Lord of Hatred Proves This Diablo Game Will Forever Reign as the King of the Franchise

Although Diablo 4 has seen a series of highs and lows over the course of its life, the game is arguably in the best place it’s ever been at the start of Season 11. The release of the Paladin class for those who pre-purchase Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is just the icing on the cake for a solid season of improvements, with more on the way when the Lord of Hatred expansion releases in April 2026. Diablo 4 on its own may not be every fan’s cup of tea, but the fact that it is drawing so heavily from Diablo 2 to great acclaim reveals that the classic entry is responsible for the modern franchise’s success, and this will likely continue with the upcoming expansion.

Diablo 4 is Slowly Morphing into Diablo 2, and Lord of Hatred Solidifies This Trend

While Diablo 4 draws from every entry in the series, such as the Butcher from Diablo 1 and the Paragon system from Diablo 3, Diablo 2 is the foundation upon which the majority of Diablo 4 is built. Diablo 4 re-introduces players to Lilith, who was first mentioned in Diablo 2, and brings back a similar Skill Tree system and weapon affix system. Beyond the base game, the marquee features of Diablo 4‘s expansions have been core parts of the Diablo 2 experience, which almost make the game feel like it’s morphing into another version of Diablo 2 entirely.

Diablo 2 Features Added in Vessel of Hatred

• Mercenaries
• Nahantu and Kurast
• Runes

Vessel of Hatred and the 2.0 update for Diablo 4 really changed the game from its launch state and brought it more in line with Diablo 2. The Mercenary system that allowed players to hire NPCs to aid them returned with this expansion, and has since become a critical feature for players looking to stay competitive in the Diablo 4 meta. Runes were also a Diablo 2 feature that made their way into Diablo 4 via Vessel of Hatred and have similarly become meta staples. The setting of Vessel of Hatred in the jungles of Nahantu and the city of Kurast felt familiar to Diablo 2 fans as well, as the location was the site of Diablo 2 Act 3, wherein players battled against Mephisto and the corrupted Children of Zakarum.

Diablo 2 Features in Lord of Hatred

• Paladin Class
• Horadric Cube

Coming with the announcement of Diablo 4‘s second expansion, Lord of Hatred, are even more Diablo 2-original features. The first of these features is already available in the form of the Paladin class, a fan-favorite class and one of the most requested classes to be added to Diablo 4. The Horadric Cube is also returning in Lord of Hatred, bringing with it a new crafting mechanic that sounds similar to its Diablo 2 counterpart, where certain items could be transmuted into other ones using recipes within the cube.

With Diablo 4 Adopting So Many Diablo 2 Features, It’s Clear Which Game is the Franchise Favorite

Although Diablo 4 is currently the definitive Diablo experience, it’s hard to look past its main influence. With so many of its often-touted mechanics being derivative of Diablo 2, it’s clear that the franchise owes so much of its continued popularity to this entry. Diablo 2 is largely considered to be the best entry in the series, so it’s not surprising that Diablo 4 would build upon its foundation. However, the degree to which Diablo 4 has adopted features from Diablo 2 shows that Blizzard captured lightning in a bottle back in 2000, and replicating that success means leaning on its tried-and-true mechanics 25 years later and likely beyond.

Released

June 5, 2023

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact