Blizzard has announced the Diablo III expansion titled Reaper of Souls today at Gamescom 2013. New to the game will be the Crusader hero, a new Act, an increased level cap to 70, new end game options, and plenty of new monsters for our heroes to smash, game director Josh Mosqueira unveiled at the press conference. Taking on the role of main villain will be Maltheal, the Angel of Death as was rumored by the title Reaper of Souls. Undoubtedly listening to the harsh critics from Diablo III‘s release, Art Director Christian Lichtner explained how the expansion will be much darker.
The expansion will take place in Westmarch, which Blizzard described as “the gothic power of the west.” As for the Crusader class, it will be similar to Diablo II‘s Paladin class and is considered a mid-ranged melee class that uses a shield. The concept is interesting, considering two-handed or dual-wield setups reign supreme currently in Diablo III. It would be no surprise if Blizzard is adding new mechanics to the game to make equipping a shield more viable or advantageous, even for other classes. Chances are, it’s a strength-based hero given that the game currently only has one.
