Blizzard has sounded the horn for another brutal ladder season in Diablo II: Resurrected. Season 13 kicks off on February 20th, giving players a clean slate to chase Level 99, hoard runewords, and climb leaderboards in Sanctuary's endless demon-slaying grind. The announcement, posted on the official news site, confirms Season 12 wraps up February 11th, leaving just over a week for stragglers to squeeze in final pushes.
Timing varies by region for maximum global fairness:
- North America: Season 12 ends February 11 at 9:00 a.m. PST; Season 13 starts February 20 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
- Europe: Season 12 ends February 11 at 6:00 a.m. CET (5:00 a.m. GMT); Season 13 starts February 21 at 2:00 a.m. CET (1:00 a.m. GMT).
- Asia: Season 12 ends February 12 at 2:00 a.m. KST (1:00 a.m. CST); Season 13 starts February 21 at 9:00 a.m. KST (8:00 a.m. CST).
Four classic ladder flavors return, catering to purists and risk-takers alike:
- Pre-Expansion Ladder - Standard play, original four acts only
- Pre-Expansion Hardcore - One-life permadeath, four acts only
- Ladder - Standard play, full five acts + LoD expansion
- Hardcore Ladder - One-life permadeath, full expansion
Sadly with this season there hasn't been very much announced for it. No new runewords, balance tweaks, or season-exclusive content were detailed, keeping this a pure reset focused on racing to the top. Shared Stash carries over with familiar rules: Ladder characters from Season 12 shift to non-ladder pools, and their stash items land in withdraw-only tabs (marked with a check). Players have until Season 13's end to grab them; anything left gets wiped, overriding prior seasons' leftovers.
The timing for a new season lines up well with Diablo's 30th anniversary celebrations. Just before Season 12 closes, Blizzard hosts its Spotlight livestream on February 11th at 2:00 p.m. PT across Twitch and YouTube. Expect deep dives into D2R alongside Diablo IV and Immortal updates, potentially teasing bigger changes for Resurrected like rumored balance passes or Project Diablo 2-inspired features that fans have clamored for.
Ladders have been D2R's lifeblood since launch, breathing new fire into a 25-year-old formula. Each reset wipes progress, spawns fresh trading markets, and lets underdogs shine before gear walls go up. With no major patches announced, expect meta staples like Lightning Javazons, Hammer Dins, and Bo barbarians to dominate early leaderboards, but trading hubs will evolve as rare drops surface.
As Season 12 winds down, now's the time to clear stashes and theorycraft. Whether you're gunning for a top-10 ladder spot or just farming Hell Baal for fun, Season 13 promises that timeless Diablo rush. Tune into the Spotlight February 11th for potential curveballs (hopefully new content but I won't hold my breath), then sharpen your blades. Sanctuary awaits.