Keep holding your breath: executive Rob Pardo all but confirms that the third instalment of the mammoth series won't emerge from the depths of until well after 2010 is through.

In an interview with Techland, Pardo says not to expect in 2010. "I think it's safe to say that, yeah, [it] is not going to be out next year."

While disappointing, it shouldn't come as too much a shock. Blizzard has a history of long delays; moreover, the developer pledged a 2010 for II, having long ago claimed that it would be released before III.

Don't forget the next expansion pack, Cataclysm, which is being furiously worked on for debut sometime next year too.

By Tracy Erickson