For many, Diablo 2 marks a high point in not only Blizzard's history, but the history of PC gaming as a whole. With a Diablo 2 remake reportedly in the works at Blizzard, fans of the game have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, but those interested in learning more about the game's development history have an entirely different source to turn their attention to.
David Brevik, the creator of Diablo, has provided some insight into a second Diablo 2 expansion that was designed but never released. Responding to a fan on Twitter, Brevik confirmed that a second Diablo 2 expansion was in the works at some point, with a "multi-page design doc" that went over "new classes, new areas, new mechanics, and story concepts." However, that's as far as it got, as the expansion was scrapped soon after.
Brevik designed the expansion in the months before he left, with his departure apparently being one of the reasons it never came to fruition. At the time, Brevik was also working on a version of Diablo 3 and another, unannounced project.
While Brevik didn't dive too deeply into the specifics of what the second expansion would have entailed, he did offer something of a tease about being in possession of a copy of the design doc. Seeing the design doc would certainly be interesting, though it's as of yet unclear if Brevik has any intention of sharing it with Diablo fans, as he stated only "I can neither confirm nor deny anything" when prompted.
It's certainly an interesting time for the Diablo franchise. Diablo 4 has been years in the making, and fans may still have to wait a while longer before they're able to get their hands on the game. Blizzcon will be hosted digitally in just a few days, and it seems likely that fans will learn more there.
The rumored Diablo 2 remake is a different beast entirely, though. Activision recently dissolved Vicarious Visions, a studio notable for its remakes, and incorporated it into Blizzard. Shortly after, a report broke that the Vicarious Visions team would be taking over the Diablo 2 remake's development, due to the prior team's lackluster performance with Warcraft 3 Reforged.
With any luck, Brevik's design docs will see the light of day, but fans can only speculate until then. If Diablo 2 is remade, seeing the expansion get a full release could be interesting, but without Brevik behind it, it would likely be far removed from what the creator had in mind. Not to mention, Diablo 2 fans may prefer to have the original experience presented as it was.
Diablo 2 is available now on PC. A remake is rumored to be in development.