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For the clearest continuous story, play Diablo, then Diablo II (or Diablo II: Resurrected) and its Lord of Destruction expansion, then Diablo Immortal, then Diablo III and Reaper of Souls, and finally Diablo IV followed by its story expansions in release order. The crucial placement is Diablo Immortal: Blizzard states that it takes place between Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Diablo III.
Diablo story order at a glance
The list below is the chronological campaign route, not the order in which the games were released.
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| Story position | What to play | What it contributes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diablo | The first Tristram cathedral crisis and Diablo’s initial defeat. |
| 2 | Diablo II | The Dark Wanderer’s journey and the campaign against the Prime Evils. |
| 3 | Lord of Destruction | The conclusion of Diablo II, including Baal’s attack on the Worldstone. |
| 4 | Diablo Immortal | The bridge era after the Worldstone is destroyed and before Diablo III. |
| 5 | Diablo III | The next major era of Sanctuary, set 20 years after Diablo II. |
| 6 | Reaper of Souls | The continuation and conclusion of Diablo III’s main campaign. |
| 7 | Diablo IV | The latest mainline era; play its story expansions after the base campaign in their release order. |
Keep each expansion with the game it continues. Stopping after a base campaign and moving to the next title can leave a major plot thread unresolved.
Why this chronology works
The Dark Wanderer connects Diablo to Diablo II
In the original Diablo, the hero defeats Diablo beneath Tristram Cathedral. That victory does not end the danger. The hero becomes the Dark Wanderer’s vessel, creating the direct narrative handoff into Diablo II. Starting with the first game therefore gives the later pursuit of the Wanderer its intended context.
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![Diablo II: Resurrected – Base Game 1P - Xbox [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fn34zaSmL._SL160_.jpg)
- Diablo II: Resurrected breathes new life into Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed ARPG and its expansion, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, from beginning to end. Return to fight for Sanctuary and discover the fate of the mysterious Dark Wanderer rebuilt in all-new 3D graphics, brand-new cinematics, remastered audio… and the same classic Diablo II gameplay you remember.
Lord of Destruction creates the bridge to Immortal
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction ends with Baal corrupting the Worldstone. The heroes defeat Baal, and Tyrael destroys the damaged Worldstone. The resulting shards and instability across Sanctuary are the starting conditions for Diablo Immortal. Its central quest is to contain the consequences of that destruction, so it cannot logically precede the expansion.
Immortal comes before Diablo III
Blizzard’s official chronology is explicit: “Diablo Immortal takes place between Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Diablo III.” That makes the answer to the common “Immortal before or after Diablo III?” question unambiguous: play Immortal first.
Diablo III advances the timeline
The same Blizzard account says that Diablo III moves the story 20 years forward from Diablo II. Immortal occupies part of the intervening period; it is not an alternate retelling of the third game.
1. Play Diablo first
What to play
Play the original Diablo campaign. This is the first depiction of Tristram’s cathedral crisis and the first on-screen defeat of Diablo. It establishes the setting’s basic conflict and the personal cost of defeating a Prime Evil.
What you need to finish
You only need the main campaign to establish the chronology. Side activities are optional for story order. The important endpoint is the hero’s defeat of Diablo and the transformation that sets up the next game.
Why not start with Diablo II?
You can understand much of Diablo II without playing the first game, but you will lose the meaning of the Dark Wanderer’s identity and the emotional continuity of the opening pursuit. If you are playing for narrative rather than only modern mechanics, Diablo is the correct first stop.
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![Diablo II: Resurrected – Prime Evil Collection 1P - Xbox [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/4115uKA3a+L._SL160_.jpg)
- The Diablo Prime Evil Collection includes Diablo II: Resurrected, Diablo III, the Reaper of Souls expansion which includes Act V, Adventure Mode and the Crusader class, and the Rise of the Necromancer pack, with the Necromancer class, and additional cosmetic items. This collection also includes the Mephisto pet and the fearsome wings, Hatred’s Grasp, for Diablo III.
