Quote (Bashiok @ Apr 19 2012 )

As we all anxiously await the release of Diablo III on May 15, we invite you to come enjoy one last hurrah in Diablo II as we reset the ladder the morning of May 2. We anticipate the realms could be down for up to six hours during the reset, and during that time all existing ladder characters will be converted to non-ladder. All characters and items being converted to non-ladder will remain intact, but once converted these characters will no longer have access to ladder content such as creating ladder-only rune words.

This ladder reset, like all those before it, creates a clean slate where all ladder characters begin at level 1 with no previous items to help them. To participate, simply wait until the Diablo II realms return to service on May 2, log in to Battle.net, and tick the “Ladder Character” checkbox when creating a new character. You can track ladder character leveling progress by clicking on the Ladder button from the main Diablo II in-game Battle.net interface.

Of course if you haven’t yet tried Diablo II you can find the Battle Chest at any fine PC game retail store, as well as our online Blizzard Store. You can alternatively purchase digital copies of Diablo II and the Lord of Destruction expansion, which you can begin downloading and playing immediately.

For more information on ladder characters please visit the Arreat Summit.