Blizzard has finally given a date to the next generation console iteration of Diablo III, which will hit Playstation 4 and Xbox One on August 19. Dubbed the Ultimate Evil Edition, this version will contain all of the content from the base game and the lauded Reaper of Souls expansion, in addition to some new, console-exclusive features.
Among the new is Apprentice mode, which will boost the power of low-level characters when playing with their more high-powered friends. This will speed the leveling process and help close that awkward gap where new players need to catch up in order to play with their friends. There will also be new Player Gifts spawning from your legendary drops, which you can then send to other players on your friends list via in-game mail. A sinister counterpart to this friendly sharing, though, are Avenger Kills. When a player dies at the hands of a monster, there is a chance that the monster will level up and hop into a special portal, only to reappear sometime later in a friend’s game during a special event. If your friend manages to avenge your death, you’ll both receive some loot. However, if they also fall, the monster will level up again and leap back into the aether to torment someone new.
Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition will also be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, adding in all of the Reaper of Souls content like Act V, the crusader class, Bounties and Adventure Mode, a level cap of 70, and the Mystic artisan. Players hoping to upgrade to the newer consoles will be able to transfer characters from the PS3 and Xbox 360 version should they so desire. Early birds who pre-order it will also be rewarded with some spiffy in-game Infernal Pauldrons, which provide a beefy boost to Health, Life Regeneration, and Cooldown Reduction, wearable right from level 1.
Suggested retail will be $60 for the PS4 and Xbox One and $40 for their previous generation counterparts.
