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The King in the North was the codename of a proposed second expansion for Diablo III.
History[edit | edit source]
The expansion was planned during the development of Reaper of Souls,[1] and 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.[2] The decision to can the game occurred in late 2013 or early 2014.[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."[3]
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 (e.g. World of Warcraft) or microtransactions (e.g. Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm), therefore the game has low profitability compared to other Blizzard games in most regions (Asia being a notable exception).[2] According to a Blizzard employee, the overall sense within Team 3 was that the cancellation of the expansion was a vote of no confidence from higher executives, who thought that Diablo III had been a "colossal fuck-up." The team was instructed to move onto Diablo Immortal or Diablo IV, regardless of whatever form it might take.[1]
In July 2016, it was reported that the expansion was put on hold due to a lack of available staff.[4]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- "King in the North" is a title of note within the setting of A Song of Ice and Fire.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2018-11-22, The Past, Present, And Future Of Diablo. Kotaku, accessed on 2018-11-22
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 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
Licensed Expansions — Hellfire • Unearthed Arsenal
Tabletop RPG — The Bloodstone Tomb • The Awakening • Diablerie • To Hell and Back • The Secret Cow Level
Board Games — Diablo Chess • Diablo III Mahjong
Re-releases — Diablo Battle Chest • Diablo II: Resurrected • Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition • Diablo III: Eternal Collection
Canceled — Salvation • Diablo Junior • Diablo 2.5 • Diablo MMO • The King in the North • Project Hades
