Update: The post originally stated that the leaked image was created by John Polidora. It is actually the work of Blizzard art director John Mueller.
Original story:
Blizzard's big secret in recent months has been Sombra, the Overwatch character whose reveal has been the subject of one of the most painfully drawn-out ARGs of all time. But it may have something else cooking too, a secret that it's actually managed to keep under wraps until now—and which was found, somewhat ironically, alongside the new image of Sombra that was discovered today on Blizzard's online store.
The non-Sombra pic features a pair of Necromancers, one male, one female, and both decidedly Diablo-like, standing amidst a horde of risen dead. It's been removed from the gear.blizzard.com server where it was found, but a quick-fingered Redditor managed to snag and post a copy before it disappeared. According to Eurogamer, the original URL included the word "necromancer," and it bears the name of Blizzard art director John Mueller.
It may be nothing—Mueller could have been bored on his lunch hour one day—but it could also point toward big happenings in the world of Sanctuary. It's possible that a new game is on the way, but a greater likelihood would seem to be that the the Necromancer is finally making his way to Diablo 3. Or perhaps we could be casting back to Diablo 2: The D2HD teaser site that appeared in September wasn't official, but there has been some rumbling on that front, and Blizzard has a "20th anniversary" panel planned for BlizzCon day one that includes "a first look at our plans to celebrate the occasion."
Blizzard, naturally, is keeping the cat in the bag for now: When asked about the leak, a rep said only, "We have no announcements to make, but we're really excited about BlizzCon. Can't wait to see you guys there!"
BlizzCon opening week is currently underway. The festivities begin for real at 11 am PT on November 4.
