Blizzconline 2021 was a very different Blizzcon for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the highlight of this year's Blizzard showcase was the announcement of Diablo 2: Resurrected. The remaster will be faithful to the original but without dated two-dimensional graphics, replaced by a full modern visual overhaul.
The company behind the remaster, Vicarious Visions, has seen success in recent years remastering games such as Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1&2 and the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy. While Blizzard received criticism for their remaster of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, by all appearances the company has learned from its mistakes going into Diablo 2: Resurrected.
10 The Remaster Will Be 3D at 4k Resolution
The original Diablo 2 was a 2D isometric game that looked fantastic for the time. In the 21 years since its original release, visuals have come a long way. Diablo 3 featured a from-the-ground-up visual style that many deemed too cartoonish for the franchise, but fear not: Diablo 2: Resurrected will go back to its roots without sacrificing graphical fidelity.
The game will be designed on top of the existing 2.5D isometric grid present in the game, albeit with real 3D assets. Say goodbye to camera-facing foliage and say hello to beautiful new real 3D trees.
9 Players Can Choose Updated or Classic Graphics
One of the major criticisms of Warcraft III Reforged was the removal of the old game's graphics entirely. If players want to play Warcraft III on the Battle.Net application, they have to play Warcraft III Reforged complete with its strange new glitches and "updated" graphics that are actually worse than the original in some places.
Diablo 2: Resurrected will have a feature much like Halo: The Master Chief Collection that allows players to instantly switch between the two visuals on a whim. This preserves the original game for nostalgia and for computers that might have a hard time running the new graphics.
8 It Will Be On All Major Consoles (And The Previous Generation)
At Blizzconline 2021, it was announced that Diablo 2: Resurrected will be released on all major consoles. This includes the PS5, The Xbox Series X|S, the Nintendo Switch, and PC via Battle.Net, but it also will be released on the Xbox One and PS4 consoles as well.
The Diablo franchise is no stranger for consoles: a large part of Diablo 3's success can be attributed to its release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 alongside PC. Hopefully, Blizzard makes the controls a little more user-friendly this time around, though.
7 Cross Progression Will Be Included
On the subject of releasing Diablo 2: Resurrected on modern consoles, fans have speculated whether cross-progression will be available between consoles. This allows a player to continue with the same character no matter what system they play on.
Blizzard confirmed this will be a feature in Diablo 2: Resurrected, making it possible to keep playing as the same character on, say, a Nintendo Switch while traveling.
6 Ladder Seasons Are Coming Back
One prominent feature missing from the Warcraft III remaster was the inclusion of well-developed ladder seasons. Fans actually had to develop their own websites and communities based on tracking stats because Blizzard did such a poor job of it.
Luckily, the company has learned from these mistakes and is re-incorporating the competitive ladder system back into the game. Fans no longer have to rely on third-party apps to track their progression.
5 8-Player Co-Op Is Official
Diablo has long been a franchise with team-play capability. Way back in the original Diablo and Diablo 2, people could play with each other via a direct IP connection. With the development of Battle.Net, though, this is no longer necessary.
Fans always knew multiplayer would be a feature in the Diablo 2 remaster, and bringing back the 8-player co-op option is just another way Blizzard and Vicarious Visions are sticking to the original game's template.
4 The Stash Box from Diablo 3 Is Coming Back
One of the only major things from the original Diablo 2 that will see a complete overhaul is the ability to transfer items between characters. In the original game, players had to find an empty server, drop items, then log in as another character to retrieve those items.
In Diablo 3, a stash was introduced that every character could interact with and store items within. To ease the process of gearing multiple characters, Diablo 2: Resurrected will have this feature as well.
3 The Remaster Sticks To The Original, Including "Quirks"
One of the big criticisms of Warcraft III: Reforged was that it changed too much about the gameplay itself, in an attempt to remove glitches and mechanics that are outdated by today's standards. Blizzard has promised to keep everything that made Diablo 2 so special, including its flaws.
Of course, Blizzard and Vicarious Visions will do their best to remove glitches and bugs without affecting the gameplay. This is a strong indicator that the remaster will be faithful to the original, though.
2 It'll be Out Later In 2021...
While there is no official set date for the release of Diablo 2: Resurrected, it has been slated for release sometime in late 2021. There is little to go on based on old release schedules save for Diablo 3, which came out roughly four years after it was announced in 2008.
Fans won't have to wait that long for Diablo 2: Resurrected, but it's safe to say that it won't be playable for many months yet.
1 ...But You can Opt Into The Alpha Right Now
Thankfully, Blizzard has an opt-in system for Alpha testing the Diablo 2 remaster. As with most of their games, Blizzard is offering everybody interested in testing the game the chance to take part in its development.
Scroll down on the official Diablo 2: Resurrected website to enter in the Alpha, but remember it's not a guarantee. Having an alpha available shows that the game is developed enough to warrant public testing and ought to come out soon, rather than Blizzard Soon™.