Blizzard Entertainment revealed a remake of its classic action role-playing game Diablo II during today’s BlizzCon Online opening ceremonies. It is called Diablo II: Resurrected.
Diablo II is one of Blizzard’s most beloved games. It first came out in 2000 and won fans with its satisfying hack-‘n’-slash and loot mechanics. Even after the release of Diablo III (which some fans thought felt dumbed down compared to its predecessor, leaving room for competitors like Path of Exile to flourish), Diablo II is still often considered the peak of the series by many (including, most importantly, me). The original version still has a group of dedicated players.
The remake is coming to PC and consoles with cross-progression support. It includes new visuals, replacing the original sprites with 3D graphics. Resurrected includes the original game and its expansion, Lord of Destruction. Blizzard is also remaking the cinematics. The original version will also be available on PC.
The announcement of this remake may not be immediate cause for celebration, however. Last year, Blizzard remade Warcraft III with Reforged. Warcraft III was also a beloved classic, but Blizzard botched the new version, scaling back announced bonuses like improved cutscenes and even removed features from the original game like clans and tournaments.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Reforged is why Activision has absorbed Vicarious Visions into Blizzard, and it is assisting in the development of the Diablo II remake.
Diablo is one busy franchise. Blizzard is also working on a mobile take on the series, Diablo: Immortal, and Diablo IV.
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