Despite the ever-changing parenting styles, it’s still widely accepted that you should try not to talk back to your parents. They’re wiser and have more experience than you. It’s like challenging the endgame boss when you’re not ready – you’re not just winning. But, when you’re young, especially, it’s tempting to tell your folks off when they’re wrong, even if you don’t do it directly. Most kids never get a chance to do this though and put a smile on their proud father or mother’s face too, which is what makes the story of this 10-year-old gamer so special.
A month ago, a certain u/faildoken shared on Reddit how his 10-year-old son talked “smack” at him and told him that Diablo 2 was an easy game. Amused at his son’s bravado, the father challenged the youngling. The dare? Beat Diablo 2 on Hell difficulty in a month, specifically, “beat Baal on Hell, solo.” If the kid does it, he’ll win a $79.99 Fortnite V-Buck card. The father goes on to detail that his offspring’s previous experience with Diablo 2 was playing Diablo 2 Resurrected at launch and making it to Act 2 on Normal difficulty.
We don’t know if this is good parenting or not, because clearly, Diablo 2 and its remaster, Diablo 2 Resurrected, are the last things you’d like your child to play, especially for hours on end. But, to each his own. Besides, it’s not like son wasn’t up for it.
Diablo 2 Bet w/ 10 Year Old – The End & AMA
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For a little over a month, the proud father would post updates about the progress that the 10-year-old had made. Then, 33 days later, the patriarch dropped an update and proudly shared to the internet that, while he may have lost the bet to his son, he gained a champion in return.
Finishing his journey as a Level 78 Necromancer with a “Summonmancer” build named “Crave”, the pre-teen wove quite the tale of perseverance and hard work, which his proud father told jubilantly told in detail for the internet to read. In his post, the father thanked everyone who supported his child while revealing their plans to continue bonding over Diablo 2 as father and child.
Diablo 2 on Hell difficulty is no cakewalk. Older folks might have fond memories of playing what many consider as the original dungeon crawler for years but not everyone can claim to have beaten its last boss at the highest difficulty at a time when there were few guides. Even today, most ten-year-old children will struggle to clear through the game on Normal, let alone on Hell.
Now, we can only imagine just how the power dynamic has shifted in their household.
Kidding aside, Diablo 2 Resurrected is the perfect example of how re-releases, remasters, and remakes, can help older and newer generations of gamers bond over a single adventure. We can only hope that, in the future, a similarly spruced up version of the original Diablo will be released as well.
Diablo has been subject of much scrutiny in recent memory. And, while the criticism is well-deserved, this doesn’t mean that positive and uplifting stories, such as the one told by /faildoken and his son, aren’t welcome.
Blizzard is hosting multiple livestreams ahead of the release of Diablo 4’s Season 2 update, Season of Blood, on October 17. At the moment, Diablo is crossing over into Call of Duty and Overwatch 2 as part of each shooter’s Halloween update.
