11 December 2025

Diablo Fan Plays Diablo 2 in Antarctica

By newsgame

A Diablo fan recently showed proof of themselves playing Diablo 2: Resurrected in Antarctica. Though they may not have technically been the first to do so, they have shared undeniable evidence that Diablo has made it to Antarctica, proving Hell has literally frozen over.

It is no exaggeration to say that Antarctica is the least-populated place on Earth. Despite being over 5,500,000 square miles, the population of scientists, military personnel, and their families who live there fluctuates between 1,000 and 5,500 people at any given time based on the season. This means Antarctica has a maximum population density of less than .001 per square mile, lower even than sparsely-populated regions like Greenland (.067/sq mi) and Mongolia (5.7/sq mi). Despite this, gaming is alive and well in Antarctica; there are even a handful of PokeStops and Gyms for Pokemon GO scattered about the various research stations found there.

Pokemon GO Player Battles in Antarctica Gmax Raid

One Pokemon GO player battles in an Gigantamax Raid set in Antarctica, showcasing the powerful pocket monster they were able to catch in return.

Diablo Fan Plays D2: Resurrected in Antarctica

Now, another gamer has further proven this by bringing one of the most popular action RPGs to the frozen continent. Diablo fan and Redditor Updawg recently shared an image of themselves playing Diablo 2: Resurrected on a handheld gaming console, with the snow-covered landscape of Antarctica behind it. Acting on the desire to “do something unique in such a beautiful uninhabited place,” Updawg braved the cold summer to bring Hell to the very edge of the world.

Antarctica is “warmer” and more densely populated during its summer season between October and February than in its harsh winters from March through September.

Updawg accomplished this feat using the Ayn Thor, an Android handheld gaming console that looks similar to the Nintendo Switch. Furthermore, they used Eden, a Switch emulator, as well as an offline patch that enabled them to play Diablo 2: Resurrected without an internet connection.

Unsurprisingly, fans were delighted by Updawg’s freezing feat, with over 17,000 upvotes and 500 comments on the Reddit post within a couple of days since it was first shared. Plenty of these players made jokes about the irony of playing a Blizzard game in a place like Antarctica, while others speculated on which build would be the most fitting for such a setting: icy options like Frozen Orb Sorceress or Holy Freeze Paladin, or a warmer alternative in Diablo 2: Resurrected like Fire Wall Sorceress or Fire Druid. Others still asked how one stays warm in such a place, or how long a handheld battery could last in such cold conditions before being sapped empty.

Was This the First Time Diablo 2 Was Ever Played in Antarctica?

Of course, there were many fans who contested Updawg’s claim of being the first to play Diablo 2 in Antarctica. Plenty of people came forward saying they or their friends had played on military bases or research stations as far back as 2007, or made leaps of logic that someone in Antarctica must have booted up Diablo 2 at some point in the last 25 years, considering the number of gamers among the population. Chances are, Updawg wasn’t technically the first person to perform this feat.

diablo 2 resurrected cinematic dark wanderer campfire

That said, none of these other claims were backed up with images proving their own accomplishments. Additionally, most of these gamers likely would have played them indoors on research stations like McMurdo, most of which are on nearby islands, rather than the mainland. At the very least, this means Updawg may be the first person to play Diablo 2: Resurrected while outside on mainland Antarctica – or is at least the first one to post proof of it on the internet.

Regardless, this act proves that not even the most inclement weather or remote location can truly stop gamers from enjoying their favorite digital worlds. Now that Diablo 2 has officially conquered Antarctica, Sanctuary’s next horizon must be outer space itself – assuming no gamers on the International Space Station have already booted up the popular Blizzard ARPG on a laptop up there yet.