Diablo 2 Archives

AppWizard

July 12, 2026

2026’s best RPG might look like Disco Elysium, but it was heavily inspired by Deus Ex, and its creator wants ‘to do a first-person game at some point’

Christoffer Bodegård began his journey into PC gaming with a DOS machine from his father and first played Disney's The Jungle Book. His passion for role-playing games was ignited by Dragon Age: Origins, which led him to explore many titles, including Planescape: Torment. After eight years of development, his game Esoteric Ebb launched in March to critical acclaim. Currently, he is playing Victoria 3, having logged around 400 hours, and previously played Abiotic Factor. The oldest games on his PC are Heroes of Might and Magic 3, King of Dragon Pass, Deus Ex, and Diablo 2, with Heroes 3 being a favorite. He has logged around 1,000 hours in Esoteric Ebb and is particularly fond of Europa Universalis IV, especially the Anbennar mod. Bodegård has never uninstalled Deus Ex, which greatly influences his design philosophy. He relies on Notepad++ for scripting and has improved his desktop organization from a cluttered state to a cleaner setup.

AppWizard

June 27, 2026

A series of surprise updates has polished Path of Exile 2 into a juggernaut that’s about to shake up the action RPG genre later this year

Grinding Gear Games has announced that the latest expansion for Path of Exile 2 will be the final update before the game exits early access later this year. A new skill tree for a side activity and a comprehensive upgrade to Unique items have been introduced, enhancing gameplay and strategies. PoE 2 combines elements from soulslike games and hack-and-slash titles, maintaining a challenging experience throughout its campaign. The game encourages mastery of its mechanics, with hidden features rewarding exploration. The recent update, Return of the Ancients, allows max-level players to sacrifice their characters for others and includes a quest for a powerful wand. New tutorials have been added to assist players in navigating the endgame loop. The ongoing updates reflect a commitment to refining and enhancing the game, setting a new standard for the action RPG genre.

AppWizard

May 23, 2026

Diablo 2 players made nearly 2 million warlocks in a single month

Diablo's latest installment has become Blizzard's fastest-selling game, while millions of players continue to engage with Diablo 3 and Diablo II, which remains active 26 years after its release. The resurgence of interest in Diablo II is linked to the introduction of a new class, the warlock, leading to the creation of 1.92 million warlocks between February 11 and March 11, and players collectively spending 93.4 million hours on the game. Blizzard is committed to maintaining its legacy games and supports multiple iterations of the same game concurrently.

AppWizard

May 13, 2026

Path of Exile 2’s new boss-taming summoner class breaks ARPG minions like never before

The Path of Exile 2 Return of the Ancients update is set to launch on May 29, introducing significant changes, including a redesign of the endgame and a crafting overhaul. Two new Ascendancies will be added: the Martial Artist Monk and the Spirit Walker Huntress. The Spirit Walker Ascendancy allows players to control powerful beast bosses and features three branches: Vivid, Primal, and Wild. The Vivid Path summons stag spirits, the Primal Path enhances projectile skills, and the Wild Path provides a spirit bear companion that boosts minion damage and life. The Idolatry path expands minion build options. The Natural Order feature allows the Tame Beast skill to work on unique beasts, starting with early-game adversaries and escalating to tougher foes. Game director Mark Roberts showcased a "zookeeper build" that utilizes the unique scepter Sylvan's Effigy, which removes companion limits. Companion damage has been buffed, and new features include a raven flock and a cluster grenade launcher called Redemption.