2. Play Diablo II, then Lord of Destruction
Choose the original campaign or Resurrected
Play the base Diablo II campaign in either its original form or Diablo II: Resurrected. Resurrected is the current remastered presentation Blizzard uses for its official retrospective of the second game’s story. It preserves the same narrative position, so choosing it does not alter the chronology.
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Complete the base campaign before the expansion
Finish the four-act Diablo II campaign before starting Lord of Destruction. The base story follows the Dark Wanderer’s trail and the effort to stop the Prime Evils. Playing the acts in their normal sequence introduces the characters, locations and consequences that the expansion assumes you already know.
Then play Lord of Destruction
Lord of Destruction is not a separate era to save for later in the overall series. It is the final chapter of the Diablo II period. Play it immediately after the base campaign, using the expansion’s campaign rather than jumping to another game.
The ending matters for the next title: Baal corrupts the Worldstone, the heroes defeat him, and Tyrael destroys the compromised Worldstone. That event changes Sanctuary and supplies the premise for Diablo Immortal.
3. Play Diablo Immortal after Lord of Destruction
Its exact place in the timeline
Diablo Immortal belongs after Lord of Destruction and before Diablo III. This is the one placement that is often missed when people list only the numbered games.
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Follow the main quest
For the story bridge, follow the main quest through the aftermath of the Worldstone’s destruction. Blizzard describes the game as beginning in that aftermath and includes returning figures such as Deckard Cain and Charsi. Those appearances connect the events to the earlier games while showing how Sanctuary responds before the next major time jump.
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What is essential and what is optional
The main quest is the essential chronological material. Optional activities, repeatable content and other systems can be played when you want them, but they are not required to place the game between Lord of Destruction and Diablo III. If your goal is a focused story playthrough, stay with the campaign objectives until its principal arc is complete.
4. Play Diablo III, then Reaper of Souls
Start with the Diablo III campaign
After completing Immortal, begin the Diablo III campaign. Blizzard describes this era as 20 years after Diablo II; Immortal fills part of that intervening history, but Diablo III remains the next major chronological chapter.
Continue directly into Reaper of Souls
Play Reaper of Souls after the base Diablo III campaign. It continues the same era and resolves the next major conflict, so placing it later in your overall series order would interrupt the narrative. Treat the two campaigns as one consecutive stop in your playthrough.
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For chronology, the campaign chapters are the material that matters. Optional modes and repeatable activities may use the same world and characters, but they do not replace the campaign sequence. Complete the story chapters first, then return for additional content if you want more time with the game.
5. Finish with Diablo IV and its story expansions
Where Diablo IV belongs
Diablo IV is the latest mainline era established by the available official chronology. Play its base campaign after Diablo III and Reaper of Souls.
How to handle expansions
After finishing the Diablo IV campaign, play each story expansion in its own release order. The cited chronology establishes the game’s position as the latest mainline era but does not give a specific in-universe year for it, so avoid assigning a precise calendar gap that the official material does not establish.
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Why expansions stay with Diablo IV
Unlike Lord of Destruction and Reaper of Souls, which are already identified as the next campaigns for their parent games, future Diablo IV story expansions should be inserted after the base Diablo IV campaign according to their release sequence. That preserves the order in which their new events become part of the ongoing era.
Original games versus remastered presentations
| Question | Best choice for a story-first playthrough | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Do I need the original Diablo? | Play it if you want the complete origin of the Tristram crisis. | It establishes the first defeat of Diablo and the Dark Wanderer setup. |
| Which Diablo II version should I use? | Diablo II: Resurrected or the original Diablo II. | Both occupy the same story position; the remaster changes presentation, not chronology. |
| Should Lord of Destruction be treated as a separate game? | Play it immediately after Diablo II. | It is the conclusion of that era and creates the Worldstone event that leads into Immortal. |
| Can I skip Immortal? | You can, but the chronology is more complete if you play its main quest. | It covers the interval explicitly placed between Lord of Destruction and Diablo III. |
| Should I combine Diablo III and Reaper of Souls? | Yes, play them consecutively. | Reaper of Souls continues the Diablo III campaign. |
Two practical routes, depending on how much story you want
Complete chronological route
- Play the Diablo campaign.
