Blizzard Entertainment announced today that it will remove the gold and real-money auction house system from Diablo III on March 18, 2014.

　　"When we initially designed and implemented the auction houses, the driving goal was to provide a convenient and secure system for trades," Blizzard production director John Hight said in a statement.

　　"But as we've mentioned on different occasions, it became increasingly clear that despite the benefits of the AH system and the fact that many players around the world use it, it ultimately undermines Diablo's core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot," he added. "With that in mind, we want to let everyone know that we've decided to remove the gold and real-money auction house system from Diablo III."

　　Hight said that the closing of the Diablo III auction houses, along with the Loot 2.0 system that Blizzard is currently developing alongside the Reaper of Souls expansion, will result in a "much more rewarding game experience for our players."

　　He further explained that Blizzard is still "working out the details" regarding how it will close the Diablo III auction house system. The reason for announcing its closure six months ahead of time is to "give everyone as much advance notice as possible," Hight said.

　　"We will keep everyone informed as we work through this process," he said.

　　Check out the video below for more regarding Blizzard's decision to close the Diablo III auction house system.

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　　Diablo III - Auction House Update

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