diggDespite an entire week of misleading ice and blue-lit eyes that was supposed to produce society think it was the Lich King, Blizzard unveiled earlier today one of the most anticipated game releases in a lengthy date, Diablo 3. It wasn’t the best kept secret, as the week leading up to the event had the entire gaming community buzzing with rumors (and hopes) of a sequel to one of Blizzard’s big three properties.

Diablo is one of Blizzard’s most popular properties, along with Warcraft and Starcraft. The first game in the series, a dark fantasy role-playing game, was released in 1997 to much critical success. Its sequel, Diablo II, was released in 2000, with equally glowing reviews. Diablo received a 9.6 on GameSpot’s review, the highest score on a PC game to term. Diablo II holds a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records for being the fastest selling computer game ever sold, with more than 1 million units sold in its first two weeks of release. It still holds the record to instance.

The latest sequel will be a 3D hack and slash with an isometric view, with the familiar Barbarian class, an interface with health and mana bubbles, and weapon enchants.