Reaper of Souls, the first expansion for the nearly two year old Diablo III, is officially a hit, bringing the stumbling Diablo III back onto solid ground. Blizzard revealed in a new press release that the number of players crusading against the grim reaper nears 3 million, with players having managed to beat the personification of Death "1.5 million times and counting."
"With Reaper of Souls, we wanted to emphasize all the things that Diablo gamers have always loved about the series, from the dark gothic setting to the piles and piles of epic loot," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're excited to see that players are enjoying the changes we've made to the game, and we look forward to achieving our Paragon levels alongside everyone else in the weeks and months ahead."
Reaper of Souls has been described by Blizzard as a dark and terrifying new chapter in Diablo's story, taking place "from the sprawling streets of Westmarch to the ancient walls of the Pandemonium Fortress," and works as a fifth act for Diablo III:
Malthael, the "fallen Archangel of Wisdom," has returned, now with the Black Soulstone, containing the essence of the Prime Evil, in his possession. It now falls to the players to track down and stop Malthael.
Reaper's new class, the Crusader, joins Diablo III's Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Wizard, Monk, and Demon Hunter. Blizzard describes the new class as "warriors of righteousness who have been hardened through relentless, brutal combat with the foul evils plaguing eastern Sanctuary. In addition to wearing immensely heavy armor and wielding a wide range of cruel and punishing weapons, this new playable class in Reaper of Souls uses battle magic to strengthen allies and weaken foes. A natural walking tank, the Crusader adds power and versatility to any party of adventurers."
The expansion also highlights key features of the Diablo franchise, with more emphasis on randomized environments to explore. The enhanced Loot experience allows players to further customize Legendary items, and additional item-crafting options will be available from both the Blacksmith and Jeweler.
Though the expansion for the game will be releasing separately for PC and Mac, its content and additions will arrive alongside the original game on the PS4 with the upcoming Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition. Check out our review of Reaper of Souls here.
