Blizzard Quote [source]

Earlier this year, we donated proceeds from auction house sales to Extra Life and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. To determine how best to allocate these funds and make sure they would have the most impact, Extra Life sat down with the Diablo III development team and, together, came up with The Diablo Extra Life Challenge. 

To learn more about this unique initative and how you can get involved, check out this post by Jeromy Adams, founder and director of Extra Life:

The Diablo Extra Life Challenge

Have you ever seen eight people almost faint at the same time?  That's what happened earlier this year as we were ending a relatively normal week at Extra Life HQ. That's because an unexpected call came in from our friends on the Diablo III team at Blizzard Entertainment.  They were excited to let us know that Blizzard was making a gift to Extra Life.  A great… big… giant… gift.

A donation in the amount of $120,000 was on its way from the makers of Diablo, WoW, and StarCraft, with a directive that funds be used to make the most impact. Together with the Diablo III team, we put our heads together, and decided that the best way to amplify this donation is to turn these funds over to the Extra Life community and empower you to bring this money home to your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals with Extra Life.

So without further ado, we bring you Diablo's Extra Life Challenge!

We've broken the money up into three game-changing chunks that — through your personal donations and those of other Extra Lifers in your area — you can help unlock for your hospital.  On Sunday, November 3rd at 9 a.m. Eastern, we'll pull a real-time report from the Extra Life servers. We'll include all donations collected on Extra-Life.org or mailed in (mailed donations must be received before Thursday, October 31 to be counted towards the Challenge), and award the following amounts for their respective categories:

 Top Overall Extra Life Fundraising - $60,000

These funds will be unlocked for the hospital whose gamers and sponsors raise the highest dollar amount overall. Top dollar, end of story.

 Highest Per Capita Extra Life Fundraising - $40,000

There's no doubt that  big cities have a population advantage, so we’ll divide the Extra Life dollars that you raise by your local population. The highest Extra Life funds raised per capita unlocks an extra $40,000 for your hospital!

With many local Extra Life efforts just getting started, this is a chance to make a huge leap forward for your hospital with an extra $20,000.

The hospital whose 2013 Extra Life fundraising total is the most improved (percentage-wise) over their 2012 total, will receive this one! But, we factored in that small gaming markets improving slightly can mean huge percentage gains. So the baseline for this award is $5,000.  This means that if your hospital raised less than that in 2012, $5,000 will be treated as the 2012 number and the 2013 total will be compared to that amount.

The countdown to November 2nd is on!  Each donation you raise could be the one that unlocks even more support for your local hospital. And with these categories, any hospital in any town can win! Provided you dig in these next two months and bring your absolute best fundraising game. And encourage others to get involved: remember, the sure-fire way to raise more money is to recruit more Extra Lifers for your hospital!

We'll announce winning hospitals on the official Extra Life Twitch stream (coming soon).

Weekly updates will be posted here on the Extra Life blog with the latest leaderboards for Diablo's Extra Life Challenge!  Good luck and thank you for all you do For The Kids!

For more information about Extra Life 2013, be sure to visit their official site. To register for this year's event, click here. To donate, click here. 

Blizzard Quote [source]

"To be Horadrim is to put the lives of others before your own."

Earlier this year, we offered players a first glimpse at the upcoming Diablo III: Book of Tyrael, and today we're thrilled to announce the next novel in the Diablo series, Storm of Light!

Written by Nate Kenyon, author of The Order, Storm of Light is a bridge between the events of Diablo III and the story that is to come in its first expansion, Reaper of Souls. This new novel features Jacob and Shanar from the Sword of Justice comic series and is now available for pre-order at Simon and Schuster.

Read on to find out what momentous events lie ahead in Diablo III: Storm of Light!

The High Heavens are healing after the fall of the Prime Evil. The Angiris Council has recovered the Black Soulstone and now stands vigil over the cursed artifact deep within the glimmering Silver City.

Amid these momentous events, Tyrael struggles with his position as the new Aspect of Wisdom, feeling out of place as a mortal among his angelic brethren and doubting his ability to fully embody his role. As he searches within himself and the Heavens for reassurance, he senses the Black Soulstone's grim influence on his home. Where harmony of light and sound once reigned, a mounting discord is threatening to shroud the realm in darkness. Imperius and the other archangels vehemently oppose moving or destroying the crystal, leading Tyrael to put Heaven's fate in the hands of humankind….

