An exceptionally rare piece of early Diablo history, this statue was originally awarded in connection with Blizzard Entertainment and PC Gamer’s mid-1990s “Name in the Game” contest.
The contest winner was Deckard Cain Elder, whose real name was ultimately used for the now-iconic character Deckard Cain in the original Diablo. Along with other prizes, Elder received this specially commissioned Diablo statue and a letter from Blizzard producer Bill Roper.
The accompanying Blizzard letter describes the statue as having been “created especially for this contest” and states that it was identical to the example then located at Blizzard’s offices.
Years later, Blizzard revisited the story in material from the Blizzard Vault, stating that its archives contain two copies identical to Deckard’s. Based on the available documentation, at least three examples are therefore known: the contest-awarded statue and two preserved by Blizzard.
Deckard Cain Elder also publicly recounted the story of his father entering his name into the contest and the prizes the family received in a Reddit post discussing the origins of the character’s name.
Included / Provenance Original Blizzard Entertainment correspondence from Bill Roper is included with the statue. Photographs of the letter and additional views of the statue are included in this listing.
Condition Vintage item. Please review all photographs carefully for the exact cosmetic condition and any age-related wear. The photographs form part of the item description.
Important Note The historical information above is based on the accompanying Blizzard correspondence, Blizzard’s later archival post, and Deckard Cain Elder’s public account. This listing does not claim that only three statues were produced; rather, the supplied historical material documents at least three examples.
