Blizzard decided to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Diablo by putting the original game into Diablo III. This was announced at BlizzCon 2016.
The Anniversary event is called The Darkening of Tristram. It will launch in January of 2017. The original Diablo game was released on December 31, 1996. Players who have the Reaper of Souls expansion will be able to enjoy The Darkening of Tristram event every January.
The official Diablo Twitter account, @Diablo, started posting GIFs that featured interesting parts of the original Diablo game. They used #Diablo20 with each of these Tweets.
We’re celebrating #Diablo20 with runs through all three games, starting with the original Diablo. Evil is born. pic.twitter.com/uPP6lSgkG7
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 15, 2016
A tour through the original Tristram. Can you remember the haunting music? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/NSMb066CuA
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 16, 2016
Hey, this looks like an interesting and entirely safe room. Wonder what’s inside… #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/4vaaeW1BcS
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 17, 2016
.@diablo Oh. #Butchered #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/5e1u5ITbxm
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 17, 2016
This Gharbad the Weak seems like a trustworthy fellow. Let’s help him out. What could go wrong? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/hvLMKqEH1h
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 18, 2016
“The smell of death surrounds me.” We’ve reached the Catacombs. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/tJb54Gmlao
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 21, 2016
We’ve conquered the Chamber of Bone. Overall, can’t recommend it. Little spooky. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/GxyT73o40y
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 22, 2016
Sweet revenge! #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/61QrkgziHi
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 23, 2016
We’ve reached the caves! Opening that first shortcut feels sooo good. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/PYfU87k2Tv
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 24, 2016
The caves are a dangerous place, but we’re scraping by. More health potions, please? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/nZ9KsJ9h4n
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 25, 2016
We’ve reached Hell! Diablo draws nearer by the second. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/3nlB6FOk28
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 28, 2016
This lightning puzzle requires fleet feet and steadfast resolve. (And lots of clicking.) #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/kbB4yYEJZN
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 29, 2016
Speaking of nightmares…how many Balrogs is too many? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/NVg8tNsQj1
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 29, 2016
Lazarus! Your madness ends here, Betrayer. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/LsrRfz8uT9
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 30, 2016
Glow time = go time. We’re ready to face Diablo! #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/fL0b7bzuCQ
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 1, 2016
The Lord of Terror is defeated! Though we get the feeling we haven’t seen the end of evil… #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/i2hkG5L9KM
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 1, 2016
Next, the @Diablo Twitter account posted gifs featuring interesting parts of Diablo II:
Thus begins our journey through the five acts of Diablo II. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/Zunsap0YmY
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 2, 2016
So many great options! A Necromancer seems appropriate, somehow… #Diablo20 #Necrohype pic.twitter.com/2wPgOxm2Bq
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 2, 2016
Fresh beginnings in the Rogue Encampment. Let’s go find us some skeletons. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/8mfqq1Re8a
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 3, 2016
Hello, old friend. #Diablo20 #Moo pic.twitter.com/lnIYHeaY2N
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 5, 2016
I command the dead! That’s more like it. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/R5WB2lIaaX
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 6, 2016
The Den of Evil just got a lot less evil. First quest complete! #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/EcirZKK8yO
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 7, 2016
Andariel has been defeated. One Act down, four to go. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/GOGEVz3Q6m
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 8, 2016
Diablo II took us to some strange places. Where are we? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/H5LG8biByN
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 9, 2016
Stay away from Duriel. Stay far, far away. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/p2FZB5oGhq
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 10, 2016
We’ve made it to the marsh, but we’ve hit a roadblock. Is there a toll we need to pay? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/ahAfVCoHAP
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 11, 2016
Clearly, a great evil is near. Anyone got a glass of water? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/kcqv3H7Mbi
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 13, 2016
Mephisto and his ilk were no match for this Necromancer. Onward! #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/7bO01rkD6q
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 14, 2016
Looking good, Tyrael! #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/FupBKl5H3Y
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 14, 2016
Will our army of skeletons be any match for Diablo’s fire stomp? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/H9w5ZoC1Wo
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 16, 2016
Just keep up Decrepify… hope he doesn’t flame stomp… aaand there go the skeletons. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/5Z1UbLhvlV
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 17, 2016
Another victory against the Lord of Terror. With the soulstones destroyed, will evil persist? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/LP8VYYLCDZ
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 17, 2016
Baal’s army attacks. There’s more work to be done, Necromancer. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/sI5PMtp6E4
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 18, 2016
“You were a sad little man, Nilathak.” Sick burn from one Necro to another. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/HIane2ooxu
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 19, 2016
We have been judged by the Ancients and deemed worthy. Onto one final battle. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/yIrdwZO4yj
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 19, 2016
One last Prime Evil. And a whole lot of his minions. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/wMgcCBiRxO
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 20, 2016
Baal has fallen, bringing our Diablo II journey to a close. Sanctuary is safe for good. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/ESqUVMkilS
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 21, 2016
The @Diablo Twitter account finished their 20 Years of Diablo Games tweets with a look at Diablo III:
Time for some Diablo III! Twentieth anniversaries are magical, so we’ll go with a Wizard. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/SyrU0Kgc4E
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 22, 2016
We’re back in Tristram, and the first thing we see is a falling star… #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/AuCbjwsQ75
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 22, 2016
Our first Legendary item! The Skeleton King had good taste in gear, it seems. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/TZrpyrWCKH
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 24, 2016
“You chose… to become one of us.” Tyrael is such a stand up mortal. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/5ogGwV9m0o
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 25, 2016
Jeez, Belial was lying about everything! Even his final form wasn’t real… or was it? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/MTj19CwLcB
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 26, 2016
Lesson learned: Never fall asleep with the Black Soulstone in front of you. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/go2lEiDm6C
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 26, 2016
A dungeon built with demon flesh? The areas leading to Cydaea are full of grotesque surprises. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/FJHRQTCfvR
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 27, 2016
A betrayal over twenty years in the making… Adria certainly plotted a long time for this… #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/Wg94D0XJkb
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 27, 2016
The Lord of Terror has fallen! We get the feeling that Soulstone might be back though. #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/MmECWRJKU6
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 29, 2016
The Angel of Death has come for the Black Soulstone. What is he planning to do? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/Da99rdeG25
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 29, 2016
Malthael is defeated at last! Is this the true power of a nephalem? #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/0TDkgEGWnP
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 30, 2016
Now that angels and demons alike fear us, it’s time for new challenges in Adventure Mode! #Diablo20 pic.twitter.com/fNwh3U65Ov
— Diablo (@Diablo) December 30, 2016