Blizzard rep denies Diablo III launching Feb. 1 - Retail Radar

[UPDATE] Hopes of an imminent release for Diablo III have been quashed. A Twitter post from Blizzard's Diablo III community manager Micah Whipple stated that "Diablo III does not have a release date. Any store or person claiming otherwise is guessing."

Original story:

Blizzard Entertainment fans may not have to wait much longer for the debut of Diablo III. Joystiq is reporting on an ad for the game in a Minnesota Best Buy telling customers they can pick it up on February 1.

The ad also features a countdown clock and notice of a midnight launch for Diablo III. Best Buy's web store also lists a February 1 launch for the game. The last official word from Blizzard was that the dungeon-crawling PC and Mac action game would be released in "early 2012." As of press time, a Blizzard representative had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

The first title in the series since 2001's Diablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion, Diablo III will add a variety of new features, character classes, and a new auction house system designed as "a new way for the company to pull revenues from the game."

For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Diablo III.