Diablo 2: Resurrected Will be Blizzard's Last Remaster?
The refreshed version of Blizzard's classic hack'n'slash, Diablo 2: Resurrected, will probably be studio's last return to the past. The company intends to focus now on new projects, at least for some time.
During BlizzConline 2021, taking place at the end of February, Blizzard confirmed the rumors that have been spreading for some time now about the refreshed version of its iconic 2000 hack'n'slash game. Diablo 2: Resurrected is scheduled to be released in the next few months on all major platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XSX, XONE and Switch (the game is even expected to support save game data from the original). Meanwhile, the publisher has hinted that this will be the last project of its kind in the near future, as its priority is now set to "new games and new types of games".
- Blizzard's bosses suggest that Diablo II: Resurrected will be the studio's last remaster (alongside the Blizzard Arcade Collection) for some time;
- Blizzard wants to focus on creating "new games and new game types";
- Blizzard also plans to continue developing existing brands and emerging titles, i.e. Diablo IV and Overwatch 2.
This was the statement by Allen Adham, Blizzard's vice president, who, along with J. Allen Brack, the company's president, gave an extensive interview to CNet. The men spoke about the studio's past, present and future. The following words of Adham concern the latter:
"It's worth pointing out we're now pretty much out of things to remaster. So going forward, you can expect to see some new stuff. But just to be crystal clear, our development pipeline today is as rich as it's ever been. And we have new teams working on new games, new game types."
And yes, Blizzard hasn't refreshed all its classic productions yet. We got StarCraft: Remastered and the disastrously received Warcraft III: Reforged. Also Blizzard Arcade Collection was announced, a set of three lightly refreshed classics: The Lost Vikings, Blackthorne and Rock N Roll Racing. And while the studio could go further back in time and release new versions of Diablo or Warcraft... would that make sense? These titles have aged well, so a simple remaster would certainly not suffice. A remake would be needed, which costs much more money. Besides, the aforementioned games are available on GOG. Those interested can find out for themselves how things used to be.
Changes so far at Blizzard.
Blizzard's new strategy has already brought the first results. In January of this year, Bloomberg reported that Vicarious Visions, the studio now working on Diablo II: Resurrected, had joined Blizzard. The team was supposed to work with the California publisher for a long time. The decision caused a reorganization in the company, which resulted in the dissolution of Team 1, referred to in Blizzard as the "classic games team", previously responsible for, among others, StarCraft II.
Adham's strategy seems to make sense for another reason. Although Blizzard can still boast a high position in the gaming industry and a large popularity among gamers, the developer's image has been heavily damaged in recent years. This was caused by the ill-conceived announcement of the mobile game Diablo Immortal and the failure of the aforementioned Warcraft III: Reforged. Is it any wonder, then, that the studio cut itself off from uncertain, nostalgia-fueld projects in order to focus on new IPs and what the players want the most - Diablo IV and Overwatch 2? You can answer that for yourselves.
