On February 29, the developers of Diablo 4 talked about the leaderboards in a livestream and finally revealed when they will be coming to the game. You can find the most important information from the stream here.
The most important points from the stream:
- On the upcoming Tuesday, March 5, the midseason update in the form of patch 1.3.3 will be released for Diablo 4. This will also introduce the leaderboards in the game that players have been waiting for. Previously, the date for the new feature was already postponed.
- Additionally, the vampiric powers from Season 2 will return, including “Metamorphosis,” which was considered one of the strongest vampiric powers.
- Adjustments will be made for the classes, with the Seneschall receiving some nerfs.
In the Twitch livestream, the developers introduced the leaderboards on February 29, which will be available in the game on March 5. During a showcase, the team presented three runs in a “Gauntlet.” The gameplay was showcased and commented on by the two content creators “AnnacakeLive” and “MacroBioBoi.”
In the leaderboards, your strategy is crucial
How do the leaderboards work? Every week you can take on a new challenge: a fixed dungeon where you fight for the most powerful loot and a spot on the leaderboard. The challenge is available once you reach World Tier 4. The layout and spawns in the dungeon remain identical for the week, ensuring everyone has the same conditions. Level 100 is not a requirement, but it is advantageous.
The leaderboards are divided into different categories – solo players have leaderboards for their own class, while groups of 2, 3, and 4 players each have their own leaderboards. Softcore and Hardcore also have their own boards.
In the stream, both the two content creators and the developers emphasized that it is primarily about strategy here. The crucial factor is how many “Evidence of Power” you gather through killing monsters and how many chests you can open within the 8-minute time limit.
The leaderboards will also be available beyond Season 3 and will include the seasonal content. Thus, in the current season, your Seneschall will join you in the dungeon. On March 19, a sort of leaderboard event is to start – a two-week contest where participants of the leaderboards can earn art prints.
Vampiric powers from Season 2 return
What are the vampiric powers about? The vampiric powers were the season mechanic in Season 2. With them, you could enhance your hero to benefit from even more powerful bonuses.
Six of the vampiric powers will return in Season 3, however, as legendary aspects and not as a one-to-one copy. According to developer Adam Z. Jackson, you will receive the powers through drops in the game.
The following powers will return:
- Cursed Touch
- Blood Clot
- Hectic
- Metamorphosis
- Moonrise
- Indestructible
Adjustments to classes and “Uber Unique”-crafting
What else does the midseason update bring? With the upcoming patch 1.3.3, the required amount of “Magnificent Sparks” that you need to craft Uber Uniques in Diablo 4 will be reduced from 5 to 4.
Additionally, both adjustments for the classes and for the Seneschall companion will be made with the midseason update. The Seneschall will receive some nerfs after he was buffed with a previous patch.
The Barbarian has the strongest builds in Diablo 4 for the endgame. However, with this adjustment, the developers want to make him stronger in the early game as well. Pets of Druids and Necromancers will also be buffed. Below are the screenshots from the English livestream:
Season 4 brings the PTR and changes to itemization
What has been revealed about Season 4: According to Game Director Joe Piepiora, the team plans numerous updates for Season 4 that they have been working on for months. While they cannot say much about it yet, two features were mentioned:
- Itemization: The loot system in Diablo 4 has been criticized for months and continues to be a topic for many players. The developers are planning changes for Season 4 regarding the loot and handling of items. They stated in an interview at BlizzCon that it is difficult to find an item you actually want to keep. These problems exist with itemization today, and they want to make changes to it.
- PTR: For Season 4, there will be a “Public Test Realm” in Diablo 4, which is essentially intended to test new content and updates. The PTR will be available to all players who have a Battle.net version of Diablo 4. It will not be under NDA, so it can also be streamed.
Tomorrow, on March 1, the patch notes for patch 1.3.3 will be released. In a few weeks, the developers plan another livestream in which they will discuss more on the test realms.
Recently, some details about the first expansion for Diablo 4 have also emerged. The expansion “Vessel of Hatred” is scheduled for release at the end of 2024, with a more detailed presentation planned for summer 2024.
An expert has taken a look at the long list of code and sorted out which information could be particularly exciting: Diablo 4: Expert summarizes what the first expansion is supposed to bring, talking about classes, skills, areas
