Release Announcement?. Breathcast, accessed on 2016-07-05
| Diablo Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Diablo • Diablo II • Diablo II: Lord of Destruction • Diablo III (console) • Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (Ultimate Evil Edition) • Diablo Immortal • Diablo IV | ||
| The Awakening • Diablerie • To Hell and Back • The Bloodstone Tomb | ||