AppWizard

May 6, 2026

Even Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred’s blue items are selling for billions, thanks to Horadric Cube crafting

The latest update to Diablo 4, titled Lord of Hatred, introduces the Horadric Cube as a significant crafting tool, enhancing gameplay mechanics and altering the trading ecosystem. Blue-rarity magic items, previously considered salvage, can now be valuable for crafting, with max-level blue items selling for tens of billions of gold and rare items with desirable affixes approaching 100 billion. The crafting process allows players to customize items to fit their builds, increasing the value of lower-rarity items and encouraging exploration of trading opportunities. The satisfaction from crafting is noted to surpass that of simply purchasing items.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

“Lord of Hatred is the best Diablo 4 has ever been,” Blizzard says

Diablo 4 has faced challenges in maintaining momentum due to competition from titles like Last Epoch and Path of Exile 2, which offer more compelling endgame experiences. The third expansion, Lord of Hatred, aims to shift this narrative by concluding the Mephisto saga and introducing enhancements such as the Talisman and Horadric Cube for player customization. The expansion received an 8/10 rating, which is lower than its predecessor, Vessel of Hatred, due to fewer groundbreaking features. Associate Game Designer Zaven Haroutunian and Associate Director of Game Design Colin Finer stated that they believe Lord of Hatred represents the peak of Diablo 4, describing it as the ultimate expression of the game. The expansion includes streamlined endgame experiences and features like a map overlay and loot filter for better navigation and item highlighting.

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

Why I love Diablo 2, Act 1

Diablo 2's Act 1 features haunting landscapes that evoke nostalgia and adventure, connecting players to the original Diablo through familiar settings like Blood Moor, graveyards, and the monastery. The environments draw inspiration from classic horror films, offering a cinematic quality. Players can explore various points of interest or venture into hidden dungeons. Combat includes diverse enemies such as corrupted rogues and goatmen, with an engaging soundtrack enhancing the experience. Returning to Tristram reveals its destruction, with the blacksmith Griswold transformed into an undead figure. The Catacombs serve as a nod to the first game, filled with rat men and gargoyles, creating an atmosphere of mystery and danger.

AppWizard

February 16, 2026

“The hardest game in the world to make” – How Darkhaven hopes to rebottle Diablo 2’s lightning by channelling Minecraft

The "Necropolis" event in Darkhaven introduces a wave of undead that obstructs player waypoints and populates the environment with skeletal minions. Players can transfer characters to new worlds, facing challenges like volcanic eruptions, rising floodwaters, or ice ages. The game features modular gameplay events that can be procedurally integrated into the world. Players can interact with each other's worlds and utilize terrain deformation and building systems for strategic gameplay. Darkhaven aims to rejuvenate the action-RPG genre by focusing on organic experiences and player agency, moving away from rigid progression systems. The game emphasizes diverse loot systems and player impact on the environment, creating a living world that reflects players' actions. The development team includes veterans from the original Diablo, and they are preparing for a Kickstarter campaign.

AppWizard

February 15, 2026

Diablo 2 with Minecraft logic: Blizzard veterans talk about what the new role-playing action game Darkhaven will surprise with

Veterans from Blizzard North, now part of MoonBeast Productions, are developing an action role-playing game called Darkhaven, which combines elements from Diablo II and Minecraft. The game is not a sequel to Diablo II but is inspired by concepts from the original game and its Lord of Destruction expansion. Darkhaven features a procedurally generated world that evolves as players progress, including a global event called the "Necropolis" that transforms the landscape into an undead-dominated realm. Players can escape to new worlds with unique challenges. The game includes a dynamic event system that will regularly introduce new events, similar to how Minecraft adds new biomes. Players can manipulate the environment, such as destroying walls and reshaping the terrain for tactical advantages. Darkhaven is available on Steam for players to add to their wishlist, but its release date has not been announced.

AppWizard

February 12, 2026

Diablo 2 is coming back with its first expansion in 25 years, featuring a new class, and finally, decent inventory management

Blizzard Entertainment announced a second expansion for Diablo 2, titled Reign of the Warlock, during the Diablo 30th anniversary Spotlight video. The last expansion, Lord of Destruction, was released 25 years ago. The new expansion introduces a warlock class that allows players to summon three different demons and bind one enemy demon for powerful buffs. Quality-of-life improvements include stash tabs that allow item stacking, unique tabs for specific categories, loot filters for item visibility, and a comprehensive item collection list. Diablo 2: Reign of the Warlock is now available on Battle.net.