Diablo II: Resurrected, a full remaster of the RPG classic, could be coming in 2020. Various outlets and fans are reacting with glee after a new report has suggested this is the case. A new report being floated around online has some juicy details about the project, suggesting the Blizzard has had the project in the wings for a while.
A full remaster is a pretty risky and difficult proposition to pull off for any game. And when you’re talking about one of the formative CRPGs that still has an active and hardcore fanbase decades after its initial launch, there’s going to be a minefield of criticism waiting for Blizzard if they get this wrong. If Blizzard does in fact launch a Diablo 2 remaster in 2020, it better be pretty darn good. Fans are not happy after the Warcraft III: Reforged launch left many gamers disappointed. It’s also worth pointing out that this remaster was rumored as having been canned a while back. And without any official confirmation of these reports, it’s best to take this with a big grain of salt.
According to Actugamer, the Diablo 2 remaster is being called Diablo II: Resurrected, which definitely falls in line with the naming scheme that Blizzard really likes for their rebirth projects. The report also taps Vicarious Visions as helping with the project. Previously the studio worked with Bungie to bring Destiny 2 content to a shippable state. If this report is genuine, this studio definitely has the talent to handle revamping the classic RPG.
But the question is, why now? And is this the game fans want? After the disaster of a reveal that was Diablo Immortal, fans were left high and dry until Diablo 4 came along. THere’s still plenty of suspicion as to whether this new sequel gets screwed by all the microtransactions, Skinner Box design, and general weirdness of the gaming industry in 2020. I suppose only time will tell what the answer to these challenges is.
The reporting suggests that the game is due in Q4 2020, and will act as a stop-gap before the release of Diablo 4. With both Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV being far from ready this could be the shot in the arm the teams need to give them more time to perfect the new sequels. A discerning audience certainly awaits these games with bated breath.
