Open-source "Freeablo" Engine for Diablo Currently in the Works, Courtesy of Modders
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In case you've been itching to replay Diablo recently but were disappointed to see it hasn't received the same kind of love its sequel did, with patches released as recently as April, you might be interested in this newspost. A number of modders has been working on a new, open source and overhauled engine for the title, called Freeablo, with all the functionality of the original but improved support for modern machines, higher resolutions, and mod support.
Freeablo has been in the works since 2014, but it's recently made strides, with a first, embryonic implementation of multiplayer going in recently, as you can see in the video below:
Note that Freeablo would still require the original game and its assets, and includes none of the original code.
I've seen enough of these projects to know two things. First, there is indeed potential in the idea, and the community of amateurs has proved that it can work wonders. Secondly, most of these projects end up never being completed, either because of modders hitting snags during development, not having free time anymore, or simply losing interest.
And of course, in spite of the fact that the project doesn't use any assets from the original, it's still possible Blizzard might send a cease and desist letter anyway. Time will tell, I suppose, but it's certainly worth reporting on for now.
