After weeks of rumors and speculation, Diablo 2 Resurrected was finally announced during yesterday’s BlizzConline event. A remaster of the beloved action RPG from 2000, the game appears to hold true to what made the original so popular, while updating the parts that need a refresh.
The game will be coming out in 2021 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. So while we wait for this game to release, here is everything we saw during yesterday’s announcement.
Campaigns and expansions
A question that is on many players’ minds about the game is what exactly does this remaster come with in terms of content? The answer is just about everything you could want for Diablo 2. Diablo 2 Resurrected comes with the complete original game, along with the Lord of Destruction expansion pack, as well as that pack’s Assassin and Druid classes.
Graphics
The graphics are the most noticeable changes for this remaster. The original game’s resolution ran at 800×600 and was comprised of 2D sprites navigating 2D environments. Those sprites have been upgraded to 3D models for this remaster, and the environments are improved. The game’s resolution has been upped to 4K at 60fps for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. For the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, the game will run at a lower resolution and frame-rate. The PC version will also have support for gamepads and ultra-wide monitors.
The game will allow you to switch between the new and old graphics with the press of a button, for those of you looking to get the classic Diablo 2 experience. Blizzard also announced that the game’s cinematics have all been completely redone, amounting to 27 minutes of completely new cut-scenes to enjoy.
Multiplayer
One of the best parts of the Diablo series is its multiplayer allowing you to raid, kill, and plunder dungeons with your friends. Blizzard is keeping this multiplayer intact, offering up to eight players to play together online. However, there will not be couch co-op available, something we saw in the game’s sequel, Diablo 3.
Blizzard is also adding the ability to store a character on Battle.net for dedicated server-play. This is to help with cheating, bots, and more that plagued the original game.
Technical Alpha
Before we get our hands on the full game, some of us can give it a go with the game’s technical alpha that will happen sometime before release.
If you are wanting to get in on this alpha:
- Head to the sign-up page.
- Click on Tech Alpha Opt-In.
- Just sign into your Battle.net account and you’re on the list.
Participants in the alpha will be chosen randomly, so there is no guarantee that you will get in — but signing up doesn’t hurt.
Quality-of-Life improvements
While Blizzard is making it a point to stay true to what made Diablo 2 so special, they are still adding a few things to the game to make the experience a little better. They have added an auto pick-up function for loot and gold, as well as a shared stash function that will help by eliminating the players’ need for a mule character to store all their extra items. The game will not require you to be online to play and will support full offline play.
Finally, the game will support cross-progression, meaning that you can pick and continue your character on any of the supported platforms. Start a quest on your Xbox One that you want to finish on-the-go? Simply pick up where you left off on your Switch.
Overall, Blizzard is dedicated to bringing the authentic Diablo 2 experience back, with a few modern twists to satisfy life-long fans and newcomers alike.
