Diablo II Resurrected: What Are Runes?

Runes haven’t always been part of the Diablo II experience. These mechanics, which allow players to further power up their characters, have been introduced in the Lord of Destruction expansion, and since then, players have come up with some amazing setups that make it easier to take on the game’s more challenging difficulty modes.

As Diablo II Resurrected also features the Lord of Destruction expansion, Runes are available right from the get-go. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

What Are Runes in Diablo II Resurrected?

Runes are powerful items that can be obtained quite frequently at any difficulty level that can be added to socketed gear to activate all sorts of special effects, ranging from increased damage, vitality and energy to increased gold drop and so on. Combining Runes in a specific order in a specific item will give birth to Runewords, which are considered among the best items you can get in Diablo II Resurrected.

Runes come in different tiers, which indicate how common they are to find and how good their effects are. If you have mid or high runes, you should hold onto them, as they are very hard to find. More common Runes can be used to experiment with your build, or even get sold for gold.

Runes also have other uses, other than being socketed into gear. Many of them can be used in the Horadric Cube to produce items or even to repair equipment, like the Ral rune. Runes can also be upgraded using the Horadric Cube, which is the fastest method of acquiring rarer runes, as they don’t normally drop that easily. And you will need these more powerful Runes, as their effects go a long way to make Hell and Nightmare difficulties more manageable.