Update: Blizzard has confirmed that the always-online DRM will not be removed from the PC version of the game, as it is still needed to support other functions, such as Real ID and the Battle Tag social features.
Diablo 3‘s real-money auction house, which has been heavily criticized by players and critics, will be removed from the PC version of the game on March 18, 2014. Blizzard Entertainment hopes that this move, along with the upcoming “Loot 2.0” system, will make the game feel more rewarding.
This was announced on Battle.net earlier today. The company states that: “When we initially designed and implemented the auction houses, the driving goal was to provide a convenient and secure system for trades. But as we’ve mentioned on different occasions, it became increasingly clear that despite the benefits of the AH system and the fact that many players around the world use it, it ultimately undermines Diablo’s core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot. With that in mind, we want to let everyone know that we’ve decided to remove the gold and real-money auction house system from Diablo III.”
Blizzard has not yet announced how they plan to remove the system or how it will affect the rest of the game, but it the response from fans has been very positive so far.
[Source]
