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Diablo 4 Season 4 is on the way, and with it will come some major changes to the game. Some of these adjustments may or may not be popular with the fanbase, but only the actual implementation of these changes will prove that. The developers sat down on Twitch and YouTube on May 2, 2024, and highlighted a wealth of updates that are coming to the game with the next major seasonal content.
From a new story, new systems, end-game content, and of course, adjustments to loot, Diablo 4 Season 4 is going to be a very different beast from what we see right now. With the lackluster arrival of Seasons 1 and 3, Blizzard is under pressure to deliver a quality, enjoyable experience in this next seasonal update. What awaits us when Season 3 ends?
What’s new in Diablo 4 Season 4?
1) Major Loot Changes
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At first, this is probably going to upset players. Diablo 4 Season 4 is going to see some massive itemization changes going forward. The reason it’s potentially controversial is that players will see “less loot”. On top of that, items will drop with fewer affixes connected to them: 2 on Rares, and 3 on Legendaries.
Blizzard has also removed many of the “conditional” affixes from the game as well. The idea is that it will be much easier to determine if a piece of gear is an actual upgrade for a player - something that many struggle with as they begin their seasonal journey. At the surface level, I’m interested to see how this will play out. Blizzard didn’t reveal the list of what was removed, so players will just have to wait and see, most likely.
2) New Crafting Systems in Season 4
Equipment will be much easier to understand at a base level, but the complexities and ability to create powerful gear still exist, thanks to the new crafting systems introduced in Diablo 4 Season 4: Tempering and Masterworking.
The Tempering System brings in Tempering Manuals that you can use at the Blacksmith to increase the power of your gear and add affixes to them. Thankfully, once you’ve learned a Manual, it’s there to stay - it’s not a temporary-use item. The Masterworking system is more for when you’re in the endgame.
Once you’ve got access to the end-game Pit of Artificers, you can use the materials there to further upgrade and enhance your affixes. It sounds like a very promising system. According to Blizzard, a future update will make materials from The Pit easier to convert, and they’ve also removed the chance of failing Masterworking - which sounds like it would be infuriating.
3) New end-game content: The Pit of Artificers
There’s always room for new end-game content, and Diablo 4 Season 4 does, in fact, have something new: The Pit of Artificers. As you play through content in the endgame, you’ll start accruing items called Runeshards. Take these to the Obelisk in Cerrigar, and you will be able to challenge The Pit.
It’s a timed event, so you’re going to have to bring your A-game with you. You’ll have 10 minutes to slaughter your way through foes, and ultimately the boss. If you die, that’s time off the clock and you don’t want that - the first takes away 30 seconds, the second is 60 seconds, and everything beyond that is 90 seconds.
Thankfully, you don’t have to tackle it alone. Up to four players can descend into The Pit, and the faster you win, the better your rewards are. There are reportedly 200 levels to this area, so it will be interesting to see what strategies players cook up to get as far as possible in this new Diablo 4 Season 4 endgame.
4) Changes to Boss Ladder
Out of all the Diablo 4 Season 4 changes, this one is perhaps the least impressive. However, they are worth noting. Andariel has been officially added to the Boss Ladder, and there are new, more devastating bosses: Level 200 Tormented Bosses. Level 200 tells you everything you need to know about how strong they’re going to be.
These bosses cost 3x of the normal materials to summon, but the rewards are vast. Players will secure 5 times the normal amount of loot for these bosses. Could this be the new way to target farm-specific items, such as the new, incoming uniques?
5) Helltides Available in All Difficulties
One of the Diablo 4 changes in Season 4 feels like it’s aimed at people who don’t want to climb to higher difficulty levels. The way the game stands now, you need to head to Tier III difficulty to access Helltides. However, that changes in Season 4. Players will be able to find and face these in Tier I and Tier II.
There will be more powerful enemies that are slated to appear, such as the Hellborne and Blood Maiden. There are also going to be new Helltide vents - one of these is the Accursed Rituals. Another point Blizzard made sure to make is that Aberrant Cinders will have a higher drop rate.
That said, there are other Helltide changes. As you kill monsters, your Threat Level will go up. How frequently you get Tortured Gifts will also adjust this. Once you’ve leveled your Threat three times, you become Hell Marked. Blizzard has said this will summon a horde of “densely packed monsters”. Now that promises to be exciting.
That’s when the Hellborn shows up, which will represent one of the classes in Diablo 4. Defeating them grants you Baneful Hearts, which can be used on that new Accursed Ritual. Once the event triggers, players will have to battle through a series of enemies, before the Blood Maiden herself. The rewards are great, but so are the challenges. These changes are intended to remain post-Season 4 as well.
Diablo 4 Season 4 will begin on May 14, at 10 am PT. It promises a wealth of interesting challenges, as players join forces with the Iron Wolves once again.
