The somewhat controversial Auction House for Blizzard's action-rpg title Diablo 3 has now had the plug officially pulled, ahead of its expansion release next week.

Blizzard has previously explained why it chose to close the Auction House late last year, stating 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."

While players are able to access both the gold and real-money Auction Houses through the game's menu, players will find that they can not bid, buyout or sell any new items. A note at the bottom of the window reads: "The Auction House is shutting down. You must claim your items from the Completed tab by 6/24. Existing auctions will complete based on the time remaining."

Ahead of its launch next week, Blizzard has revealed a launch trailer for Reaper of Souls, the first expansion to Diablo 3 that will add a new Crusader class and levels 61-70 among many other features. The trailer is titled 'The End is Near' and you can check it out below.

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls will be available on March 25th for Windows and Mac.