Players will soon be able to fight one another in a special new zone

Jan 12, 2013 05:14 GMT  ·  By

After a pretty lengthy wait, Blizzard has just confirmed the first actual details about its upcoming patch 1.0.7 for Diablo 3, which introduces a whole new mechanic in the form of player versus player dueling and will be out soon on the Public Test Realm (PTR).

Diablo III came out back in May of last year and, while it was plagued by some problems due to its mandatory online connection and players didn't exactly appreciate some gameplay mechanics, Blizzard pledged to continue updating the game with new features and solve any outstanding issues.

Now, the latest patch, in the form of update 1.0.7, is close to being released for the Diablo 3 Public Test Realm, where any player can try it out and see how the full game will change in the near future.

Blizzard has declined to say just when the patch goes live on the PTR, but it did talk about the new dueling mechanics in the new update.

Check out the brief description of how the new dueling system works below, via the Blizzard blog.

"- To duel another player, you’ll need to speak with Nek the Brawler at the inn in New Tristram Speaking with Nek will take you and your party to the Scorched Chapel, a new zone designed specifically for player combat - This zone has custom geometry and features four different areas: the church, the graveyard, the river, and the lake - Dueling currently supports up to four players in a Free-For-All format, which means you can battle your friends either one-on-one, three-player FFA, or a full four-player FFA - Our intent is to provide players a safe, opt-in location where they can fight one another for bragging rights (or maybe science) without the potential for griefing as it existed in Diablo II."

The new mechanic is minimalistic, according to Blizzard, as it doesn't keep score, offer objectives, or special rewards. Basically, players will be able to fight one another for bragging rights without worrying about anything else.

Check out a few more details about the dueling mechanics below.

"- If you die in the dueling world, you will be resurrected in the dueling zone - Death is not permanent in the dueling zone, even for Hardcore characters - You don't take any durability damage while in the dueling zone - When you're done dueling you can take a portal out or use your Town Portal to return to town."

Players will soon be able to try out dueling once Diablo 3 patch 1.0.7 goes live on the Public Test Realm.