Everyone loves a comeback story. When Diablo 3 launched 10 years ago today, it was a mess. A pernicious mixture of server issues and deeper design flaws angered a fan community that had already been anxious about this new chapter in the beloved series, which had been more than a decade in the making. What Blizzard pulled off in the intervening years is nothing short of incredible, making one of the worst launches in company history into one of its most beloved games--an impeccably fine-tuned loot-RPG that's accessible enough for beginners, but deep and rewarding enough to tempt long-term fans back again and again.

In the years since, Blizzard has gone through significant changes. The company has since become embroiled in a series of investigations and lawsuits, spearheaded by the state of California, regarding harassment, worker intimidation, and unfair hiring practices. It has been accused of fostering a sexist, "frat boy" culture, implicating many senior staff in either wrongdoing or complacent knowledge of it. Many long-time staff members have left, and investigations are ongoing. Now Microsoft has stated its intention to buy Activision Blizzard outright, based partly on the depressed stock price resulting from investigations. It has been a tumultuous decade for the studio that made Diablo 3, even as the game itself has improved greatly from its release.

My game about the devil has too many colors in it

Even before the launch, the Diablo community had mixed feelings about the impending sequel. Screenshots and videos of the game showed a much brighter, more colorful aesthetic than that of the first two games, which were dark and gothic. Fans expecting a grimmer vision from a game about actual Satan felt disappointed in this new direction.