Blizzard will revive Diablo III's The Darkening of Tristram, the special event that was part of the Diablo franchise's 20th anniversary celebration, to kick off the new year.
Players who have been around ever since the original Diablo launched in 1996 will appreciate The Darkening of Tristram, while newer players will catch a glimpse of the origins of the action-adventure series.
The Darkening Of Tristram To Return To 'Diablo III'
Blizzard launched The Darkening Of Tristram in early January this year for Diablo III on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Mac. The anniversary event arrived as a free update to owners of Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion pack.
The Darkening of Tristram will be returning to Diablo III, with the event running from 12:00 a.m. PT on Jan. 1 to Jan. 30 at the same time.
In the official announcement of the event's return, Blizzard said that The Darkening of Tristram begins with mysterious cultists that are wreaking havoc at the Sanctuary. Players who hunt them down while in Adventure Mode will discover clues that will lead to a portal to the past of Tristram.
The portal will lead to the recreation of the cathedral from the original Diablo as a 16-level dungeon in Diablo III. Players will run into familiar opponents and items from Diablo, including the game's four bosses with the Dark Lord waiting deep beneath the catacombs. The Darkening of Tristram also offers loot in the form of unique transmogrification effects, pets, portraits, achievements, and more.
To complete the retro theme of The Darkening of Tristram, the event also comes with a "RetroVision" filter that tweaks Diablo III so that it looks more like a game from the mid-1990s. Players who have been around since the original Diablo will remember the pixelated graphics, the shrill audio, and the chunkier animations.
What's Next For 'Diablo III'?
The last major update for Diablo III was in June, when Blizzard released the Rise of the Necromancer pack that brought back the popular Necromancer class from Diablo II.
Shortly after the arrival of the Necromancer to Diablo III, Blizzard was spotted with a job opening for a game director and other staff positions for an unannounced Diablo project. It was later confirmed that Diablo III game director Josh Mosqueira was leaving his post.
With the hiring of a new director, fans of the series are hoping that Diablo IV is in the works. However, Blizzard has not yet made an official announcement on the next game in the franchise.
