How Diablo 2 Resurrected’s Ladder system works: Rotations, resets & Runewords in D2R

Diablo 2 Resurrected ladderBlizzard Entertainment

Diablo 2 Resurrected’s Ladder system is finally here, so here’s everything you need to know about its rotation in D2R, as well as the upcoming resets and available Runewords.

While it has been a long time coming, Diablo 2 Resurrected finally has the coveted Ladder system, allowing Sanctuary’s finest to duke it out once more for their spot at the top of the leaderboard.

The game‘s equivalent of a ranked mode, players create a new character each Ladder in order to earn Ladder-specific rewards, retiring their warrior at the close of play in order for another to rise from the ashes in their stead.

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For newer players, though, Diablo 2 Resurrected’s Ladder is a confusing creature, so here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about it; from the available Runewords, to its resets and rotation cycle.


Contents


Diablo 2 ResurrectedBlizzard Entertainment
Once you’ve locked in your character, you can start your journey up the ladder.

Diablo 2 Resurrected Ladder: Start date

Diablo 2 Resurrected’s version of the iconic Ladder released on April 28, 2022 following a series of delays.

What is the Ladder in Diablo 2?

In previous iterations of the iconic dungeon crawler title, the Ladder represents the competitive play system. Think of it as Diablo’s equivalent of ranked.

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Unlike a lot of other games, though, every time the Ladder resets players need to make a new character and then start all over again. Their previous Ladder characters then move into the ‘non-Ladder’ version of the game, so the title’s standard version.

From here, they keep all of the items and upgrades obtained in the previous Ladder season, making them quite the force to be reckoned with.

diablo 2 resurrected ladder menu screen with sorceressBlizzard Entertainment
Diablo 2’s iconic Ladder screen has got a snazzy graphical overhaul in Resurrected.

What are the different Ladders?

Diablo 2 Resurrected features four different Ladder modes:

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Ladder Mode
Standard Casual Ladder play with four acts
Hardcore Hardcore Ladder (only 1 life) play with the four acts.
Standard Expansion The casual expanded Ladder including The Lord of Destruction expansion, so runs over five acts.
Hardcore Expansion The hardcore (only 1 life) expanded Ladder including The Lord of Destruction expansion, so runs over five acts.
Diablo 2 ladder systemBlizzard Entertainment
Diablo 2 Resurrected will see a few changes to the current Ladder system.

Diablo 2 ladder reset & rotations in Resurrected

Coming into Resurrected the developers have announced that they are considering changes to the system. At the moment, the Ladder will reset roughly every six months, but this will be changing coming into the remaster.

With Blizzard writing “rank up in a new, exclusive Ladder system with more frequent restarts and earn your place among legends,” some players have theorized that the system will rotate every three months.

As further information becomes available about this, we’ll make sure this article is updated.

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Ladder benefits: Runewords, upgrades, more

diablo 2 resurrectedBlizzard Entertainment
You won’t need to play the Sorceress to enchant your weapons!

If you choose to take the Ladder path when you join the game, you’ll be capable of earning a whole host of upgraded items and Runewords. Some of these are not available to non-Ladder players, and Blizzard have even added some never-seen-before Runewords for Ladder players, too.

Unique items can also be upgraded when playing through the Ladder, something that is unavailable to non-Ladder players unless they are playing in single-player.


So that’s everything we know about Diablo 2 Resurrected’s Ladder! As further details are announced, we’ll be sure to keep this page updated. Until then, though, here’s our list of Resurrected guides.

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D2R Ladder guide | D2R Gems guide | D2R Horadric Cube location guide | Diablo 2 Rite of Passage: How defeat the Ancients | Diablo 2 Runewords guide | Uber Diablo guide | Pandemonium guide