Summary
Diablo 2 Resurrected is playing a surprisingly important role in the future of the Diablo franchise. Following the announcement of Diablo 5 at BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard has revealed that the remastered version of Diablo 2 is giving the development team a modern way to study what worked in the classic action RPG.
Senior game director Joe Shely explained that the continued passion for Diablo 2 helped make Diablo 2 Resurrected possible in the first place. More importantly, because Resurrected exists today alongside Diablo 4, Blizzard can examine the older game's ideas through a modern perspective.
That makes D2R Items more than simply a successful remaster. It has effectively become a reference point for Blizzard while the studio develops the next major Diablo experience.
Why Diablo 2 Resurrected Matters to Diablo 5
The relationship between Diablo 2 Resurrected and Diablo 5 is particularly interesting because Blizzard is not simply looking back at the original Diablo 2.
Instead, the development team can study the 2021 remaster and compare its systems with modern Diablo games. According to Shely, that gives Blizzard an opportunity to understand classic ideas while also considering how they work for today's players.
This distinction could be important for Diablo 5.
Diablo 2 remains one of the most influential games in the ARPG genre, but directly copying a game from more than two decades ago would create obvious design problems. Diablo 2 Resurrected provides Blizzard with a much more recent example of how those classic systems translate to modern hardware, interfaces and player expectations.
The result could be a Diablo 5 experience that borrows the philosophy of Diablo 2 without simply trying to recreate it.
Blizzard Is Looking at D2R Through a Modern Lens
One of the most notable parts of the discussion is that Diablo 2 Resurrected exists alongside Diablo 4.
That gives Blizzard something it did not have when developing earlier Diablo games: a living comparison between different generations of the franchise.
Players can still experience Diablo 2 Resurrected today, while Diablo 4 represents Blizzard's modern approach to the series. The development team can therefore look at classic systems, the remastered implementation and the current live-service model together.
For Diablo 5, that could make the development process more informed.
Rather than asking what made Diablo 2 successful based only on memories and historical data, Blizzard can examine how players interact with those systems today.
That is especially relevant for loot, weapons, armor and itemization.
Diablo 2's Loot and Itemization Could Shape Diablo 5
Itemization has always been one of the biggest discussion points surrounding Diablo.
Diablo 2 built much of its identity around discovering powerful equipment, chasing rare drops and creating builds around the items players found. Diablo 2 Resurrected preserved those fundamentals while giving Blizzard a modern version of the system to observe.
TechRadar reports that Blizzard is using lessons from Diablo 2 Resurrected when thinking about systems including weapons, loot and armor for Diablo 5.
That does not mean Diablo 5 will simply copy Diablo 2's item system.
Instead, Blizzard appears interested in understanding which classic concepts still work and how they can be adapted for a modern audience.
This could become one of the most important areas to watch as more Diablo 5 gameplay and system details are revealed.
What This Means for Diablo 2 Resurrected Players
For Diablo 2 Resurrected players, the news is significant because it confirms that the remaster continues to have value inside Blizzard's broader Diablo development strategy.
D2R was already a way for a new generation of players to experience one of the franchise's most influential games. Now, its modernized systems are also helping Blizzard think about the future.
That creates an unusual situation where Diablo 2 Resurrected can remain relevant even after Diablo 5 has been announced.
The upcoming sequel is not replacing the ideas of Diablo 2. Instead, Blizzard is studying how those ideas have survived into the modern era.
Diablo 5 Has a Long Road Ahead
Diablo 5 is currently scheduled for Spring 2029, giving Blizzard several years to develop the game and respond to community feedback.
The early announcement also gives the studio time to explain how Diablo 5 will combine lessons from previous games with new systems.
For longtime Diablo players, the most interesting question may not be whether Diablo 5 looks like Diablo 2.
It is whether Blizzard can identify why Diablo 2 still works today and translate those principles into a modern ARPG.
Diablo 2 Resurrected has now given Blizzard a valuable testing ground for exactly that question. As development continues, the influence of D2R could become increasingly visible in Diablo 5's loot, D2R Ladder Items, itemization and overall gameplay philosophy.
