Diablo 2: Resurrected hidden messages uncovered in patch 2.5

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Industrious players are busy deciphering Diablo 2: Resurrected hidden messages found in the fantasy game following the appearance of a mysterious message at the end of the Diablo 2: Resurrected patch 2.5 update post that sparked off an ARG hunt. The newest update to one of the best RPG games on PC has proven popular thanks to new features such as Terror Zones, although its new Sundered Charms are dividing fan opinion.

The mystery began with an image included at the bottom of the patch 2.5 release update, which Blizzard describes as a “confounding inscription” found inside an old Diablo II manual. At the centre of the picture is a diary featuring a handwritten message, with several elaborate gold coins also scattered across the table on top of an old Diablo II manual.

After much digging, one user on the game’s subreddit announced that the jumble of handwritten letters could be translated using a Vigenère Cipher, a method developed in 1553 that was initially known as “the indecipherable cipher” for resisting all attempts to break it until 1863. Using the decryption key ‘Resurrected’ (taken from one of the coins on the table), the message was revealed to read, “So many gems what do these orange numbers mean.”

Users then noted that repeatedly clicking the chat gem in an online lobby will cause an orange nine-digit numeric code to appear – players have ascertained that these codes refer to specific words in the Diablo II manual. The number comprises the page number, line number, word number, and its position in the final message – and, working together, the community has already discovered over 75% of the final message.

The full message appears to be 666 words long (of course), and is itself a cryptic message talking about “one perfect shattered gem,” “the remnants of the stones laying the foundation for all this destruction,” and “a thief left alone to plan slumber,” among many other things. If you want to contribute to the endeavour, or see its progress, a Google spreadsheet has been set up to help work on it.

A fan on the Blizzard forums also points to a 2021 tweet from Diablo and Diablo II lead David Brevik asking, “Will the special code for the chat gem still be in Resurrected?” The cipher, then, appears to have existed in-game for a while – but its true meaning is just now being uncovered. Fans are split on whether this is simply hidden lore, or whether it points to something new coming to Diablo 2: Resurrected – gem stacking is raised as one such much-requested possibility.

If you’re playing yourself, be sure to check out our pick of the best Diablo 2: Resurrected classes. Meanwhile, a Diablo 4 endgame beta is on the way with sign-ups already live, and the first major Diablo Immortal update is set to arrive on September 28. If you’re after something else to satisfy your loot lust, our pick of the best games like Diablo should offer you plenty of alternative options.