Resurrected in 2026, and I Already Face an Impossible Choice

As my time with Diablo 4 Season 11 starts winding down, I’m left looking for something else to play to fill my ARPG addiction before the Lord of Hatred expansion releases later this year. While I still need to check out Path of Exile 2‘s Druid, I can’t help but find myself drawn back to good old Diablo 2 in 2026. However, booting up Diablo 2: Resurrected for the first time in a while has left me with choice paralysis, as I have two equally relevant class options, and I can’t decide which one I want to use for a new playthrough.

Playing the Paladin for Diablo 4 Season 11 made me fall back in love with one of my favorite classes from Diablo 2, so I have a strong desire to play this class in Diablo 2: Resurrected to see how it compares to the new Diablo 4 version. At the same time, the Amazon class is calling out to me as one of my least-used Diablo 2 classes, and one that I also suspect will be the second new class added with the release of Lord of Hatred. Both of these classes offer a great reason to get back into Diablo 2: Resurrected in 2026, but narrowing it down to one is proving to be quite difficult.

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After 14 years, one piece of content cut from Diablo 3 is finally making its series debut in the upcoming Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion.

Diablo 2: Resurrected is the Perfect Stopgap Before Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, Deciding Which Class to Play is Nearly Impossible

The Pros and Cons of Playing Paladin in Diablo 2: Resurrected

Pros:
- Powerful Hammerdin build is tempting
- Tanky
Cons:
- Low DPS early on
- Needs endgame gear to thrive
- Just played a Paladin in Diablo 4 Season 11

An easy tick in the pro column for the Paladin, and one of the reasons the class is so fun, is the potential for completely broken builds it has. The Paladin’s Hammerdin build is an iconic staple of Diablo 2, and for good reason. This build essentially functions like the Blessed Hammer build in Diablo 4, but has a huge advantage since it deals magic damage, which makes it easy to tear through Diablo 2, since very few foes are immune to magic.

Diablo 2 Resurrected Paladin Being Frozen And Poisoned

The main drawback of playing Paladin in Diablo 2: Resurrected is that the class requires a lot of commitment to achieve its full potential. Early game Paladin builds lack the DPS to feel impactful, making things more difficult with the class’s limited mobility. It also needs some rare gear, like the Herald of Zakarum shield and Heart of the Oak flail. And while I love the Paladin class, I have a lot of experience with it and already played one in Diablo 4 Season 11. So while it would be interesting to see how the two versions of the class compare, I don’t necessarily need to play Paladin again immediately.

The Pros and Cons of Playing Amazon in Diablo 2: Resurrected

Pros:
- Potential preview of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
- Ranged and Melee build options
- Haven’t played the class very much
Cons:
- Repetitive Gameplay
- Low Mobility

Unlike the Paladin, the Amazon is probably the Diablo 2 class I have the least experience with. I’ve only dabbled a little with the Amazon class in Diablo 2: Resurrected, so a full-blown playthrough with it seems worthwhile in 2026. This is especially true considering that the Amazon is most likely going to be the second class added for Lord of Hatred, since the expansion is taking players to the class’s homeland of Skovos when it releases.

However, the actual mechanics of playing an Amazon in Diablo 2: Resurrected are a mixed bag overall. There is a diverse range of build types for the Amazon that feature both polearms and bows. The problem with the Amazon is the class’s repetitive gameplay, regardless of build. Most Amazon builds in Diablo 2: Resurrected involve spamming a skill like Lightning Fury or one of its Arrow Skills, with little else in the rotation. The class also has relatively low mobility, which ranged attacks can help alleviate, but still leaves it as a less flashy Diablo 2: Resurrected class.

The Final Verdict on Which Diablo 2: Resurrected Class to Play in 2026

Looking at the pros and cons of both the Paladin and Amazon in Diablo 2: Resurrected, I think I am going to play an Amazon for my 2026 playthrough. Although I have fond memories of the Paladin, I think I’m more inclined to try something new this year, and hopefully, playing the Amazon will only be a taste of what’s to come in Lord of Hatred. I have played Path of Exile 2‘s Amazon ascendancy somewhat recently, back when update 0.3 dropped, and had a great experience with it. So, hopefully, I have a similar experience with the Amazon in Diablo 2: Resurrected that reignites my love for the game even after Diablo 4 has eclipsed it.