In a press release, Blizzard has announced that Diablo III has been delayed, and will now be released early next year.
CEO Mike Morhaime said: "With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible. However, we didn't put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready.
"We look forward to making the most of the extra time we're taking to deliver an experience that lives up to our vision for the game and the expectations of our players."
The timing of the announcement is a curious one, coming just days after the start of Diablo III's closed beta. Blizzard is to push back the beta's original end date, and may also invite more players in to help with testing than originally planned.