Diablo Steals the Show at Blizzcon 2021
A devilishly big day for Diablo and all his minions at Blizzcon with Diablo 2 Resurrected headlining the event.
Blizzcon 2021 has officially kicked off, adopting a new virtual format in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has earned the event a new moniker, “BlizzConline” despite the convention shifting online it still delivered a ton of news on some major franchises. The two-day spectacle not only will play host to a ton of info about games, but also marks the company’s 30th anniversary.
Looking back at Blizzard’s history the Diablo series is inextricably linked to the developer’s success. As such, it’s no surprise that the franchise stole the spotlight early in the celebration:
Diablo 4 Goes Rogue
The first big piece of news comes with a Diablo IV update that re-introduced the Rogue class to the franchise. The character hasn’t been seen since the original Diablo but looks to offer players a fresh combat experience and more flexibility in combat customization.
The Rogue has been built as a hybrid class that will use both melee and ranged attacks. Rogues will also be able to deploy a unique system called Weapon Imbue, which adds one elemental attack across their entire offensive style. They also have three new specializations: Combo Points, Shadow Realm, and Exploit Weakness. Between Weapon Imbue and the new specializations Blizzard is hoping to give players an unprecedented level of combat customization.
"Between 'Weapon Imbue' and the new specializations Blizzard is hoping to give players an unprecedented level of combat customization."
There is still a fifth character class reveal on the horizon, but based on the addition of the Rogue, the series taking player combat and customization to new frontiers.
Blizzard Resurrects Diablo II
My standout highlight of Blizzcon has to be the announcement of Diablo II: Resurrected. The upcoming game is a full remaster of 2000’s smash-hit Diablo II taking the sprite-based game to the next level with graphical performance and sound design upgrades. As someone who has spent hundreds of hours battling back hell’s minions, I can’t wait to dive back in.
Hell’s gates, in 4K
Blizzard looks to faithfully remaster Diablo II and its award-winning Lord of Destruction expansion with high-res 3D visuals and Dolby 7.1 surround sound. The game will have dynamic lighting added, revamped animations and spell effects all in 4K resolution. In addition to in-game visual improvements, all 27-minutes of the game’s cinematics, are being remade as well. Blizzard’s cutscenes from Diablo to Warcraft have pushed the boundaries of visuals and storytelling, I can’t wait to see what it’s store for Diablo II Resurrected.
A nostalgic dance with the devil
If you are a purist, the original Diablo II experience remains intact underneath all these improvements. With the press of a button players can switch between modern graphics and the original experience.
"The original Diablo II experience remains intact underneath all these improvements."
All Diablo II’s signature gameplay and systems are completely intact including even some of the quirks. Thankfully, a shared stash has been added to save players time and frustration.
Diablo II PC alpha and release window
Diablo II: Resurrected is coming later this year to Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. If you are looking to get your hands on Resurrected as soon as possible, no need to make a deal with the devil. There is an upcoming PC alpha test you can sign up for by visiting Diablo2.com.