A statement from Blizzard has clarified that the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo 2: Resurrected does have one significant restriction, which pertains to the game's multiplayer capabilities.
Diablo 2: Resurrected will be released on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S consoles for the first time in the United States in less than a week. In order to ensure that Diablo 2: Resurrected's authenticity is preserved across all platforms, including mobile devices, Vicarious Visions, an Activision Blizzard team, has put forth tremendous effort. In contrast, the PC-centric game was always going to be limited in terms of its functionality. Unluckily, the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo 2: Resurrection will have the greatest number of restrictions, which is a shame.
It was discovered in a blog post published recently and confirmed by Blizzard on social media on Wednesday that the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo 2: Resurrected has a significant limitation, which was confirmed by the company on social media on Wednesday. When playing Diablo 2: Resurrected multiplayer on a PC or other non-Switch platform, the game will support up to eight players in a single lobby at the same time. In order to accommodate the Nintendo Switch platform, Blizzard was forced to reduce that total to half. A single lobby on the Nintendo Switch can accommodate a maximum of four players at a time.
The reason for this restriction is presumed to be technical in nature, but Blizzard does not provide any additional information on the subject matter. To provide an alternative, Blizzard claims that four players are required to get the most out of on the Nintendo Switch, particularly when playing in portable mode. The thought of a Switch user on the go being overwhelmed by seven additional gamers all rushing onto the smaller screen at the same time is easy to imagine. Even with this in mind, seven characters with on-screen skill effects is likely to be too much for the Switch's lower-end processing power to handle comfortably.
It should be more than enough for Diablo 2: Resurrection players to have a good time with a significant restriction, such as halving the number of players allowed in a given match. That's still three potential quest companions or three potential PvP opponents on the horizon, which is a positive development. Even though eight players may seem excessive, it's one of the reasons Diablo 2 multiplayer has remained so popular over the course of several years.
Everything else about Diablo 2: Resurrection's Nintendo Switch edition has already been revealed, including all of the game's major features that have previously been revealed. Games on the Nintendo Switch will allow gamers to play 4-player co-op while on the road and then jump into 8-player mayhem on their PCs when they arrive at their destination at the end of the day. Console players will also be able to take advantage of a new Party-Finder feature, which will act as a matchmaking system for in-game objectives such as monsters and zones.
Playing Diablo 2: Resurrection on a console, whether it's the PS5 or the Nintendo Switch, will, without a doubt, require some customization. Diablo 2 was originally released as a PC-only title, and Diablo 2: Resurrection faithfully recreates the original experience. Vicarious Visions has gone to great lengths to ensure that Diablo 2: Resurrected runs as smoothly as possible on console, but some tweaking may still be required.
