Why Bother Hunting Down Old CD Keys?
Got bit by the Diablo 2 nostalgia bug hard recently. Wanted to fire up the old Battle Chest version I had somewhere in the basement disaster zone. Found the box… eventually. Scratched up CDs? Check. Manual looking like it survived a flood? Check. No CD key slip anywhere. Figures. Time to go digital key hunting. Heard horror stories about scams, so figured I’d better be careful.
The Online Scavenger Hunt Begins
Started simple. Typed something stupid obvious like “buy diablo 2 cd key” into a search engine. First page results looked… sketchy. Some sites screaming “80% OFF!!” – yeah right, probably 80% chance it’s a fake key or stolen card info. Clicked a few links just to scope prices. Wildly different! Saw one place selling for under five bucks (red flag city), another asking almost the price of a new AAA game (crazy). Knew Blizzard wasn’t selling these direct anymore since * evolved.
Decided I needed intel, not impulse buys. Hopped onto different Diablo fan spots I remembered. Lurked a bit. Found threads specifically about trusted key sellers. Names popped up more than once. Made a short mental list:
- Site A: Old school, lots of classic games. Rep seemed decent.
- Site B: Mentioned often for Blizzard stuff. Okay prices.
- Site C: Big marketplace. Mixed bag vibes.
Also saw plenty of warnings: “Avoid Seller X!”, “Got scammed on Y!”, “Only buy if it’s a retailer, not some rando reseller!”. Took notes mentally.
Taking The Plunge (Carefully)
Checked Site A first. Searched for “Diablo II”. They had it! Standard price looked alright. Went to check out. Site felt a bit clunky, older style. Didn’t feel slick, but maybe solid? Added to cart. Stopped. Needed to double-check something critical: was this a key just for the base game, or did it include the Lord of Destruction expansion? The description was vague. Messaged their support. Sat there refreshing my inbox like a dork. Took hours. Answer came: “Only base game.” Nope. Needed that expansion. Crossed them off.
Went to Site B. Easier search. Clearly listed both D2 and D2 LoD keys separately. Bundle price was reasonable. Description explicitly said they were legit retail keys. Felt better. Looked for a “verified purchase” section. Found some. Read recent comments. “Key worked instantly on *!” “Got both games running.” Okay, promising. Added the bundle to my cart. Payment options were standard: credit card, Paypal. Used Paypal for an extra layer of “please don’t steal my info.” Clicked Confirm Purchase. Held my breath. Got an order screen saying “Processing…”. Another hour crawled by. Then ding! Order complete email. Email included a simple link: “Click to access your keys”. Clicked it nervously. Portal opened showing two shiny keys labeled “Diablo II” and “Diablo II: Lord of Destruction”. Copied them carefully.
The Moment of Truth
Fired up the * desktop app. Logged in. Clicked on Diablo II Resurrected in my library (already owned that). Not what I wanted! Scrolled down. Way down. Found the section for “Classic Games”. Saw Diablo II listed. Clicked it. Tiny button: “Add a Key”. Here we go. Pasted the first key (base game). Clicked ‘Redeem’. Spinning wheel… SUCCESS! Sweet. Repeated with the LoD key. Another spin… SUCCESS! App showed both games unlocked under my account immediately. No errors, no “invalid key”, no hassle. Felt like winning a tiny lottery.
Closing Thoughts
Mission accomplished, but it wasn’t just a quick click. Took digging. Took reading warnings. Took comparing sites and checking details. That five-buck key would’ve been tempting, but knowing it likely burns you saved my bacon. Buying games this old? It’s a minefield. Do your homework, pick places people vouch for, and triple-check what you’re actually buying. And use Paypal if you can. Still works. Go me.