Diablo III Auction House Closure FAQ Updated

With only a few days to go until Blizzard Entertainment shuts down Diablo III’s controversial auction house in anticipation of the release of its Reaper of Souls expansion pack, they’ve updated the closure FAQ to give us the latest details regarding what to expect.

Q. On what day and at what time will the gold and real-money auction houses be shut down in all regions?

Answer: The gold and real-money auction houses are currently scheduled to shut down in all gameplay regions at approximately 3:00 a.m. PT on Tuesday, March 18. Please note that this schedule may change and that the auction houses could be shut down a little earlier or later on March 18.

Q. Will the shut down process require maintenance?

Answer: No, the shut down will not require maintenance. However, the current shut down time will overlap with scheduled Tuesday maintenance for the Americas gameplay region.

Q. What will happen to my current auctions when the gold and real-money auction houses are shut down?

Answer: All active auctions will expire as normal following the shutdown of the gold and real-money auction houses on Tuesday, March 18. Once the shutdown is complete, items will either be delivered to the current highest bidder or returned to the seller, appearing in each player’s Completed tab. Unclaimed gold will also appear in the Completed tab. Players will be able to claim gold and items and from this tab until June 24, 2014.

Successful transactions involving Battle.net Balance and/or PayPal will be processed normally and all usual fees will apply.

Q. What happens to my unclaimed items and gold in the Completed tab after the shutdown?

Answer: Players will be able to claim gold and items from the Completed tab in both the gold and real-money auction houses until June 24, 2014. Items and gold not claimed by this date will be consumed by Treasure Goblins, never to be seen again.

To avoid any unintended loss of gold or items, we strongly recommend that players clear out their Completed tabs prior to March 18, 2014.

Q. How will I be able to access the Completed tab after the gold and real money auction houses are shut down?

Answer: The auction house window will remain available for all players until June 24, 2014; however, the ability to Bid, Buyout, and list new auctions in the gold and real-money auction houses will be disabled on March 18, 2014.

To access the Completed tab after the gold and real-money auction houses have shut down, simply click on the gavel icon and select which auction house (gold or real-money) you wish to access. The Completed tab will appear in its normal location on the far right of the auction house window.

Q. My Completed tab is already full! What will happen to outstanding items after the gold and real-money auction houses are shut down?

Answer: Each Completed tab can display up to 50 items at a time. If a player has more than 50 items to claim from the gold or real-money auction house, those outstanding items (including unclaimed gold) will remain in the Completed tab “backlog.” As items are removed from the Completed tab and additional space is made available in the UI, items in the backlog will begin to appear and can be claimed as normal.

Please note that items and gold in the backlog will be removed permanently from the game after June 24, 2014.

Q. What will happen to my existing Battle.net Balance?

Answer: Your Battle.net Balance total will not be affected by the shutdown of the gold and real-money auction houses on March 18, 2014. In addition, players will still be able to use their Battle.net Balance to purchase a variety of services and Blizzard games from the Battle.net Shop. For more information, please visit our Battle.net Balance support article.

Q. Can I convert my Battle.net Balance into cash after the real-money auction house is shut down?

Answer: No. Funds added to Battle.net Balance are not refundable (except as otherwise provided by law) and cannot be converted into cash. For more information, please visit our Battle.net Balance support article.