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Blizzard Entertainment's next great opus, Diablo III, is slated for release in early 2012, but retailer listings for February aren't necessarily correct, says the developer.

The studio cranked out real-time strategy game StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty as well as World of Warcraft's Cataclysm update in 2010, leaving Diablo III as its next big unreleased project.

The 1994 PC release of Diablo, in which players rescued their town from a hellish oppressor, prompted renewed interest in action-based role-playing games.

Its June 2000 sequel cemented the series's reputation and influence - Dungeon Siege, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Titan Quest, Sacred 2 and 2009's celebrated Torchlight are among titles that can trace key concepts back to Diablo. Even off-kilter shooter Borderlands traded on a "Diablo with guns" tagline.

Promotional materials at US retailer Best Buy were in line with the chain's website, indicating that a surprisingly soon Feb 1 release for Diablo III was in the cards. UK online store Gameplay followed suit with a regionally appropriate February 3.

Blizzard's community manager Micah Whipple moved to dampen fan frenzy, telling Twitter followers that "retailers will not know a date until it's officially announced through a press release."

Writing on the company's public forum as Bashiok, he said "traditionally we've tried to announce release dates about two months before release," meaning that Diablo III would be seen at retail by March at the earliest.

That should come as a relief to the developers of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, another big-budget action roleplaying game whose PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 franchise debut is set for the second week of February. - Relaxnews 2012

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