“A port I would pay for”: a fan created a browser version of the classic Diablo – it even works on smartphones

Thanks to enthusiast GalaXyHaXz, the original Diablo from 1996 can be played via a web browser. The enthusiast created this version based on the source code he had previously restored.

Image source: GOG

Browser-based Diablo (GitHub) is based on the open source port of Devilution. A trial (Shareware) version is offered to all users, but the entire game can be played by selecting the Select MPQ option and downloading the DIABDAT.MPQ file from a licensed copy (available for purchase on GOG). You can even use your own save file. Progress is stored in the browser cache. The version is compatible with mobile devices – touch control is supported.

GalaXyHaXz has been working on Devilution and the browser version since 2018. The programmer has attempted to accurately reproduce the Diablo source code and Hellfire expansions, including bugs, in order to make the game easier for other enthusiasts to use, including releasing updates and porting to other platforms.

«Most Blizzard games have been supported for years, but the first Diablo has remained in the shadows, wrote GalaXyHaXz. “By switching to a sequel, [Blizzard] left it with a lot of bugs and untapped potential. The last patch was released in 2001, after which the game was abandoned. I wanted to solve this problem.”

As the author said, his project became possible thanks to the official version for PlayStation. The original game’s source code is believed to be lost, but can be reverse engineered. Blizzard North once handed it over not only to Synergistic Software to create the mentioned add-on, but also to the developers of the PS1 port from Climax Studios, who leaked it. This version included a debug file with a map of all the code generated during compilation (file names, functions, structures, variables, etc.). In addition, the PC version contains a special assembly with debugging tools and assertions containing additional information about the code.

The restored source code also exposed development problems: according to GalaXyHaXz, towards the end of production the creators were in a hurry, which is why they abandoned many ideas and built in multiplayer functions without due diligence.

Players respond extremely positively to the web version. “A port I would pay for,” ogzerozeni wrote in a comment on indie developer Shane Lynch’s post on social media X.

New classic content recently appeared in the fourth installment of the series. On August 6, Diablo IV launched The Infernal Hordes Season. Among other things, the developers have added the Infernal Hordes mode, in which you can fight five Fallen Councils – unique demons from Diablo II.