Began in 2026 and I'm already facing an impossible choice

Like my time with Diablo 4 Season 11 is winding down, I'm looking for something else to play to fill my ARPG addiction before the Lord of Hatred expansion is released later this year. While I still need to check out Path of Exile 2's Druid, I can't help but be drawn back to the good old days Diablo 2 year 2026. Starting up though Diablo 2: Resurrected has for the first time in a while left me with choice paralysis, as I have two equally relevant class options, and I can't decide which one to use for another playthrough.

Play Paladin for Diablo 4 Season 11 made me fall in love with one of my favorite classes from Diablo 2so i have a strong desire to play this class in Diablo 2: Resurrected to see how it compares to the new one Diablo 4 version. Meanwhile, the Amazon class calls out to me as one of my least used Diablo 2 classes, and one that I also suspect will be the second new class added with the release of Lord of Hatred. Both of these classes offer a good reason to come back to Diablo 2: Resurrected in 2026, but narrowing it down to one is proving quite difficult.

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After 14 years, a piece of content from Diablo 3 is finally making its series debut in the upcoming Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion.

Diablo 2: Resurrected is the Perfect Stopgap Before Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, deciding which class to play is almost impossible

Pros and cons of playing Paladin in Diablo 2: Resurrected

Advantages:
- Powerful Hammerdin builds are tempting
- Thoughtful
Disadvantages:
- Low DPS early
- Needs playoff gear to thrive
- Just played a Paladin Diablo 4 Season 11

An easy tick in the pro column for the Paladin, and one of the reasons the class is so much fun, is the potential for completely broken builds it has. Paladin's Hammerdin build is an iconic base in Diablo 2and for good reason. This build basically works like the built-in Blessed Hammer Diablo 4but has a huge advantage as it deals magic damage, making it easy to tear through Diablo 2as very few enemies are immune to magic.

Diablo 2 resurrected the Paladin who is frozen and poisoned

The biggest downside to playing Paladin in Diablo 2: Resurrected is that the class requires a lot of commitment to achieve its full potential. Early game Paladin builds lack the DPS to feel impactful, making it more difficult with the class's limited mobility. It also needs some rare equipment, such as the Herald of Zakarum shield and the Heart of the Oak whip. And while I love the Paladin class, I have a lot of experience with it and have already played one Diablo 4 Season 11. So while it would be interesting to see how the two versions of the class compare, I won't necessarily play the Paladin again immediately.

Pros and cons of playing Amazon in Diablo 2: Resurrected

Advantages:
- Potential preview of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
- Ranged and Melee build options
- Haven't played the class that much
Disadvantages:
- Repetitive game
- Low mobility

Unlike the Paladin, the Amazon is probably the one Diablo 2 class I have the least experience with. I've only been tinkering a bit with the Amazon class Diablo 2: Resurrectedso a full playthrough with it seems worthwhile in 2026. This is especially true given that the Amazon will most likely be the second class added for Lord of Hatred, as the expansion will take players to the class' homeland of Skovos when it releases.

But the actual mechanics of playing an Amazon in the Diablo 2: Resurrected is a mixed bag overall. There is a wide variety of build types for the Amazon that have both polearms and bows. The problem with Amazon is the repetitive gameplay of the class, regardless of build. Most Amazon built-in Diablo 2: Resurrected involve spamming a skill like Lightning Fury or one of its Arrow Skills, with little else in the rotation. The class also has relatively low mobility, which ranged attacks can help alleviate, but still leaves it as a less flashy Diablo 2: Resurrected class.

The final verdict on which Diablo 2: Resurrected Class will play in 2026

Check out the pros and cons of both Paladin and Amazon i Diablo 2: ResurrectedI think I'll be playing an Amazon for my 2026 playthrough. Although I have fond memories of Paladin, I think I'm more inclined to try something new this year, and hopefully playing the Amazon will just be a taste of what's to come in Lord of Hatred. I have played Path of Exile 2Amazon's rise somewhat recently, when update 0.3 was released, and had a great experience with it. So hopefully I have a similar experience with the Amazon i Diablo 2: Resurrected which rekindles my love for the game even after Diablo 4 has eclipsed it.