Diablo 2 Resurrection, Diablo 4 headline first day of Blizzcon 2021

By Giovanni Colantonio February 19, 2021

Blizzcon 2021 kicked off with a batch of exciting game announcements, headlined by a Diablo 2 remaster. The showcase also highlighted Diablo 4, Blizzard Arcade Collection, new World of Warcraft updates, and more.

The long-rumored Diablo 2 remaster was finally shown off following weeks of speculation. Diablo 2 Resurrected is a full HD remaster of the original game and its expansion, Lord of Destruction. The rerelease will allow players to play the game in its original 2D form. The game is coming this year to PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox with cross-progression.

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— Diablo (@Diablo) February 19, 2021

Blizzard also gave some new details on Diablo 4. The classic rogue class is coming to the game, a fast character that fights with various bow and arrow abilities.

Blizzard Arcade Collection is a new retro game bundle that includes The Lost Vikings, Rock n’ Roll Racing, and Blackthorn. All three classic games are faithful ports with some added features and quality of life improvements, such as saving and loading. The collection will be available on PC via Battle.net, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Introducing the next chapter in Shadowlands, Chains of Domination. ⛓ pic.twitter.com/98rS6WisQS

— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) February 19, 2021

World of Warcraft is getting its first new update since the launch of Shadowlands. The new DLC is called Chains of Destruction, and Blizzard will discuss more details during Blizzcon weekend. World of Warcraft Classic is getting an update as well, a new version of 2007’s Burning Crusade update, which launches in 2021.

Hearthstone is getting an update called Forged in the Barrens, which brings new cards to the game. In addition, the deckbuilding game is getting a new single-player mode called Mercenaries, which is a take on the roguelike genre.

Unfortunately, Overwatch 2 was a no-show at the presentation, but more details on it are coming later this weekend during Blizzcon.

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Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

Gaming

Best Diablo 4 Necromancer builds: recommended skills, passives, and gear

The necromancer holding a balde in a crypt.

Why should all those corpses you create in Diablo 4 go to waste? You'll be ripping through swaths of demons, monsters, and other evils all across Sanctuary during your adventure, and if you're not playing in a group, you might feel a little lonely. Thankfully, the Necromancer is here to turn those former foes into brand-new friends. Sure, Necromancers have typically been seen as the villains, but you're free to flip the script and show the world they can be heroes too. Becoming a master of the dead isn't so simple, so we've come up with two of the best Necromancer builds to test out in Diablo 4.
Necromancer overview
The Necromancer is a very interesting class in Diablo 4. Not only can it serve as a high-damage, single-target class, but it also has some strong area of effect options. Of course, the thing that really makes this class stand out is the ability to summon up minions to fight on your behalf, keeping you from being overwhelmed by enemies. How and why you summon those minions is where the diversity comes in, so let's take a look at some build options.
Bone Spirit build

If you want to hit as hard as possible, then this Bone Spirit build will certainly do the trick. By focusing on maximizing crit chances, you'll be able to crush even the tankiest of foes in just a few hits. This does take a good bit of mechanical skill, but once you've gotten the hang of it, you'll basically be unstoppable.
Must-have skills
Reap: This one is basic, but you need your normal scythe swipe to fall back on. Mainly, you'll just use this as a corpse creator for other skills.

Gaming

Best Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds: recommended skills, passives, and gear

Diablo 4

Each of the five classes in Diablo 4 plays to different strengths. All of them are viable for completing the game, whether you're going through the story alone or with a group of friends, but it is important to know what role each one serves best and how to optimize them to take advantage of those strengths. The skill trees for each character can be a bit overwhelming, especially if this is your first time venturing into the world of Sanctuary. If the Sorcerer has caught your eye as a fun character to begin with, then a little guidance on how to make a powerful build will go a long way. Here is a general overview of the Sorcerer class, plus some examples of builds you can work toward to melt all that oppose you with powerful magic in Diablo 4.
Sorcerer overview

The Sorcerer is a magic-focused class that focuses on three primary elemental magics: Fire, Ice, and Lightning. They tend to be something of a glass cannon, meaning they deal very high damage, but are not able to take many hits. There are ways to mitigate your more squishy nature, but this isn't a class you should pick if you want to get right up in your enemies' faces and beat them down. Sorcerers are best used at range, so they can keep moving and dishing out tons of damage and effects.
Lightning build

Gaming

How the Paragon Board works in Diablo 4

inarius diablo 4

Despite how deep your character builds can get in Diablo 4, the game does a decent job of slowly dishing out its mechanics and complexities over time. You start out gaining levels as expected, then are introduced to the Renown system, and not much else to confuse you for quite a while. Once you hit level 50, the game throws out another layer of complexity, this one far more confusing and intimidating than the others called the Paragon Board. If you're new to Diablo, seeing this new system will almost certainly overwhelm you. However, understanding and taking full advantage of it is essential if you expect to keep up with the end-game content. Don't get stun-locked by this massive system and let us show you exactly how the Paragon Board works in Diablo 4.
What is the Paragon Board?

In short, the Paragon Board is how you can keep strengthening your character beyond the level cap in Diablo 4. Once you hit level 50, alongside traditional XP, you will start to accumulate what is known as Paragon Points to spend on the board. Each point can be used to unlock a node on the board that grants your character some associated buff or bonus.