Diablo II 2000

About

Diablo II came out in 2000 for Mac, then for PC on June 29, 2000. The main story takes about 22 hours, doing everything about 216 hours. It won the D.I.C.E. Award for Game of the Year.

Like its predecessor, Diablo II is an action role-playing game with dark fantasy and horror themes. The player controls a new hero attempting to stop the destruction unleashed by Diablo's return. The game's 4 acts feature a variety of locations and settings to explore and battle in, as well as an increased cast of characters to play as and interact with. Diablo II had become one of the most popular online games of all time. Major factors that contributed to Diablo II's success include what fans found to be addictive hack-and-slash gameplay and free access to Battle.net.

Story

Diablo II takes place after the end of the previous Diablo in the world of Sanctuary. An unnamed warrior defeated Diablo and attempted to contain the Lord of Terror's essence within his own body. Since then, the hero has become corrupted by the demon's spirit, causing demons to enter the world around him and wreak havoc. Again, it is up to a single mortal to stand in Diablo's path and to prevent the Three Prime Evils from reuniting. If that mortal fails, the world of Sanctuary will become a permanent outpost of the Burning Hells.

What is happening now

Diablo II remains the 2000 hack-and-slash RPG benchmark that defined the genre for two decades. Its influence continues to shape Blizzard's current and future plans. Diablo 4 has been actively mining the original's design philosophy. Season 15 introduced Runeword crafting mechanics directly lifted from Diablo II, enabling fresh unique item combinations. The season also embedded nostalgic easter eggs throughout the game, sparking player speculation about additional hidden callbacks Blizzard may have tucked away. Looking ahead, Diablo 5 is taking the legacy further. Blizzard revealed at BlizzCon 2026 that the sequel - arriving in 2029 - will lean heavily on Diablo II's foundation, incorporating procedurally-generated dungeons and the series' signature loot philosophy. The developer has already shared substantial design details about the project, signaling that reverence for the original's structure remains central to the franchise's direction.