Diablo 4 Season 5: Release date and what to expect

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As a seasoned Diablo III player with countless hours spent traversing Sanctuary, I am thrilled about the upcoming changes to the game. With my character nearing level 100 and having faced the Infernal Hordes countless times, I can’t wait to tackle the new challenges that await me in World Tier III.

As a dedicated Diablo player with years of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation as we draw closer to the release date of Diablo 4 Season 5. The game never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat with its thrilling battles, intriguing lore, and constant updates. And with this new season just around the corner, I can hardly wait to see what fresh challenges and rewards await me in Sanctuary. So, let’s all stay awake and alert, my fellow Diablo enthusiasts – Hell may never sleep, but neither should we as we prepare for this latest adventure!

There is plenty of reading to get through, so no shut-eye for you, we’re afraid.

Many people found that Diablo 4 truly found its stride during Season 4, which has us eagerly anticipating what Blizzard will unveil next for us.

For those who haven’t played Diablo 4 yet, you can access it at no extra cost through Xbox Game Pass. However, be aware that the price of Game Pass is increasing, but you won’t have to pay anything extra to enjoy Diablo 4’s Season 5.

You will need to pay for the upcoming expansion DLC, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, however.

However, given the abundance of information and the constraints of time, let’s not delay further. Dive in for a quick overview of Diablo 4 Season 5!

When is Diablo 4 Season 5 coming out? Release date

The release date for Diablo 4 Season 5 is 6pm BST on 6th August 2024.

You might have gotten a sneak peek of Season 5 earlier by participating in the Public Test Realm (PTR), where players could test an early version of the update from June 25th to July 2nd. Unfortunately, we’ve already moved past that window.

Excitingly, the wait won’t be for long now! Before you know it, we’ll be back at Sanctuary, ready to cause a ruckus with our usual demon-vanquishing antics.

As for what to expect, well then, read on and we will dish out the details!

What to expect in Diablo 4 Season 5

Diablo 4’s Season 5 is packed with fresh content including an abundance of new items, intriguing quests, and captivating storylines. The Season 5 discussion around the PTR campfire provides a detailed overview, while the official blog post succinctly describes it as brimming with novelty items, engaging quests, and compelling narratives.

As a die-hard movie buff, I’m beyond excited about Season 5! This time around, we delve into an entirely fresh narrative where old foes meet their match, allegiances subtly change, and unanticipated friendships surface from the cloak of darkness. Can’t wait to see how it unfolds on the big screen of my mind!

1. “Following the main storyline, the PTR offers a fresh quest series in its aftermath. This new adventure can be found on both Seasonal and Everlasting Realms. Once Season 5 ends, it will continue to be accessible on the Everlasting Realm.”

To start this new quest, Blizzard states that you must do the following:

1. “Travel to Hawezar, World Tier III, and look into the unrest among the citizens. Finishing this Questline lets you engage in combat against the Infernal Hordes, a fresh gameplay feature arriving with Season 5.”

1. Over time, you’ll battle through numerous waves of increasingly powerful demons for short, intense sessions lasting approximately 90 seconds. The demons grow stronger daily. Eventually, you’ll confront a formidable foe: the Fell Council.

This is what the blog post lists out:

Slay the Infernal Hordes

1. The torment of Helltides was merely a prelude to the terrors lurking ahead. Brace yourself for unending assaults by the Legions of Hell within the Domain of Despair, as the Malevolent Hosts from the Netherworld grow stronger with each tick of the clock.

  • The Infernal Hordes is an activity where you slay hordes while earning Burning Aether to unlock powerful weapons and rewards. Successfully slay the Hordes and you’ll be able to fight the powerful Fell Council.
  • Enter the Realm of Hatred by using an Infernal Compass.
    • Hell Compasses can be found by defeating Endgame Bosses, Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons and Whispers.
    • A Hell Compass will be granted to you upon completing the newest Eternal quest.

Infernal Hordes

  • Infernal Hordes has time-limited waves, lasting 90 seconds each.
  • Collect Burning Aether during a wave to spend at the end of a successful Infernal run.
  • At the end of the 90 seconds, kill the remaining enemies and decide between three Infernal Offers. Once selected, the next wave will begin.
  • Successfully slay all waves in the Tier you are attempting to advance to the Well of Hatred then battle the Fell Council. Upon defeating the Fell Council, spend your Burning Aether on Spoils of Hell.

Infernal Offer

Upon defeating each wave, Hell will tempt you with an Infernal Offer.

  • The Infernal Offer gives you a choice of three different Boons & Banes that modify your run. Select one!
    • Ex: Elite damage increased, Elites grant increased Burning Aether.
  • Choose wisely—Infernal Offers will stack across the duration of your Infernal Hordes run. Many can be active at the same time!
  • Infernal Offers are your chance to increase the difficulty in order to earn more Burning Aether, or select a more modest Infernal Offer if the intensity is too great.

Burning Aether

  • Earn Burning Aether by slaying Aether Fiends and Aether Lords, or by destroying Soulspires and Aetheric Masses.
  • Burning Aether is earned individually, regardless of playing solo or in a group. This lets you decide how to spend it at the end of your run.

Spoils of Hell

  • On a successful run, you’ll use Burning Aether to unlock Spoils of Hell. There will be four different Spoils of Hell available on completing your Infernal Hordes run.
    • Spoils of Equipment.
    • Spoils of Materials.
    • Spoils of Gold.
    • Spoils of Greater Equipment.
      • This Spoil of Hell guarantees an item with a Greater Affix!

