Diablo II: Resurrected will be getting some love in the new year. Blizzard shared an update of what we can expect from the first big update of 2022, and there are balance changes and fixes, but the heart of it is the return of Ladder Rank Play.
Diablo II Classic inspired the return and Resurrected will also feature four different ladder modes. They will be Standard Ladder, Hardcore Ladder, Standard Expansion Ladder, and Hardcore Expansion Ladder. Standard is exactly what it sounds like, the more casual version of ladder play that will consist of four acts. Hardcore is the same four acts, except with only one life. Standard Expansion Ladder will have five acts and feature the Lord Of Destruction expansion content. Hardcore Expansion is of course the same but only one life.
New for Resurrected will be the option to unlock new Rune words in the ladder system. These are brand new and never in the game before this update. So you won't be able to find them in non ladder play. Players that unlock these Rune words at the end of a season will see their ladder characters moved into the non ladder version of the game. However, when the next ladder season begins everyone can make a new character and start again to try and earn more rewards.
Ladder play is something that's still under discussion in the community and with the development team on how to present it in a way that will endure. They want to create the feeling of the rush of ladder play and seasons and find the best way and schedule for rotation. Currently, they say they're looking at four months.
There are also class balance changes for every class, and a series of updates just for Mercenaries. With players favoring the Desert Mercenary, they want to make the rest more viable. For more on the update, see the announcement over at Diablo II: Resurrected
