Diablo II: Resurrected Developer Interview – New Content Isn’t Being Ruled Out

Blizzard Entertainment is set to release a new expansion for Diablo II. With the game’s 20th anniversary in mind, they are looking back at the game’s development and how it has shaped their future plans.

The when is diablo 2: resurrected coming out is a question that has been asked for years. Blizzard Entertainment, the company behind Diablo II, has not released an official date yet. However, they have said that new content isn’t ruled out.

In a group media interview, two of the visionaries behind Diablo II: Resurrected talked to Windows Central about the impending release of the iconic Blizzard game. Rob Gallerani, Studio Design Director, and Michael Bukowski, Project Lead, talk about post-launch plans, iconic issues, and keeping the core game intact.

On September 23rd, Diablo II: Resurrected will be released, including improved visuals with up to 4K resolution!

The full interview is well worth reading, as the developers answer a number of great questions about preserving the original Diablo 2 experience and explain some of the quirks behind bugs in the original game, but the most interesting part is that new content for Diablo II: Resurrected isn’t ruled out.

Before we spoke about the third and fourth levels of this structure, we needed to lay a solid foundation. Anything else we did would have been pointless if we had misunderstood what the main game was. We certainly have a lot more ideas, but we’re waiting to make sure the core game is perfect first. We’ll have to see what we do with new runewords, new items, rebalancing, and other things after the game is live.

This is a touchy topic with far-reaching consequences. Rebalancing and new items that enable underutilized builds would be fantastic additions, but there’s also the possibility of expanding the end-game with brand new content, or even addressing some of the game’s odder design elements – stamina, defense while running, and reliance on Teleport, to name a few. Purists, on the other hand, may be wary of modifications, particularly if they muck up one of the elements that contributed to the game’s long-term popularity. D2:R, on the other hand, seems to be all about choice, with even small new features like updated visuals and auto-gold pickup toggleable to maintain the original concept, so if the creators add new material, it’s probable that it’ll exist as a distinct game mode alongside the original versions.

Enemies barricade the entrance, while mercenaries barricade the exit. Another issue with the original game’s AI is the minion AI.

However, this is just a possibility in the future, and it will mostly rely on player reaction and if D2:R maintains the same long-term appeal that has garnered such a devoted following. Meanwhile, Resurrected is the same game that fans enjoyed 20 years ago, but updated for the current day.

Diablo 2: Resurrected is not a sequel to the original game. It’s the game we all remember, updated for today’s world, where we don’t have to worry about someone else using the phone line while we’re playing with our pals.

That doesn’t rule out the possibility of the game iterating on itself if it proves to be a success. We are aware that the official ladder will not begin on September 23rd, but will be postponed in order to ensure that everything is in working condition and that the competitive element of the game is not jeopardized. However, this should not prevent players from achieving their goals, since all formerly ladder-only goods, runewords, and events will be accessible in both online and offline play in D2: Awakening. The ladder will be resurrected only for the purpose of resetting the economy and competitiveness. Other Resurrected modifications are more subtle, and some were even dialed down during the design process to keep Diablo II’s original flavor.

Bukowski stated the art team had a guideline that maintained 70% of the original vibe with 30% flexibility to make modifications when questioned about updating the game’s graphics and some of the problems it caused elsewhere in the game. It was difficult to strike a balance between the game’s gloom and contemporary realism and global lighting. According to Bukowski,

There was a moment in time when we went even farther in terms of lighting. The graphics team, for example, was really interested in learning how to perform some very complex global lighting. And it was obvious that if we did that, light would bounce in too many areas, and we’d wind up with a game with different visibility than the original. And that’s something we couldn’t possibly have.

Gallerani then said, “The team never intended the user to have more or less information while toggling the visuals,” as Gallerani put it.

While it’s obvious that Blizzard and Vicarious Visions put a lot of effort into Diablo II: Resurrected, there are some real worries about the game’s long-term viability, and the news that more content is on the way may be just what the game needs to survive beyond its honeymoon period. Although there are many fans of the original game, modding has been the only way for many more to keep it alive, and the news that TCP/IP functionality will be deleted was a major blow for those hoping for another 20 years of Diablo 2. While this modification would not completely prevent modders from working their magic, they would be limited to single player games at best. On the official forums, BrotherLaz of MedianXL stated briefly why this implies the larger modifications are unlikely to make it into Diablo II: Resurrected. Although it’s a fantastic remake, it’s still the same game, so it’s unclear how long the improved visuals and small tweaks will keep people’s interest.

The diablo 2 resurrected release date reddit is a developer interview from Blizzard Entertainment. In it, they talk about the new content that will be coming to Diablo II: Reaper of Souls and how it isn’t being ruled out.