Diablo 2: Resurrected is the remaster of the popular action RPG from 2000. However, the remake will feature numerous changes that go beyond just a prettier look. MeinMMO reveals all known changes.
What are these changes? In Diablo 2: Resurrected, numerous innovations are being implemented. While the gameplay should remain as authentic as possible, some content is simply no longer contemporary.
The most important changes are the new visuals with which Diablo 2 will reappear and the compatibility with all modern systems. Additionally, there will be many revised and even new features.
Most of these are intended to provide gamers with the Diablo 2 feeling without relying on unnecessary complications from the past. We have categorized the changes for overview purposes. Here you can jump directly to the respective points:
You will also find some of the planned changes that will only be introduced after release, if they do come. If you are still unsure, we have here for you a checklist to check if Diablo 2 is worth it for you.
Update from September 23: We have added new information to the article.
Changes to Gameplay
Even though Diablo 2: Resurrected plays almost exactly like the original Diablo 2, the remaster specialists from Vicarious Visions have introduced some modern conveniences. Those who have played Diablo 3 will likely already know these.
A small but important change is the size and accessibility of the personal stash. In your stash, you can store items, which you can find in the capital city of each act. This is limited to a certain number of slots.
Compared to before, you have significantly more space. Instead of the original 24 slots, you now have a total of 100 slots in the personal stash in Resurrected. Additionally, there are three more tabs shared between all characters on the account – that means 300 more slots.
This change is meant to avoid so-called “mule characters” that players previously used as additional banks.
Another change is that gold is now automatically picked up. This option can be toggled on and off depending on preference.
Changes to Graphics
The biggest point of the overhaul of Diablo 2 is the visuals. The outdated graphics from 2000 are given new 3D models in Resurrected along with improved effects for spells and lighting. The characters have also been revamped, with some changing more than others:
Appropriately, audio effects also receive an update, so movements and skills sound a bit better than before. Even the available color palette has been expanded to give certain items a more prominent color to make them stand out.
Not only the game itself has been graphically enhanced, but also the cutscenes. Every cinematic in the game has been visually overhauled and has improved lighting, while keeping the audio track intact. The cutscenes now remind more of the bombastic scenes familiar from Blizzard:
If you prefer the complete old-school feeling, you can switch between the modern remaster visuals and the original graphics from 2000 at will via a menu option. However, it is now known that widescreen support will not be implemented in the game.
Changes to Loot
Apart from the automatic pickup of gold, nothing has changed about loot so far. However, the developers are considering whether to introduce one of the quality features from Diablo 3: personal loot.
Normally in Diablo 2, loot drops for all players in a group, and whoever grabs it first gets it. Previously, the problem was that especially in public games, bot users or unfair players would snatch everything up quickly.
With personal loot, each player receives their own loot, which only they can see. Trading is still possible, but the game generates loot randomly for each player.
If the feature comes, it will only be added post-release. The initial response is quite positive, with many players wishing for this option to be toggleable like the graphics.
Improved Accessibility
In the 21 years since the release of Diablo 2, many gamers have become accustomed to a certain quality standard of newer games, and significantly more people are playing than before.
Diablo 2 Resurrected responds to this with two changes: UI improvements and controller support. The UI will allow customization of certain HUD (“Heads-Up Display”) elements. This affects things like element visibility, item names, the minimap, or item comparisons.
For better visibility, you can display ammunition on skills, adjust the chat text size, and set the transparency of the map. There are also subtitles for the greetings of NPCs and modes for color blindness.
Diablo 2 Resurrected can also be played with a controller, instead of just mouse and keyboard like before. The controller support works on PC and actually solves a major control issue that some fans find annoying. You can find our recommendations for the best controllers:
- These are the ideal controllers for Diablo 2 Resurrected for Xbox and PC
- These are the ideal controllers for Diablo 2 Resurrected on PS4 and PS5
Other Changes
Another major point and one of the reasons for the remaster is Diablo 2’s compatibility with modern systems. Anyone wishing to play the old ARPG today often has to navigate complicated options or mods for the PC.
Resurrected will be natively available for all computers running Windows 10, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. All modern platforms therefore support the remaster.
Additionally, Blizzard’s platform Battle.net has improved over the years, and connections should run more stable with Diablo 2 Resurrected than before.
If you play on multiple platforms, you can even transfer your progression via cross-progression, provided you play online. However, there will be no crossplay for now, and as it sounds, it looks bleak for the future.
One of the rather poor changes, however, is the absence of lobbies on the console version of Diablo 2 Resurrected. The lobby is an important feature in Diablo 2 that allows you to find and join games started by other players.
With the lobby, it is particularly easy to find farm or level runs and play with strangers. Players on PlayStation and Xbox will have to rely on their friend lists, as the lobby function will not come to consoles in this manner.
However, the development team is already considering whether new features or even new content should come to the game. Diablo 2 is actually finished, but some new content is not entirely out of the question.
How is Resurrected being received so far? The overall sentiment of the fans regarding most changes is, by the way, largely positive. Many see the new or altered features as not significantly impacting the core gameplay of Diablo 2, but rather as good or even necessary improvements.
Some purists criticize, however, that features like personal loot have no place in Diablo 2. If these come as an optional feature, though, few should have anything to complain about.
Either way, a look into Diablo 2 Resurrected is certainly worthwhile for anyone interested in hack ‘n’ slash and action RPGs – even if they may not experience the nostalgia factor, but start anew:
Playing Diablo 2 for the first time in 21 years – Why is it so fascinating?
