Blizzard and GOG announced today that the original Diablo is now for sale at GOG’s digital store. This makes the PC classic available via digital distribution for the first time.
Diablo costs $10 on GOG, and this version features Windows 10 compatibility and bug fixes. GOG is a digital store that specializes in classic PC games, but this is the first time that it has landed one of Blizzard’s titles. Blizzard has its own PC game launcher and store, Battle.net. But it hosts newer games (and remasters and remakes of older ones, like with StarCraft and the upcoming Warcraft III: Reforged).
GOG is giving Blizzard’s older, un-remastered PC games a digital home. Along with Diablo, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness are coming to GOG at a later date.
“We were bummed that these iconic games weren’t available to our players, so we’re very happy to work with the crew at GOG.com to rectify that,” said Rob Bridenbecker, vice president and executive producer at Blizzard Entertainment, in a press release sent to GamesBeat. “This has been a long time coming and we hope our players will be excited to jump back into these classic titles.”
Diablo’s past and future
Diablo first came out for PC in 1996. It’s a landmark title, popularizing a style of action role-playing games that focuses on randomly-generated dungeons and collecting lots of loot with an over-the-head camera. It sold over 2.5 million copies.
It also started a big franchise for Blizzard. Diablo II followed in 2000, and Diablo III came out in 2012. The series has sold a combined 24.8 million copies.
Diablo’s future includes Blizzard’s first mobile game, Diablo: Immortal. Its announcement last year caused disappointment with some Blizzard fans, some of which were hoping for a remaster of Diablo II or an announcement for Diablo IV. While this version of the original Diablo is not a full remaster, it can still give some of Blizzard’s hardcore fans a nostalgic (and non-mobile) experience.
