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The first step in designing any Legendary is to figure out what kind of item you want to create. Do you want a weapon? An off-hand? A ring or amulet? A piece of armor?

For this particular project, we'd like to focus on a Legendary weapon, more specifically a melee weapon. We decided to do this for a few reasons.

The first reason is that Legendary weapons typically have a very strong visual identity. Unlike other item types—like a ring or a belt, for example—you can see the weapon you're wielding, often very prominently. This is important because, in addition to discussing the mechanical design of Legendary items (its stats and powers), we also want to talk about their visual design, and that's much easier to do when you've got something that's bigger and has a lot of visible components.

The second reason is that Legendary weapons are iconic, and there's a much stronger fantasy behind them than, let's say, a helm or pair of pants. As a result, players tend to identify with weapons more than any other item type. That doesn't mean the other types are any less important, but Legendary weapons are certainly more recognizable and carry more street cred (so to speak).

As for why a melee weapon instead of a ranged weapon (or both)? Pretty simple. Of the weapon types available to all classes, melee weapons are used more often.

Okay, so we're designing a Legendary melee weapon. Done. But what class of weapon should we create? Well that's up to you! We've selected 10 different classes of melee weapons for you to choose from and have set up a poll to help collect your feedback. Pick your favorite by using the voting options below, and be sure to spread the word. Whichever weapon class gets the most votes globally wins!

After the poll has closed, we'll tabulate player votes from all our different Diablo III communities around the world to determine the winner and share the results next week. Don't delay, though—this poll will close Wednesday, October 30.

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Have you ever wondered what kind of sweat, tears, and ritual sacrifice goes into designing a Legendary item in Diablo III? Or perhaps even entertained the idea of creating a Legendary of your own?

Well, hang on to your hauberks, Sanctuary, and ready your anvils. It’s time to get crafty.

The "Design a Legendary" Project

Inspired by the many passionate discussions we've seen about itemization (particularly Legendary itemization) in Diablo III, we wanted to take some time to expand on our evolving design philosophies and practices, as well as reiterate our goals for Legendaries in Reaper of Souls.

As we started to put our pens to the proverbial paper, though, we had an epiphany: "Hey, instead of just telling players about item design, why not actually show them?"

And so the Design a Legendary project was born.   

So, How's it Work?

Over the next few months, we'll take you through the all the different design stages behind bringing a single Legendary item to life, from concept to creation to iteration, all the way through animation and implementation. We'll chat with each developer involved and share progress updates along the way, giving you a unique behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a Legendary item that looks epic, feels epic, and fits within the larger network of hero skills, monster tuning, and overall game balance.

Pretty sweet, huh?

But wait -- that’s only one part of this project! (Oh snap.)

Tell us more, Lylirra!

We'll also be involving you, our awesome community, in various parts of the design process. Leading up to release of Reaper of Souls, you'll have the opportunity to not only weigh in, but actually help guide development on a Legendary item that will be implemented and playable. We'll be holding global community votes, hosting podcasts, soliciting ideas, and even running a contest or two to ensure that this is truly a worldwide, player-driven initiative.

The result? We hope this activity will help give players a better understanding of everything that goes into item design, as well as wind up being something that's both fun and uniquely interactive. Also, once everything is said and done, there will be a Legendary item in the game that you had a hand in making. How cool is that?!

We'll be kicking off the first stage of this project next week, so stay tuned to diablo3.com and get ready to Design a Legendary!

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Malthael, the Angel of Death, grows restless. Having sieged the historic city of Westmarch, he now sets his sights on a new metropolis: Anaheim, California—the great gamer haven of the West. Soon, his forces will begin their march on the hallowed halls of BlizzCon and only you, mighty Nephalem, can defend its denizens and help put a stop to the coming apocalypse.

Are you ready?

Join the Crusade, November 8-9

Summon your allies, ready your best weapon, and prepare to make a stand against Malthael in Hall A of the Anaheim Convention Center.

With 300 demo stations at their command, attendees will have the opportunity to join the fight for Westmarch, seek fame and treasure in all-new Nephalem Rifts (previously called Loot Runs), and journey through Adventure Mode, where the world itself is your battlefield. All five of the original Diablo III classes will be playable, as well as the recently-unveiled Crusader, a fierce mid-range melee warrior who wields punishing weapons (and an even more punishing arsenal of spells and abilities).

Looking for more Reaper of Souls screenshots? Click here!

Reaper of Souls Invades PlayStation® 4

We're also excited to announce that Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will be making its public debut on the PlayStation® 4 at BlizzCon 2013!

In our action-packed single-player and same-screen co-op demos, players will get to explore the haunted streets of Westmarch as one of our five original classes or test their mettle as the unyielding Crusader. Attendees will also be some of the first in the world to take on Death itself using a DUALSHOCK®4 controller, featuring touch pad technology designed to help keep heroes out game menus and focused on what they do best: killing monsters.

Click here to view the full BlizzCon 2013 floor map.

For those of you who are BlizzCon-bound, we salute you! If you can't make the show in person, be sure to check out the Virtual Ticket, which includes over 60 hours of high-definition footage so you can catch all the action from the comfort of your home.

Head on over to BlizzCon.com for panel schedules, event maps, hotel and travel information, forums, and more, and be sure to stay tuned to diablo3.com for all the latest news for Reaper of Souls on PC and PS4!

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This year's BlizzCon Store online sale has just begun! This sale is exclusive to BlizzCon attendees and Virtual Ticket buyers, and runs until the end of the show on November 9. The store is stocked with some epic never-before-seen loot, along with some of your favorite items from BlizzCons past. Supplies are limited, so if you’re not going to the show in person or haven't yet purchased a Virtual Ticket, you might want to order now to get an early chance at some cool BlizzCon merchandise.

Unlike previous years, all orders will be shipped upon receipt—so the sooner you order, the faster you'll get your BlizzCon swag. Keep in mind that orders are shipped from the United States, so international shipping rates may apply.

To access the sale, log in to the Blizzard Store using the Battle.net® account associated with your BlizzCon ticket or Virtual Ticket (physical ticket buyers can view this info in their Order History).

Check out just a few of this year's new items below:

Be sure to come back in the coming weeks, as well, as additional items and surprises will be revealed as the sale continues.

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During your adventures through Sanctuary, you've traveled near and far—to Hell and back, in fact! You've encountered terrifying creatures, diverse cultures, and memoriable personalities, and along the way, you've probably participated in dozens of side quests and events.

For our latest community question, we want to know: What side quest or event in Diablo III do you find the most interesting, and why?

Perhaps it was the waves of skeletons during Jar of Souls, the relentless meteors during the Scouring of Caldeum, or the challenge and danger nestled deep within the Crumbling Vault? What memorable side stories have stuck with you or made you raise an eyebrow?

Leave a comment below to let us know, or respond on Facebook or Twitter!