Drawing powerful humans to his side from the far ends of Sanctuary, Tyrael reforges the ancient Horadrim and charges the order with an impossible task: to steal the soulstone from the heart of Heaven. Among the champions entrusted with this burden are Jacob of Staalbreak, former avatar of Justice and guardian of the angelic blade El'druin; Shanar, a wizard with phenomenal powers; Mikulov, a lithe and reverent monk; Gynvir, a fearless and battle-hardened barbarian; and Zayl, a mysterious necromancer. With time and the forces of both good and evil against them, can these heroes unite as one and complete their perilous mission before the Heavens fall to ruin?

Be among the first to find out what happens to our heroes and pre-order your copy of Storm of Light at Simon and Schuster today.

If you're looking to get caught-up with all of the books that take place in the world of Diablo, we'd also recommend checking out this complete listing of the Diablo books in chronological order.

So get to reading, and prepare for the return of Tyrael and the new Horadrim!

Blizzard Quote [source]

The forces of the Burning Hells march anew, as Diablo III invades console systems around the world. 

Pick up a copy, rally your friends, and prepare for the fight of your lives—because with Diablo III on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, up to four players can work as a team and smite evil together on one big screen. Just add pizza and a frosty beverage, and that could be one hell of a party.

BUY DIABLO III CONSOLE NOW

Blizzard Quote [source]

In just a few short days, evil will be reborn on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. To help prepare Nephalem around the world against the coming invasion, Brady Games is pleased to unveil the official Diablo III Strategy Guide for Console, available in both Signature Series and Limited Edition formats. 

For warriors who have already survived the armies of the Burning Hells on PC to those who are new to the world of Sanctuary, this companion book is the key to unlocking the secrets of Diablo III with a hand-hand controller.

Strategy Guide Features:

• Quest Guide - All four Acts, every Quest, 3D Town Maps, and exclusive Dungeon Tile Tactics.
• Heroes - Get the most out of all 5 classes. A complete rundown of all active and passive skills for each Hero.
• Bestiary - All creatures in the game, including critical stats and detailed descriptions.
• Crafting - A complete overview of the Diablo III crafting system.
• Loot - A comprehensive listing of weapons, armor, and accessories. Includes Legendary items!
• Endgame Quests & Bonuses - Detailed information about the new endgame features such as Nephalem Valor, Paragon Levels, and more!
   

Players who purchase the Limited Edition will also receive:

• Sculptured Metal Bookmark - Be one of the few to own this gorgeous bookmark featuring a multi-level relief of the terrifying Lord of Terror.
• Exclusive Art Section - This incredible art section features the armor sets of Diablo III from concept to execution.
• Excerpt From The Book of Tyrael - Exclusive excerpt from the eagerly anticipated Diablo III: Book of Tyrael. Read it here first!
• Premium Hard Cover - All the game-tested strategies of our Signature Series packaged in a hardcover featuring unique art and a premium finish.

Discover all the techniques and tips you'll need to survive Sanctuary on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Pick up your Signature Series or Limited Edition copy of the Diablo III Strategy Guide for Console today from Brady Games, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble!

Blizzard Quote [source]

A few years ago, Blizzard Entertainment and Sideshow Collectables premiered a massive 18 inch, limited edition statue of a Diablo III Barbarian.  While this epic collectable quickly sold out, it left a lasting impression on one incredibly talented fan artist who decided that his own Barbarian statues could use a little company.

This week’s Artisan Showcase features fan artist Chanapat Srinakkarin and his astounding sculptures of the Diablo III Demon Hunter, Monk, and Witch Doctor! His sculptures were created to the same scale as Sideshow's Barbarian sculpture to form an assembly of heroes poised to defend Sanctuary. Chanapat put a lot of painstaking detail into his sculptures, and not only are the figures covered from head-to-toe in exquisite armor and props, but they are armed to the teeth with weapons that lust for demon blood. 

If that wasn't enough, the figures rest on carefully-sculpted bases that feature everything from discarded demon bones to rocks, skulls, and more. Check out all the details below!

If that's still not enough for you, some of heads are interchangeable, such as the face on his fierce Witch Doctor.

Chanapat was kind enough to share an variety of photos with us, and we encourage you to take a look at each of them in order to take in the full scope of his incredible sculpting and painting talent.

Chanapat hopes to create a Wizard sculpture to round out the five heroes of the original Diablo III, but he first wants to level up his own Wizard and do some research about what armor and weapons he wants his Wizard sculpture to wield.

Which are your favorite pieces that he's created? What about your favorite detail on one of his sculptures? What armor and weapons would you like to see him sculpt for his Wizard sculpture? Let us know in the comments below!