Leoric’s Castle mod turns Diablo 2 into a competitive boss rush

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Diablo 2 may be 20 years old, but seasoned adventurers have managed to wring even more challenge out of Blizzard's venerable sequel. Enter Leoric's Castle, a new mod that reimagines the devilish dungeon crawler as a roguelike bloodbath.

Far from just being Diablo 2: Deathmatch, Leoric's Castle fancies itself something of a competitive boss rush. Playable in free-for-all, duos, or in teams of four, rival players hack their way through a progression of dungeons, building characters with upgrades and gear purchased at goblin shops, all while fending off monsters and fellow adventurers alike.

Tentatively set between Diablo 1 and 2, Leoric's Castle boasts a grab-bag of bosses from both games, culminating in a fight against the skeletal King himself. Stick around long enough to land the killing blow, and grab yourself the win.

It sounds somewhat hellish, personally. Speaking on Reddit, however, the creator reckons the mod is more welcoming than it appears, with "just as much PvE as there is PvP".  Even so, I don't much fancy my chances against Diablo 2's seasoned adventurers. 

Cheers, PCGamesN.

Natalie Clayton
Features Producer

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.