How Diablo 2 rewired my brain and redefined PC gaming forever — the past, present, and future of a legendary ARPG

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In 2026, Blizzard Entertainment will be celebrating 35 years in the video game industry. Founded in 1991, the developer and publisher has achieved remarkable success over the past three decades.

I’ve been a PC gamer since the mid-’90s, and Blizzard’s popular games – like Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo – have been a huge part of my gaming life for many years.

I first fell in love with real-time strategy games like Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (1994) and its sequel, Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness (1995), which later led me to play StarCraft and become a dedicated fan of the Age of Empires series. However, it was Blizzard’s Diablo that truly captivated me and left a lasting impression.

I lost a lot of sleep playing Diablo 2 when I was a teenager and in my twenties, and honestly, not much has changed even now that I’m older.

I’ve often talked about how much Diablo 2 has shaped my love of gaming – and even how I choose to spend my spare time. I wanted to share those thoughts again now, as Blizzard celebrates its 35th anniversary.

The Past: Diablo 2 completely redefined my idea of PC gaming

I first encountered the original Diablo in 1996 at a relative’s house, and I was immediately captivated by its atmosphere, gameplay, and speed. I was eager to play more, but I didn’t get the chance until Diablo 2 came out on June 28, 2000.

I was completely hooked on Age of Empires and Age of Empires 2 for a long time, and I really thought real-time strategy games were the ultimate way to have fun. I loved constructing bases, leading large armies in battles, and challenging my friends to see who had the best strategy. But then Diablo 2 came out and completely changed my perspective on what gaming could be.

The quick, fun games and friendly competitions I used to play were over. The cheerful colors and upbeat music were gone too. Suddenly, everyone I knew was obsessed with Diablo 2, and it was a completely different experience from anything I’d played before.

I remember Diablo 2 becoming a huge phenomenon – suddenly, everyone I knew was playing it. It was a completely different experience from any game I’d played before, and I was immediately hooked.

Diablo 2 was my first experience with a truly immersive and bleak world, where ordinary people struggled to survive amidst powerful, mythical beings. I was captivated by its stunning gothic art style and the simple pleasure of watching my character’s appearance change with new equipment. The game’s music, composed by Matt Uelmen, remains the best video game soundtrack I’ve ever heard. Most importantly, Diablo 2 showed me just how captivating a game could be.

Looking back, I realize I was too young to fully understand the addictive nature of Diablo 2’s gameplay. Defeating enemies wasn’t just about progress; it was the constant possibility of finding incredibly valuable items – sometimes worth more than my character’s entire gear! Bosses offered the chance of even more powerful, rare items to use or trade. And repeatedly battling Diablo and Baal felt rewarding because it meant leveling up and gaining new abilities. To this day, I find myself looking for that same satisfying feeling of constant reward in other games.

Diablo 2 is a challenging game, and it was even harder before the Lord of Destruction expansion came out in 2001. I didn’t mind losing early characters to the boss Duriel – he still tests players who aren’t sure how to best develop their characters. But I was completely captivated, and I still am.

The Present: I enjoy modded Diablo 2, but I still slip back into the vanilla experience

What’s it really like to spend countless hours playing Diablo 2? Beyond the physical strain of sitting for long periods, it mostly involves repetitive tasks. Unlike newer Diablo games, Diablo 2 doesn’t have a clear, defined goal to keep players engaged long-term. There aren’t any special challenges like the Greater Rifts in Diablo 3 or the Pits in Diablo 4 to constantly draw players back for more.

Players often repeat the same boss fights over and over to earn money and level up. They collect keys and special items, or sell gear, to unlock even tougher bosses that drop powerful rewards like Hellfire Torches and Annihilus charms. Beyond that, players experiment with different character builds, battle each other in player-versus-player combat, try to collect every unique item, or challenge themselves with Hardcore mode where characters are permanently deleted upon death.

Diablo 2: Resurrected, a fantastic updated version released in 2021, added Terror Zones to help make finding better equipment less repetitive. But at its heart, the gameplay is still very similar to the original game from 26 years ago.

I still love playing the original Diablo 2, especially when a new ladder season starts, and I enjoy experiencing it now through Resurrected. However, over time, I’ve actually found myself preferring to play Diablo 2 with modifications created by the community.

It all started ten years ago when I created PlugY, a mod for the original Diablo 2 and its expansion, Lord of Destruction. PlugY focused on making the game much more user-friendly. I later expanded on that work with Path of Diablo, a multiplayer mod inspired by the popular action RPG, Path of Exile, and included many of its features, especially a more robust endgame experience.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with Project Diablo 2 recently, especially since the release of its 12th season on November 28, 2025. It updates the classic game with modern graphics, tweaks the balance of all character classes and items, and adds new bosses and challenges to keep players hooked even after finishing the main story.

The game boasts a vibrant online community and successfully captures the feel of the original Diablo 2, all while consistently receiving fresh updates and content. Many dedicated Diablo 2 players, including those I play with online, have switched over, often saying they’ve been fans since the game first came out.

The Future: Will Diablo 2 ever receive new content?

Last year, to mark its 25th anniversary, the official Diablo account on X (formerly Twitter) hinted at exciting things to come, saying, “If you think you’ve seen and done it all, just wait for the chaos we’ve yet to unleash.”

Aside from a few paid additions for the Chinese version released last year, there haven’t been any updates or new features announced for Diablo 2.

Diablo 2: Resurrected still has seasonal resets every few months, but for many veteran players, the seasons aren’t compelling enough to bring them back beyond a bit of reminiscing.

I’d love to say that Blizzard is developing new content for Diablo 2: Resurrected. With the game now available on so many platforms, there’s clearly a demand for it. However, given how much effort Blizzard is currently putting into Diablo 4 and its in-game purchases, it’s unlikely my all-time favorite game will receive any major official updates.

The game that first showed me death isn’t the end continues to live on, though it feels increasingly fragile. I’m hoping my fears are unfounded, and that Blizzard will continue to support my beloved Diablo for many years to come.

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2026-01-20 17:12