Diablo II was first released for Windows in 2000.
Blizzard North developed the action role-playing game as the sequel to Diablo, expanding the original’s single-town structure into a journey across several regions. The game launched with four acts, each ending with a major demon confrontation, and allowed players to choose from five character classes.
Its release date is sometimes confused with that of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, the major expansion. Diablo II arrived in 2000, while Lord of Destruction followed in 2001 and added the fifth act, two new classes, and additional equipment.
The game became especially influential through Battle.net, Blizzard’s online service. Players could cooperate, trade items, and fight monsters together, helping establish the loot-focused action RPG formula later used by Diablo III and Diablo IV.