It’s Diablo month on Filter Foundry: As our way of recognizing one of the greatest game sagas every imagined,  Filter Foundry is giving 3 months of Pro Membership for all concept art uploads during the month of May. It’s really simple, create an account with Invite Code “Diablo” and start uploading your best game or fantasy concept art. Our internal team of art curators will award the best PAD with 2 years of Pro Membership. 

This video game image released by Activision Blizzard Inc., shows gameplay from "Diablo III". The epic fantasy role-playing game has been 12 years in the making. / AP Photo/Activision Blizzard Inc.

IRVINE, Calif. — Fans of "Diablo III" celebrated the midnight launch of the long-awaited video game.

A crowd of more than 1,500 gathered Monday night around a stage built underneath the Ferris wheel at the Irvine Spectrum Center, a shopping center located about a mile from developer Blizzard Entertainment Inc.'s headquarters, for the gritty role-playing sequel set in the fantastical world of Sanctuary.

Anticipation for "Diablo III" from publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. has bubbled over because the previous entry in the series was released 12 years ago, a lifetime in the gaming world when compared with franchises like "World of Warcraft" and "Call of Duty," which regularly receive updates.

"When we first started doing midnight launches, we didn't think anyone would come, but now we do them for all our games, and they get bigger and bigger," said Rob Pardo, Blizzard's vice president of game design. "It's great for not only the fans but also the development team. They get to be here when everyone is buying the game and see the excitement."

"Diablo" fans huddled around the stage to watch Blizzard artists sketch characters from scratch, view never-before-seen footage, take part in trivia contests and attempt to catch free swag during "loot storms."