Diablo 2 Resurrected aims to be exactly what its name implies: A new resurrection for a classic game. The team at Blizzard is aiming to keep the experience as true to the original as possible, but some modern features are being implemented. However, the way that people play games has changed in the 20 years since Diablo 2 first released. Will Resurrected feature couch co-op or local multiplayer?
Does Diablo 2 Resurrected have couch co-op?
True to the original game, Diablo 2 does not have couch co-op. In fact, there’s no local gameplay option of any kind. If groups want to play together, they’ll have to join online multiplayer.
This may seem a little unusual to modern gamers, but there’s one big reason why Resurrected doesn’t have couch co-op: The original didn’t. Having more than one player playing the game on a single screen was not part of the original design. The feature didn’t make it to future ports of the game, either. Since Resurrected is effectively an HD remaster, there’s no reason for Blizzard to add a feature that wasn’t available previously.
If players of the original Diablo 2 wanted to play together, they’d either join up online or over a local area network (LAN) connection. Unfortunately, Resurrected won’t feature the LAN option, not even in the upcoming beta. According to a FAQ on the Blizzard website, the feature was removed for security reasons. As for whether or not this affects the Nintendo Switch’s supposed local multiplayer is so far unclear.
Without the option for couch co-op or LAN multiplayer, fans will only be able to join matches online. Blizzard says this is for the best — in theory, it should reduce cheating or glitching — but it’s a strange omission considering the goal is to remain faithful to the original game.
No, Diablo 2 does not have couch co-op, nor does it support multiplayer over a local area network. Regardless of how many friends you’d like to play with, you’ll all have to join online multiplayer. Thankfully, you will be able to enjoy the game on consoles for the first time ever.
