Torchlight II Hits 1 Million Sales Milestone

It looks like Runic Games is ending 2012 on a very high note, announcing over Twitter today that Torchlight II has sold more than 1 million copies since its release back in September. In this era of Call of Duty and Skyrim selling millions of copies on launch day, that may not seem like much, but it's important to remember that Runic is a smaller studio without the resources to roll out huge marketing campaigns. Add to that the fact that Torchlight II launched just a few months after Diablo III, and Runic has a lot to celebrate with those 1 million sales.

Of course, depending on who you talk to, you might hear that Torchlight II is better than Diablo III, despite the fact that it was developed by a smaller team and is offered for a fraction of the price. Torchlight II gave fans who didn't care for Diablo III's skill and item system a more traditional action RPG experience, complete with attribute and skill points for each and every level up. Attribute and skill points – a staple of the action RPG to many – were missing from Diablo III, which didn't sit well with some gamers.

Torchlight II likely has its low price point to thank for such success. Players get a lot of game for just $20, so it isn't much of a surprise to see the game doing so well. If you haven't picked it up and want to see what all of the fuss is about, you might like to know that it's available for $15 in the Steam holiday sale from now until January 5.

Does this mean we'll see another Torchlight? Perhaps, but it probably won't be coming anytime soon. Runic recently said that it's going to lay off the Torchlight series now that Torchlight II has arrived, ditching the plan to make an MMO set in the universe. The success of Torchlight II, however, might just make the studio change its mind when it comes to future installments. Stay tuned.