The latest major update for Diablo 2: Resurrected is not a tactic to “sell more copies,” at least not in the eyes of one Path of Exile creator. Chris Wilson is defending Blizzard‘s decision to place the new ARPG changes inside Reign of the Warlock because, in his view, the base version has to be preserved.
Blizzard made waves with the surprise launch of Reign of the Warlock, the first major paid expansion in 25 years for Diablo 2: Resurrected, adding a new class and a long list of quality-of-life improvements. Those additions, along with any future ARPG changes, will only be available to players who buy the DLC. At the same time, fans who want a more classic experience can keep playing the base game with no gameplay alterations and no added features. That split approach has triggered multiple debates among users who view Blizzard‘s move as a way to push Reign of the Warlock sales. Chris Wilson, co-creator of Path of Exile, strongly disagrees with that reading.
Wilson is one of many Diablo fans who addressed Blizzard‘s Reign of the Warlock decision in a YouTube video. And because he is a developer who helped build a new ARPG as a tribute to Diablo 2, many players paid close attention to his defense of having both a base version and an expansion version of Resurrected. “When you make changes to Diablo 2, you have to be very careful. This is a very special game,” Wilson says at the start. “It catapulted the entire ARPG genre. It feels like wherever I go, I can ask someone whether they’ve played Diablo 2, and not only do they say yes, they also have deeply fond memories of playing it as a kid, as a teenager, or in college. Diablo 2 is a shared memory for all of us. And that’s why it has to be treated with great respect.”
For the Path of Exile co-creator, what Blizzard has done with Reign of the Warlock shows the team understands the level of care required for one of the most beloved ARPGs ever made. “It’s obvious the Diablo 2 Resurrected team cares a lot about this,” he says. “That becomes even clearer when you see they split the changes into a new ‘era’ you can choose per character. If, at some point, a change hurts the game, players still have the pre-Reign of the Warlock ‘era’ available forever.”
Because of that, Wilson does not see the new dual structure of Diablo 2: Resurrected as a strategy to “sell more copies.” If anything, he argues, Blizzard‘s intention is “to preserve a core version that stands as a museum piece.” He goes even further and says that, from his perspective, putting the quality-of-life improvements in a separate DLC is “the ultimate proof of respect for the original game,” and he concludes that “the team seems fully aware of the care this important piece of video game history needs, and they’re treating it with the respect it deserves.”
New Features Coming to Diablo 2: Resurrected With Reign of the Warlock
The expansion, now available to all players, introduces the Warlock class as its main draw, a new option built around summoning demons and forming a bond with one to gain advantages. In addition, Blizzard has modernized the inventory and stash with features such as item stacking and dedicated tabs for materials, gems, and runes, and those updates are further reinforced by loot filters. On the gameplay side, the standout additions include a new endgame challenge centered on the Colossal Ancients, plus upgrades to Dread Zones that let players use consumables to choose Acts with significantly higher difficulty and rewards. As a result, many ARPG fans have returned to Diablo 2: Resurrected to enjoy these additions.
Source: 3djuegos
