Diablo II patch fixes online problems, other glitches

Game developer/publisher Blizzard Entertainment last week released two patches to Diablo II in rapid succession: versions 1.05 and 1.05b. Regular users of Blizzard’s online multiplayer gaming service, Battle.net, have seen their software updated to the latest version, but separate patches are available for users who do not play online games.

Diablo II is Blizzard’s popular action/role-playing game, in which players must confront three Prime Evils who seek to rule the Earth by calling upon the forces of darkness. Players can choose from various character classes, each with unique talents and abilities.

Major changes in the 1.05b revision include:

A fix for a video driver crash encountered when displaying graphics in the Battle.net chat room;

Copy-protection fixes for various CD, DVD and CD-R drives;

Fixed problem where character avatars were left in the list after that character had left a channel;

Fixed several visual glitches with the character select screen.

These fixes are added to the list of dozens of changes made to version 1.05, which introduced a variety of bug fixes and gameplay changes.

Diablo II was released last summer for Mac and PC users alike; the game has also spawned an expansion set called Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. The set is due out later this year.

For more details about the 1.05b patch or about Diablo II itself, please visit Blizzard Entertainment’s Web site.