- Play the Diablo II campaign.
- Play Lord of Destruction.
- Follow the main quest in Diablo Immortal.
- Play the Diablo III campaign.
- Play Reaper of Souls.
- Play the Diablo IV campaign.
- Play each Diablo IV story expansion in release order.
This route gives you every major campaign transition identified in the chronology, including the Worldstone aftermath that is easy to miss.
Essential numbered-game route
- Play Diablo.
- Play Diablo II: Resurrected, including Lord of Destruction.
- Play Diablo III, including Reaper of Souls.
- Play Diablo IV and its story expansions.
This shorter route keeps the principal numbered-game arc intact. It omits the bridge-era campaign in Diablo Immortal, so you will not experience the events that occur between Baal’s defeat and the opening of Diablo III.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to keep your playthrough in story order
Use campaign objectives as the handoff point
At each stop, finish the game’s main campaign before launching the next title. The handoff points are clear: Diablo’s defeat leads into the Dark Wanderer story; Lord of Destruction ends with the Worldstone’s destruction; Immortal occupies the aftermath; and Reaper of Souls completes the Diablo III era.
Keep expansions attached to their parent game
- Diablo II: base campaign, then Lord of Destruction.
- Diablo III: base campaign, then Reaper of Souls.
- Diablo IV: base campaign, then story expansions in release order.
Separate chronology from release history
A newer release is not automatically a later story chapter. Diablo Immortal is a modern product, but its events occur before Diablo III. Likewise, Diablo II: Resurrected is a remastered way to experience the second game’s existing story, not a new chronological entry.
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Putting Diablo Immortal after Diablo III
This reverses the officially stated order. The Worldstone aftermath shown in Immortal must follow Lord of Destruction, while Blizzard places Diablo III later.
Stopping Diablo II before Lord of Destruction
Doing so removes the event that explains why Immortal begins in a damaged, unstable Sanctuary. Always complete the expansion before moving on.
Playing Reaper of Souls before Diablo III
Reaper of Souls is a continuation, not an opening chapter. Start with the Diablo III campaign and proceed directly into the expansion.
Treating Resurrected as a separate sequel
Diablo II: Resurrected is the remastered presentation of the second game’s story. It occupies the same chronological position as the original Diablo II.
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The established material identifies Diablo IV as the latest mainline era but does not provide an exact in-universe year. Keep its placement relative rather than inventing a numerical date.
What continuity you should expect
Returning characters
The series carries characters and institutions forward, but not every figure appears in every game. Diablo Immortal specifically includes returning characters such as Deckard Cain and Charsi, making its bridge role visible rather than purely historical.
World events matter more than a single hero
The player character changes from game to game, while the consequences of earlier victories persist. The most important chain is Diablo’s defeat, the Dark Wanderer’s legacy, Baal’s corruption of the Worldstone, Tyrael’s destruction of it, the resulting crisis covered by Immortal, and the later era of Diablo III.
Why the order improves the emotional payoff
Playing chronologically lets each escalation arrive after its cause. The cathedral crisis establishes Diablo; the Dark Wanderer carries that conflict into the second game; the Worldstone disaster explains the bridge era; and the later campaigns show Sanctuary dealing with consequences rather than presenting them without context.
Quick Recap
Quick checklist before you start
- Begin with the original Diablo campaign.
- Choose either original Diablo II or Diablo II: Resurrected.
- Finish Lord of Destruction before launching Diablo Immortal.
- Play Immortal before Diablo III if you want the complete chronology.
- Complete Diablo III before Reaper of Souls.
- Place Diablo IV last, then follow its story expansions in release order.
- Do not assign a precise year to Diablo IV unless an official source establishes one.
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