In a move that has sent shockwaves through the ARPG community, Blizzard has unleashed Reign of the Warlock, a surprise DLC for Diablo II: Resurrected that introduces the long-awaited eighth playable class: the Warlock. Released today as part of the Diablo franchise's 30th anniversary celebration, this update marks the first new hero in Diablo 2 since the Assassin arrived with Lord of Destruction in 2001. That's over 25 years of players begging for fresh blood, and Blizzard delivered it shadow-drop style, playable right now.
A Legendary Legacy Reforged
Diablo II, launched in 2000, defined loot-driven action RPGs with its seven original classes: Amazon, Sorceress, Necromancer, Paladin, Barbarian, Druid, and Assassin. Fans have modded the game endlessly, but official support dried up long ago. Enter Resurrected in 2021, a faithful remaster that reignited the flame. Now, with Reign of the Warlock, Blizzard's veteran developers, many of whom are lifelong players, have crafted an addition that feels like it belonged there all along. They even wove in subtle nods to Diablo I to make it seamless.
The expansion is available via the Reign of the Warlock DLC for existing owners or the Infernal Edition bundle for newcomers, complete with cross-game cosmetics for Diablo IV and World of Warcraft. No word on exact pricing here, but it's live on Battle.net, consoles, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass (base game only).
Meet the Warlock: Master of Forbidden Pacts
The Warlock is a dark Vizjerei scholar who delves into demon-binding sorcery, risking madness for ultimate power. This hybrid class blends summoning, melee weapon mastery, and chaotic spellcasting, filling a gap no other hero could: telekinetic demon lords who dual-wield colossal blades while devouring hellspawn.
Three skill trees offer endless builds:
| Skill Tree | Focus | Key Abilities |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic Binding | Summon and control demons | Goatman (melee tank), Tainted (fireball ranged), Defiler (soul-binder); Bind any non-boss demon, Death Mark (teleport summons), Consume (sacrifice for buffs). |
| Eldritch Weapons | Telekinetic melee/hexes | Hexes (Bane/Purge/Siphon debuffs), Cleave (AoE arc), Echoing Strike (boomerang echoes), Blade Warp (throw-teleport), Levitation Mastery (wield 2H weapons one-handed + offhand grimoire). |
| Arts of Chaos | Fire/magic AoE destruction | Miasma Bolt/Chain (DoT clouds), Ring of Fire/Flame Wave/Apocalypse (pentagram burst), Abyss (pulling vortex), Sigils (slow/confuse/explode enemies). |
Levitate your weapon for versatile dual-wielding, pair with new Grimoires (off-hand tomes boosting skills), and watch enemies melt. Early builds already dominate ladders, from demon swarms to fire-nuking cow levels.
Hellish New Endgame and QoL Overhauls
Beyond the Warlock, Reign of the Warlock supercharges progression:
- Terror Zones 2.0: Consumables let you terrorize entire Acts for ramped difficulty/rewards. Hell mode spawns escalating Heralds of Terror; 30-minute rotations; boss statues lead to...
- Colossal Ancients: Cube five statues for a brutal Uber gauntlet against enhanced Ancients (Talic, Korlic, Madawc variants). Rewards: Unique Jewels rivaling Gheed's Fortune.
- 30+ New Items: Sets (Bane's Garments, Horazon’s Splendor), Runewords (Authority, Void), Uniques, reworked Sunder Charms.
- QoL Bliss: Custom loot filters (shareable presets), stackable stash tabs (Gems/Runes/Materials up to 99), Chronicle (Holy Grail tracker with rewards like glowing skins/portals).
Era partitions keep Classic/Resurrected characters separate but forward-transferable.
Community Erupts in Demonic Frenzy
X is ablaze with hype. Streamer NeverSink exclaimed, "Holy shit Diablo 2R update comes with a new WARLOCK class?! We're SO back baby. Also FILTERS in my D2R?!" racking up hundreds of likes. Players are diving in for fresh ladder runs, with sites like Icy Veins dropping six theorycrafted builds instantly.