Diablo III senior producer leaves, casting further doubt on Q1 2012 release

Fans have been waiting and waiting and waiting for Diablo III since it was first announced in 2008. While the last "official" date from Blizzard was that customers could expect a Q1 2012 release, events this week seem to negate that, and certainly the most recent info really casts doubt on that.

Blizzard's Steve Parker dropped a haymaker this weekend. He is the Diablo III senior producer, and he Tweeted that he is leaving the project and the company. He did not reveal the reasons for his departure.

He Tweeted, "I'm no longer working at Blizzard or on D3. I've had a great five years there and those guys are going to kill it with Diablo."

Before "killing it," Blizzard has to make Diablo III live, and other news from this week wasn't so good in that front. Blizzard continues to make what have been called "sweeping system overhauls" and "major mechanical changes."