Torchlight II devs not worried by Diablo III launch date

Runic games have posted a blog reassuring fans that their plans for Torchlight II won't be swayed or effected by Blizzard's announcement of a release date for Diablo III.

The announcement last week that Diablo III would arrive on May 15th was hotly anticipated. Fans were elated at finally having a day to mark on their calendars, while one analyst suggested the dungeon crawler would sell 5 million units in its first year on sale.

That makes its launch all the more intimidating for the team at Runic games, the team behind the Diablo-like Torchlight series. The studio is helmed by Max and Erich Schaefer, who were instrumental in the creation of the Diablo series.

How does the announcement effect Torchlight II? Not at all, Runic was keen to clarify.

"We know a lot of you are worried about us. We've heard what you're saying, and sure we've had similar discussions," the statement on their blog begins.

"But we began making the first Torchlight in 2008 when development on Diablo III was already underway. We didn't let that be a reason that we couldn't make an RPG. We made the commitment to create a game we loved to play. That's what's important to us, and that's why we go to work every day."

"We've chosen to stay small with a total team of 32. We want to be the company that works hard and makes something we love," it later adds.

The statement concludes by congratulating the team at Blizzard. "We're happy for the team at Blizzard - it's been a long haul for them. We are looking forward to our home stretch too."

Thanks, AusGamers.