When does Diablo 2: Resurrected's ladder start?

When is ladder ranked play coming to Diablo 2: Resurrected?

Diablo 2: Resurrected is a second coming of the ARPG that has enthralled so many gamers since its original release in 2000. Ranked ladder play, which is usually called a "season" these days, was always a staple of the online Diablo 2 world, and it's making a return to Diablo 2: Resurrected.

A Diablo 2 ladder generally lasts no less than a few months, with all players starting off again with fresh characters and empty inventories. This resets the economy and gives players a chance to fight for the top of the XP leaderboard. While Diablo 2: Resurrected still doesn't have a true endgame like Diablo 3's rifts or Path of Exile's maps, a new ladder always attracts a bunch of players who want to get in on the thrill of a fresh start.

Diablo 2: Resurrected's first ladder season is expected to begin April 28, 2022. Blizzard left a two-week gap between the release of Patch 2.4 and the ladder's start to iron out any further issues that pop up with the live launch. This should ensure everything from class skills to mercenaries to new runewords are working properly.

Why the initial delay? Patch 2.4 hit the Public Test Realm on Jan. 25 and lasted a few weeks, during which time the developers uncovered some issues. Stash conversions, delayed creating and joining games, and some regional issues were fixed before a live version of Patch 2.4 was rolled out.

Here's a look at regional rollout times for the Diablo 2: Resurrected ladder, with April 28 and April 29 dates.

What can you expect from Diablo 2: Resurrected ladder rank play?

In an official Blizzard blog post from Dec. 15, 2021, the first details about ladder rank play were revealed.

There will be four different ways to play, including standard and hardcore versions of expansion and non-expansion content. This will allow players who prefer the first four acts to race against other players in softcore and hardcore modes, as well as the more popular expansion modes that most of us enjoy, complete with all five acts.

New runewords, Horadric Cube recipes, tweaks to class skills, tweaks to mercenaries, unique items, and more are all expected with the first ladder season. A bunch of this content will only be available to those who join ladder play.

The Diablo 2: Resurrected team stated that it was looking at a four-month period for the initial ladder, though that is subject to change. Although the PTR was restricted to PC only, Diablo 2: Resurrected's ladder rank play will hit consoles as well.

Be sure to check out our Diablo 2: Resurrected Sorceress build guide and Diablo 2: Resurrected Paladin build guide if you're looking to get a fast start out of the gate once the ladder season begins.