Diablo II Resurrected - Reign of the Warlock

Reign of the Warlock is the first expansion for Diablo II Resurrected, the remaster of Diablo II (2000) and its expansion Lord of Destruction (2001), which was released in September 2021. A quick reminder: The remaster primarily updated the original game's graphics, audio, and network functions, but did not alter its original systems, or game balance. Resurrected overlaid upgraded 3D models on top of the original game's 2D sprites and game logic. Several patches and balance updates were later released, introducing new rune words, improvements to weaker class builds and Terror Zones as an endgame feature to make farming and levelling up more varied.

Blizzard Entertainment has now released a new class for Diablo II Resurrected: the Warlock. As this class did not exist in the original game, players cannot switch between old and new graphics when playing as a Warlock. When starting a game, players must decide whether to play the basic version of the game, Lord of Destruction, or Reign of the Warlock. It is therefore still possible to play without the Warlock and the other upgrades.

The Warlock is the eighth class in the game and specialises in one of three skill trees: Demonic Binding, Eldritch Weapons and Arts of Chaos. Demonic Binding skills allow the Warlock to enslave demons and use them as allies in battle. They can summon Goatmen, the Tainted, or the Defiler. Each demon has its own unique abilities and strengths, which can be amplified by the Warlock's skills. Unlike the Necromancer, the focus is on an active summon. Eldritch weapons enable the Warlock to manipulate weapons using mind magic. This includes imbuing weapons with hexes that afflict enemies. Warlocks can also create ethereal duplicates of their weapons to attack foes or hurl them from a distance. Chaos skills harness the destructive elements of hellfire and the void to attack enemies from afar. This tree is intended for classic ranged caster builds and focuses on magic and fire damage.

The Warlock Passive ability enables them to levitate their weapon in their right hand, allowing them to equip a two-handed weapon and an off-hand weapon simultaneously — a feat impossible for any other class. Grimoires are their off-hand items and can have Warlock staff modifiers. They can also have additional inherent elemental damage, either fire or magic, similar to the poison damage affix of the Necromancer's Shrunken Head.

The class fits really well into the base game, as though it had always been there. It also comes with its own unique items, sets and rune words. However, Blizzard missed an opportunity to give the wizard its own quest series, which would have better incorporated its backstory into the wider narrative.

Additionally, the Terror Zones have been further expanded, as they now change every 30 minutes rather than every hour. Players can earn special consumable items and choose which acts will be terrorised. This maximises the difficulty level and rewards. Defeating bosses in terrorised acts on the 'Hell' difficulty level unveils one of five mystical statues. Combining all five unlocks a tough new boss fight against the Colossal Ancients.

A new feature introduced is The Chronicle, a kind of Pokédex for Diablo II items. It tracks every item the player has ever collected, including uniques, sets and runewords, and records where and when each item was found. However, this isn't just a collection; completing parts of the Chronicle also unlocks rewards.

Reign of the Warlock comes with a host of much-requested quality-of-life features. These include a loot filter that allows players to determine which items are displayed in the game, eliminating the need for external mods. For instance, rules can be set up according to rarity, item type and quality, and valuable items can be flagged or highlighted. This affects which items appear when the 'Alt' key is pressed. Players can also share their Loot Filter with friends or use pre-made filters from the community.

Item/loot management has also been improved. There are now dedicated stash tabs for materials, gems, runes and consumables, and another highly requested feature has been added: the ability to stack items, which is very helpful for runes and gems in particular. Last but not least, purchasing Reign of the Warlock grants two additional stash tabs and two character slots.

Diablo II: Resurrected - Reign of the Warlock was released on 12 February 2026 for PC and consoles (PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox) at the hefty price of €24.99 for a DLC.

Blizzard Entertainment has also released the game as Diablo II: Resurrected - Infernal Edition for €39.99 (including the main game and Reign of the Warlock DLC) on Steam. Diablo II: Resurrected was not previously available on this platform. The game has been fully verified for the Steam Deck and can be played smoothly and comfortably on Valve's handheld device, just as it can on the console versions. A Battle.net account is only required for a one-time connection.

Conclusion

€25 is a high price to pay for a new class and lots of meaningful quality-of-life features, but Blizzard Entertainment's expansion of the remastered version of the cult game, which is over 25 years old, is in a class of its own. Diablo II Resurrected - Reign of the Warlock comes highly recommended for Diablo II fans.

Features

• New Warlock class fits in perfectly
• New uniques, rune words, sets, and more
• Meaningful new quality-of-life features such as loot filters, new stash tabs, and stackable items