Blizzard’s Diablo 2 is one of, if not the, best ARPGs of all time. There’s a reason why players are still jumping into the game after 25 years, both for the game’s official release and even fan works like Project Diablo 2.
As Blizzard is now going back to Diablo 2 with new DLC in the form of Reign of the Warlock, alongside the prospect of additional DLC in the future, the ARPG is more than just legacy. In fact, developers that worked on the game more than two decades ago are now actively competing with it.
In an interview with PC Gamer, Diablo 2 lead character artist Phil Shenk and programmer Peter Hu explained that the continued updates for their classic game now means that they’re technically competing with themselves as they work on their brand-new APRG Darkhaven.
With a demo now available on Steam and a Kickstarter campaign running, the two explained that it is a difficult battle to compete against their own legacy. “There’s tons of conflicted feelings there,” Hu told the outlet. “Yeah, we feel the pressure, but I don’t hate them for it,” Shenk added.
While there are conflicted feelings when it comes to butting heads against their own remastered work, the two are also proud of Blizzard for continuing Diablo 2’s legacy. After all, it takes a lot of balls to make DLC for a game 25 years after its initial release, especially considering how passionate fanbases typically are.
“Just the fact that people are playing this 30-year-old game, that it’s worth it or them to introduce new content, is amazing to me,” Shenk added. The original Diablo 2 artist explained that the addition of new content to the game is “super cool” as very few games manage to be commercially viable so long after launch.
“I’m very proud,” the artist added, “I guess is the word. Just at the fact it has so much legs.” While Blizzard has not confirmed any additional DLC for the game for the time being, Reign of the Warlock has been a huge success, and it’s likely we’re going to see additional content in the future.
As for the team’s new game, Darkhaven, the ARPG looks and plays very nicely in its demo form. Set in a procedurally generated and fully destructible open world, the game brings back the same dark gothic vibe as the original Diablo games. When the game launches, the devs also promise “infinite modding” that will allow players to make “entirely new games” within the game.
As for the future of Diablo, Blizzard is still constantly working on new content. As a live-service game, more updates are coming to Diablo 4 with its next expansion currently on the horizon. Additionally, the company is looking to speed up production of future games in the series so players aren’t waiting a decade for new releases.
