Project Diablo 2 (PD2) is free, but it requires the original Diablo II with the Lord of Destruction expansion. Installation takes about 20–30 minutes and has three parts: install the base game, install PD2 on top of it, create a PD2 account.
Requirements
- Legitimate copies of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, bought from Blizzard. According to the official PD2 site, cracked CD keys lead to a permanent ban.
- A Blizzard account (Battle.net) for buying and downloading the games.
- A Windows PC. On Linux and the Steam Deck, PD2 runs through Lutris (see "Common problems").
- English language version: The base game must be installed in English.
- A free PD2 account on projectdiablo2.com. It is separate from your Blizzard account.
Part 1: Install the base game
- Buy the base game or register your keys. Sign in to the Blizzard shop or your Blizzard account management. The classic versions of Diablo II and Lord of Destruction are available there. If you still own old CD keys, you can redeem them in your account.
- Download the installers. In account management, download the two classic installers for Diablo II and Lord of Destruction. The classics cannot be installed through the Battle.net launcher.
- Install Diablo II. Run the Diablo II installer first, accept the licence agreement, enter your key and choose English. You can keep the suggested folder (usually
C:\Program Files (x86)\Diablo II). - Install Lord of Destruction. Close the first installer, then run the LoD installer. Enter the expansion key and install into the same folder as Diablo II.
- Do not patch the base game. If the base game starts automatically after installation, you can close it again. PD2 brings the right patch level itself.
Part 2: Install Project Diablo 2
- Download the launcher. Open the PD2 download page and click "Download". You get the file
ProjectD2Installer.exe. - Run the installer. Open your Downloads folder and run the installer.
- Choose the destination folder. For "Destination Folder", enter your Diablo II / Lord of Destruction folder, the one from part 1. PD2 creates a subfolder
ProjectD2inside it. Your base game stays unchanged. - Finish the installation. Afterwards there is a launcher icon on your desktop.
Part 3: Create an account and start playing
- Create a PD2 account. Register a free game account on the website. You sign in to the game with this account later, not with your Blizzard account.
- Start the launcher. Open PD2 with the desktop icon. The launcher downloads the latest updates automatically on start.
- Check the settings. In the launcher you set the graphics mode, windowed or fullscreen mode and a loot filter, among other things. A community-provided filter is enough to begin with.
- Sign in and create a character. Start the game, sign in with your PD2 account and pick the current season. If you are new, Softcore Ladder is the best choice, as it is the most populated.
Common problems
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Login fails | Sign in with your PD2 account, not with your Blizzard credentials. |
| Installer cannot find the game | Check that Diablo II and LoD are in the same folder and that this folder was chosen as the destination. |
| Antivirus blocks files | Diablo II mods are often flagged by mistake. Only exclude the PD2 folder if the installer came directly from projectdiablo2.com. |
| Base game is not in English | Uninstall the base game and reinstall it in English. |
| Linux or Steam Deck | Lutris offers an install script that sets up the base game and PD2. |
Help and further links
If the table does not help, you will find detailed guides and solutions in the Project Diablo 2 Wiki. For quick help from other players, join the community Discord. The invite link is on the official Project Diablo 2 site.
The installer and the official quick guide are on the download page. SenpaiSomething shows news about the next season in his developer streams on Twitch.