Infernal Compass

  • There are eight Tiers of Infernal Compasses, which scale in difficulty and World Tier.
  • Each Infernal Compass Tier increases the number of waves starting at five for Tiers I-III, increasing until a maximum of 10 waves with a Tier VIII Infernal Compass. It also increases the starting difficulty of Monsters, and increases the potency of your rewards while decreasing your number of revives.
  • Abyssal Scrolls can be earned and used to upgrade your Infernal Compass by upgrading their Tier. Infernal Compasses will only drop at Tiers I-III; Abyssal Scrolls will be needed to increase their level to a Max of Tier VIII.

Infernal Compasses can be used at the following levels and World Tiers:

  • Tier I
    • Available at World Tier III.
  • Tier II
    • Available at World Tier IV.
    • Includes Bonus Affixes which increase crafting materials, and Legendary and Unique Drop rates!
  • Tier III
    • Available at Level 100.
    • Includes Bonus Affixes.
    • Includes Spoil of Greater Equipment.

Battle Fell Priests

  • If you manage to survive the Infernal Hordes, the Fell Council await. Originally meant to protect us from the Prime Evil Mephisto during the events in Diablo II, these noble priests were corrupted and became Champions of the very demon they swore to oppose.
  • There are five Fell Council Members in total, each equipped with different unique abilities. Every time you face the Fell Council, there will be three different members to fight you – each three will be selected to fight you at random. Be wary of their unique abilities in the various combinations you’ll encounter them.
  • Once you inflict enough damage on the Fell Council, the Priests will become more frenzied in their attacks. Stay on your guard if you wish to live.
  • Upon defeating the Fell Council, you can spend your Burning Aether on the Spoils of Hell.

New Weapons and Items

In the Burning Hells, the forges blaze with unmatched ferocity, giving birth to weapons of extraordinary potential.

  • Season 5 introduces new Legendaries, Uniques, and items.
  • These new Legendaries and Uniques can be earned by slaying enemies across Sanctuary, but have the best chance of appearing when playing the Infernal Hordes.

Quality-of-Life Updates to Endgame Bosses and more

1. To enhance the general user experience, we’re modifying how players engage with endgame bosses. This means smoother and more enjoyable access to these challenging encounters.

Endgame Bosses

  • You no longer need to reset the dungeon to replay the same boss. Upon killing them, the summoning Altar reappears and allows you to use more resources to play them again.
  • Summoning Varshan now only requires Malignant Hearts. Trembling Hands, Blackened Femurs, and Gurgling Heads have been removed from the game.
  • Endgame Bosses now drop additional gold instead of Rare items.

Beast in Ice

  • The Beast in Ice boss fight now functions as a standard dungeon; you no longer have to craft a sigil to enter the fight.
    • Any leftover Beast in Ice sigils held by previous Seasonal Realm or Eternal characters can be used to summon Beast in Ice instead of using Summoning Materials.
  • The boss fight is now much closer to the entrance, so you’ll no longer need to progress through the Dungeon before the fight.
  • Sigil Dust has been removed as a material cost to summon.

Helltide and Whispers

  • We’ve significantly reduced the time it takes to complete Whisper bounties. We’ve now made it so that there are always enough Whispers to earn 10 Grim Favors within a given Helltide, should now take significantly less time to complete. Additionally, icons have been updated to be consistent with other Whispers.
  • Increasing your Threat now consistently scales with the health of slain Monsters.
  • We’re adjusting Baneful Heart drop rates as they were dropping too frequently to feel valuable.
    • Chance to get one from a Tortured Gift starts at 13 per cent, and increases each time you fail to get one. Once you are rewarded a Baneful Heart, the chance resets to 10 per cent.
    • Hellborne and the Helltide Assassin starts at 1 per cent chance to drop a Heart, and also increases each time you fail to get one. It now resets to 2 per cent.
  • The Cull Demons Whisper Bounty now includes Fallen, Cull Fallen Whisper Bounty now replaced with Cull Cultists.

Loot Rewards

  • Resplendent Spark awards for defeating Tormented bosses can now be earned separately on both Hardcore and non-Hardcore.
  • Resplendent Sparks and Scattered Prisms will no longer be automatically picked up. Additionally, these items can now be found in the lost items Stash if forgotten when they drop.
  • Unique and Mythic Unique Items can now be acquired through Whisper Caches, the Purveyor of Curiosities, and Tortured Gifts in Helltide.
  • The chance to find Mythic Uniques through all non-boss drop locations has been increased.

Treasure Goblins

  • The loot Quality from Treasure Goblins has been improved. They can now drop 1-3 Legendary Items and 2-6 Rare Items. The higher the number of Legendary Drops, the lower the number of Rare Drops. The opposite is also true e.g. if two Legendary Items drop, then four Rares will drop in addition.
  • Now drop 1-2 Elixirs and are guaranteed to additionally drop Common Ore, Herbs, Leather, and Gem Fragments.
  • Increased the amount of Gold that drops.
    • Examples:
      • Level 1 in World Tier I: 40k Gold.
      • Level 100 in World Tier IV: 150k Gold.
  • In World Tiers III and IV, Treasure Goblins also drop Forgotten Souls.
  • Additionally, they now have a 10/20/30 per cent chance to drop 1-2 Scattered Prisms in World Tiers I and II/World Tier III/World Tier IV respectively.

Weapons

  • We’re now allowing more classes to use different weapon types. This includes updating innate affixes to be more useful across classes and adjusting their conditional requirements.
    • For instance, Sorcerers will now be able to use One-handed Swords and Maces.

1. For a comprehensive understanding, make sure you go through the entirety of the update details since there’s additional information awaiting you.

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2024-07-30 19:05