How One Man Got Killed Over Diablo 2 Loot

Diablo 2 is a Blizzard classic, but is it worth killing over? One man thought it was.

Diablo 2 Final
The face of a monster? | © The Columbian / Blizzard

36-year-old Joshua G. Spellman of Amboy, pictured above (on the left obviously), appeared in Clark County Supreme Court on December 17 accused of second-degree murder. Spellman had fatally shot his friend Andrew Dickson during a heated argument over Diablo 2 loot. We wish this tragedy was merely an internet myth, but life truly is stranger than fiction.

What happened to cause the Shooting?

For those who haven't played Diablo, loot is the name of the game. Your character's strength is largely dependent on what you collect, rather than inherent abilities and stats. On the night in question, Spellman, Dickson, and a third man were playing Diablo 2 in one property but from different rooms. An unknown 4th party entered their game and stole an uncollected piece of loot - this made Dickson furious, and he began ranting.

He was so loud and continued for so long that Spellman said he needed to shut-up, or he was going to get shot. At which point, Dickson asked why Spellman even had a gun besides his computer. His response, per the affidavit: "Why not? This is America." Spellman allegedly fired into the sky at that point, then went to speak to his father, who was also on the property. Dickson then entered the room, angry about Spellman's threat, and ran at him. But before he could close the distance, Spellman shot and killed him. No one else was hurt in the altercation.

What happens next?

Spellman’s bail been set at $750,000 while the court case continues, he will be arraigned on December 29. We'll keep you updates as soon as we know more, but it doesn't look good for Spellman.

Jon Ramuz

Jon has a BA and an MA in English Literature, and as Content Lead for EarlyGame has written over 1,500 articles. He focuses on shooters, but also writes about entertainment and gaming in general....