Blizzard is recreating Diablo 1 in Diablo 3, and the Necromancer is coming too

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Get ready for The Darkening of Tristram.

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A big bit of Diablo news came out of BlizzCon today, as Blizzard announced that the original Diablo is being recreated in Diablo 3. The update, which will be a free event, will feature almost everything you love about that great old game, from 16 levels and four main bosses to a special graphics filter that will make the graphics "pixelated and grainy," and even character movement that's locked to eight directions.

"There will be many secrets to discover as well. If you love Diablo, this anniversary event will be very nostalgic," chief development officer Frank Pearce said during his presentation. 

Pearce also revealed, not entirely surprisingly, that the Necromancer class is coming to Diablo 3.  The new class is a "reimagining" of the Diablo 2 Necromancer, but will will wield at least some of the same abilities, like Bone Spear and Corpse Explosion. 

"Necromancers can expect darker, more controlled gameplay centered around the raw materials of life: blood and bone," the Necromancer overview explains. "Grounded in a philosophical, pragmatic approach to life and death, they’re more like a calculated conductor of the darkest arts. Deadly serious in their practice, they are the experts of curses and reanimation—and their pets obey their every command.

The new class will be available as part of the Rise of the Necromancer pack, which will also include an in-game pet, two additional character slots, two extra stash tabs, a potrait frame, pennant, banner, and banner sigil. A price hasn't been set, but it will be released sometime in 2017. 

Corpse explosion!

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.