Blizzard has surprise-released the Reign of the Warlock DLC for Diablo 2: Resurrected, introducing the first new playable class in 25 years as part of the Diablo franchise's 30th anniversary celebration. The paid expansion adds the warlock character along with new endgame content and quality-of-life features. Developers indicate further updates may follow based on community reception.
Blizzard shadow-dropped the Reign of the Warlock expansion for Diablo 2: Resurrected on February 11, 2026, marking the first new playable class for the game in over 25 years. The warlock class, designed to feel as if created in 1999, allows players to command forbidden powers, including summoning and consuming demons, imbuing weapons with hexes, and throwing miasma attacks through three skill trees: Demonic, Eldritch, and Chaos. Its backstory involves hunting lost knowledge to continue the legacy of Horazon in the world of Sanctuary.
The expansion coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Diablo franchise and includes new endgame challenges, such as Act-specific Terror Zones, collectible boss statues that summon a Colossal Ancient boss, and Heralds of Terror on Hell difficulty. Quality-of-life improvements feature a loot filter for sorting items and the ability to stack identical gems in Stash Tabs. Diablo 2: Resurrected launched on Steam as the Infernal Edition for $40, including the DLC, while existing owners can buy the expansion separately for $25 on Battle.net or Xbox. The expansion is not available on Game Pass, where the base game is offered.
Timothy Vasconcellos, lead designer on the Diablo Legacy team, stated during an interview at Blizzard headquarters, "We are excited for the opportunity we have right now to see what the community says about what we're making." Lead producer Matthew Cederquist emphasized the game's enduring popularity, noting, "We still have millions of people who play Diablo 2 - millions of them." He added, "We don't want to mess up the Mona Lisa," highlighting the team's caution in preserving the classic experience.
To maintain the original gameplay, Blizzard has separated the progressive Reign of the Warlock version from the classic Resurrected edition, ensuring changes occur only in the new space. Cederquist explained, "Resurrected is going to time-stamp. If you don't want to play a warlock... you can still have Resurrected and it's going to stay there."
The warlock will also appear in other Diablo titles with connected lore: in Diablo IV via the Lord of Hatred expansion on April 28, 2026, with details forthcoming on March 5; and in Diablo Immortal as a free update in June 2026. Blizzard views this release as a test; positive feedback could lead to further developments, such as class reworks done in collaboration with the community.
