Those who played Diablo 2 may have many fond memories of Runewords — after all, taking socketed, otherwise useless items and transforming them into some of the most powerful gear the game has to offer is both alluring and thrilling for min-maxers and the lucky alike. It makes sense, then, that when early on in Diablo 4's production Runewords were planned to be included, players were thrilled that this well-loved system would be refreshed for the newest iteration of the Diablo franchise.
Xtimus on YouTube Blizzcon Runeword Preview by Xtimus
The disappointment, then, when Runewords were cut from Diablo 4 was equally felt among the community — and fans have been talking about what could have been ever since.