In 2021. That's all Blizzard has said thus far about the anticipated release date for Diablo II: Resurrected. But given that Diablo 2 Resurrected Items we know about the release date for Diablo IV is that it will be outside on a day in a year that hopefully falls in this decade, I am pleased to at least know I only have to mark my calendar before 31 December 2021 for Resurrected*. Unless, of course, Blizzard announces a delay. In which case I'll rant endlessly on social media and also to my mom. Diablo II: Resurrected and its expansion Lord of Destruction will retail for US$39.99 -- R605.97 at current exchange rates -- on PC.

Diablo 2: Resurrected was one of those few Blizzcon 2021 statements that will really release this year. The name was described as a"faithful" remaster of this 2000 dungeon crawler Diablo 2, which Blizzard Entertainment will bring about life by improving the graphics of the first name. While that might freshen the 21-year-old game, the release sorely lacks many characteristics players anticipate from contemporary hack-and-slashers. Diablo 2: Resurrected launch appears to have heard from the controversial launch of Warcraft 3: Reforged, but it is still another remake charging gamers for less content.

The Diablo 2 remaster only slightly changes the first's two-decade-old user interface. It will lack crossplay at launch, and its own cross-progression attribute requires players to purchase the game twice. Despite all that, Blizzard has clearly learned from its errors by making sure Diablo 2: Resurrected would not replace the first (like Warcraft 3: Reforged did for Warcraft 3). However, these marginal changes put a bad precedent for future Blizzard remasters.

Remasters and remakes have become a core part of many developer release strategies due to their relative simplicity to make compared to Buy Diablo 2 Items new IPs. Blizzard can spend a small part of its dev power to churning out remasters of its classic games to create a fast profit and satiate fans since they await its larger projects, such as Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. But Diablo 2: Resurrected treads a fine line between staying loyal to the original and re-selling a game from 2000.