The controversial auction house feature from the PC version of Diablo 3 will be taken offline in March of 2014, bringing an end to the feature once and for all. This news comes straight from Blizzard, as John Hight, the production director for the expansion to the game Reaper of Souls revealed the news in an official blog post:
"When we initially designed and implemented the auction houses, the driving goal was to provide a convenient and secure system for trades. But as we've mentioned on different occasions, it became increasingly clear that despite the benefits of the AH system and the fact that many players around the world use it, it ultimately undermines Diablo's core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot. With that in mind, we want to let everyone know that we've decided to remove the gold and real-money auction house system from Diablo III."
The news may surprise some, but the console version of the game shipping without the feature was a strong indication it would not be included in future builds of the game (such as the upcoming PlayStation 4 version). Hight did not elaborate exactly how the company will get rid of the feature, but did state that they would update gamers how and when the shutdown would begin:
"We're working out the details of how the auction house system will be shut down, but we wanted to share the news as soon as we made the decision in order to give everyone as much advance notice as possible. Please note that the shutdown will occur on March 18, 2014. We will keep everyone informed as we work through this process...stay tuned to this site for further updates in the months ahead."
It will be interesting to see what kind of backlash Blizzard see from fans of the feature, or if fans universally celebrate the auction house's removal from the game. After all, being able to buy legendary loot is hardly as rewarding as obtaining it from defeating epic monsters, but some players may have used the feature when they simply needed a new edge for their character.
Look out for more news about Diablo 3 right here as Blizzard reveals how the auction house will be deactivated and the company prepares the Reaper of Souls expansion.