Late last night, Blizzard announced on their Battle.net website a new, free-to-play edition of Diablo III. Called the Diablo III Starter Edition, it is totally free for users to download and play with an existing or new Battle.net account.

Of course, with all things free, there is a catch. The Starter Edition only allows users to play until the Skeleton King boss in Act I (or, in other words, the beta version of Diablo III) and advance until level 13. Also, Starter Edition players will not be able to access the Auction House. However, Global Play is available, and matchmaking is also available (albeit only with other Starter Edition players).

Essentially, the Starter Edition is a Guest Pass for those without Guest Passes. Game developers seem to be allergic to the term “demo” these days.

(Source: Battle.net)