We've grown increasingly skeptical of Blizzard's sales pitches in recent years, but so far, everything about D2:R strikes us as the right kind of ' Blizzard Classic' approach, including the following sales pitches: Sign-ups for D2:R's technical alpha are now live ahead of the game's launch on PC and consoles 'in 2021.' The right balance between preservation and polish? At first glimpse, this top-to-bottom remake seems to get everything right that WarCraft III: Reforged got so very, very wrong-and we won't have to wait very long to come up with our own impressions. This long-rumored remake includes everything from both the base 2000 game and its 2001 expansion, Lord of Destruction.

In at least one respect, the outlook is optimistic, thanks to an impressive reveal of Diablo II: Resurrected. That led us to wonder: can today's streaming-only BlizzCon showcase of games and plans show that the company's recent hires and behind-the-scenes reshuffling are paying off? Game delays, notable departures, botched remakes, smartphone-gaming backlash, and an anti-protester reputation have weighed down what was once a sterling RTS/RPG reputation. Blizzard's latest BlizzCon event sees the longtime PC game maker at perhaps its most beleaguered yet.

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