99% chance necro along with 2.6 will be launched in July-ish.
I'd say 2.6 is going to drop for S11, but will they launch the Necro with it or sometime during S11 - we still don't know that. Remember that Necro is just a DLC, it is not a patch by itself.
With what is being released for PoE I am faaaar more willing to spend a 100$ on eye-candy in PoE than 10$ (will be more for sure) for just Necro and some other minor changes.
I still have no idea why they are not monetizing D3 with cosmetic microtransations - there are tons of people willing to have golden hats etc - bring them some and use their money to create/fix more stuff in the game.
According to gamespot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Kc8vNap-E 4:20) Necro will be put on PTR really soon, so if it drops next 2-3 weeks I'd say 2.6 is 50/50 to drop summer/fall. It will be really close depending on how long they want to test Necro on PTR.
2.6 is either S11 or S12. They are pretty much done with the Necro, S13 at this point is overkill. If they start testing Necro on PTR in the next 2-3 weeks this could mean they can make S10 flat 3 months and release 2.6 in July. We have to see what comes out from this:
Will there be a PTR for the Necromancer?
Yes! The PTR for the Necromancer will be a little different from other PTRs—stay tuned for more information.
The reference the developer made about a rift opening inside the Greater Rift we played, is that instead of the Rift Lord spawning (as usual), a portal spawned. I clicked the portal, and it teleported me into the Temple of the Firstborne.
This means for Realms of Fate is not sure whether they will come before/with/after 2.6. Most probably they will come after 2.6 since the feature they showed at Blizzcon was in early alpha stage.
We are currently aiming for the second half of 2017; when we have an official release date, we’ll certainly share it! It will, however, launch alongside a free major content patch that includes two new zones, Challenge Rifts, and more.
This means probably we will see 2.5.1 and after it 2.6 with the Necro. So 2.5.1 will offer nothing interesting if it is to release for S11. If 2.6 comes for S11 seems like all goodies will be in it.
Does the new Rise of the Necromancer pack include a new zone, or are there plans for adding a new zone in the future?
Matthew: No, but there are two new zones that are coming in Patch 2.6. Temple of the Firstborn, and the Shrouded Moors; and they have new monsters, new quests, new events, which means new Bounties; we are also adding a new rift in Greater Rifts. At the end of the demo, you saw a portal appear and it took you to a section of the Temple of the Firstborn. A little bit of a tease. So those are coming; Act IV with new Bounties and places to go, new tilesets to help that feel more fresh to play.
Rob: It is also important to note that the Rise of the Necromancer pack also includes more than just the Necromancer. You are getting two new character slots, because we don’t want you to have to delete a character to create a Necromancer; then additionally, you are getting two stash tabs, so that when you get the Necromancer set pieces you can store them, because your stash is full; and then also we are giving you a range of cosmetics as well: the Necromancer pet, Necromancer wings, portrait frame, pendant, so a lot of good stuff.
Note that we don't know when 2.6 is coming exactly, but it will feature Necro, the new zones and Challenge Rifts.
@Tagger: I always add some months (aka soonTM) to the potential Blizzard releases, however let's hope Necro comes Q2!
It's also pretty sad most people expect mainly "minor changes". A lot of good options from the poll are waiting for 2017 release. If they make endless Rifts with the help of the Realms of Fate feature this is going to be super sick. It's one of the most requested additions one can find in the forums through the years.
2.5.1, 2.6.0, 3.0 - call it how you like - poll is for patch after 2.5.0 and Necro DLC is not 0% to appear during S11. All options from the poll are possible.
I'd say 2.6 is going to drop for S11, but will they launch the Necro with it or sometime during S11 - we still don't know that. Remember that Necro is just a DLC, it is not a patch by itself.
I still have no idea why they are not monetizing D3 with cosmetic microtransations - there are tons of people willing to have golden hats etc - bring them some and use their money to create/fix more stuff in the game.
It's getting interesting, 2.6 beta test is live. Will they go through 2.5.1 or no, what you think?
^ Yep, seems like Necro PTR will be 3 or 6 months long. I don't see it being 9 months however.
According to gamespot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Kc8vNap-E 4:20) Necro will be put on PTR really soon, so if it drops next 2-3 weeks I'd say 2.6 is 50/50 to drop summer/fall. It will be really close depending on how long they want to test Necro on PTR.
2.6 is either S11 or S12. They are pretty much done with the Necro, S13 at this point is overkill. If they start testing Necro on PTR in the next 2-3 weeks this could mean they can make S10 flat 3 months and release 2.6 in July. We have to see what comes out from this:
More info from the Blizzplanet guys about the "we are also adding a new rift in Greater Rifts":
https://us.battle.net/forums/en/d3/topic/20753437361?page=2#post-33
This means for Realms of Fate is not sure whether they will come before/with/after 2.6. Most probably they will come after 2.6 since the feature they showed at Blizzcon was in early alpha stage.
So, one question left - is 2.6 planned for S11?
More info about 2.6 release date:
https://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/20597129/necromancer-update-the-meleemancer-3-14-2017
This means probably we will see 2.5.1 and after it 2.6 with the Necro. So 2.5.1 will offer nothing interesting if it is to release for S11. If 2.6 comes for S11 seems like all goodies will be in it.
Patch 2.6 will be the Necro patch, it is confirmed now:
http://diablo.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/pax-east-2017-diablo-iii-necromancer
Note that we don't know when 2.6 is coming exactly, but it will feature Necro, the new zones and Challenge Rifts.
Nothing wrong to have 2.6.0/3.0 after 2.5.0. We already had 2.4.0 right after 2.3.0.
I'd say 29th of March to be precise.
@Tagger: I always add some months (aka soonTM) to the potential Blizzard releases, however let's hope Necro comes Q2!
It's also pretty sad most people expect mainly "minor changes". A lot of good options from the poll are waiting for 2017 release. If they make endless Rifts with the help of the Realms of Fate feature this is going to be super sick. It's one of the most requested additions one can find in the forums through the years.
S11 ends in September/October - Necro DLC is possible for this time frame, although I haven't voted for it. I expect it after Blizzcon.
2.5.1, 2.6.0, 3.0 - call it how you like - poll is for patch after 2.5.0 and Necro DLC is not 0% to appear during S11. All options from the poll are possible.
We know what is coming with patch 2.5.0, which should go live in March, but what are your expectations for patch 2.5.1?