On May 14, Season 4 titled “Loot Reborn” launched in Diablo 4 and brought numerous changes to the ARPG. Here you will find everything about the season theme, features, and the new crafting system.
Update from May 10: We have updated the article with the latest information.
Release Date and PTR
When does Season 4 start?
- Season 3 was extended, delaying the start of the new season. The new start date for Season 4 is Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
- At 7:00 PM it started – however, players were faced with a hefty patch at launch, without preload.
Was there a PTR? There was a PTR (Public Test Realm) that ran from April 2 to 9 and was available to anyone with a Battle.net version of Diablo 4 on PC. Players had the opportunity to test new content in advance on the PTR. After the first day, almost all experts were absolutely thrilled.
The developers emphasized in the livestream on May 2 how important the PTR was for Season 4 and the changes:
Season 4 Loot Reborn – Content and Patch Notes
What is the new season theme? The theme of the season will be the Iron Wolves, which many have already suspected. The mercenary union has been a fixed part of the world since Diablo 2 and plays an increasingly important role since then.
Furthermore, Season 4 is all about the motto “Loot Reborn”. While Season 4 will not receive a special mechanic, it will fundamentally reshape everything, including the loot and crafting system, even beyond Season 4.
What does this mean for Diablo 4? Many changes will remain permanent. Season 4 aims to revamp Diablo 4 to the point where it becomes almost a completely new game. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was already able to speak with lead seasons designer Deric Nuñez and lead game producer Timothy Ismay earlier.
As a reminder: Season 1 brought special gems with malevolent hearts into the game, and in Season 2 you could gain special vampire powers. In Season 3, the mechanical seneschal companion was the core theme.
What’s included in Season 4? In the last “Campfire Chat” livestream, the developers reported on the numerous updates for Season 4 that they have been working on for months. Players then got a glimpse on the PTR. An expert has already presented the strongest builds for Season 4.
The patch notes for Season 4 specifically show what new content, changes, and “quality of life” improvements are included in the update:
The following innovations are available in Diablo 4:
- New crafting system: Starting from Season 4, you have two options to adapt your items to your builds. With “Tempering” you add new affixes to items, and with “Masterworking” you upgrade the affixes. Completion (or: “Masterworking”) can no longer fail, unlike on the PTR. The community is responding very positively. And improving items costs significantly less.
- Smaller affix pool with stronger, “noticeable” values: From Season 4, there will be a smaller pool of affixes, which removes many duplicate or conditional effects. The overall values of the affixes have been increased. The amount of affixes on items itself has also been reduced. Legendary affixes can drop in a “larger” version, which is 1.5 times stronger.
- Aspects no longer clog chests and inventory: From Season 4, legendary aspects will be transferred to your Codex of Power when you dismantle items. Thus, Blizzard addresses an annoying problem, and players say: “This completely changes Diablo 4.”
- Less “useless” loot: Enemies from level 95 now always drop items with level 925. Unique items and Uber Uniques drop at earlier levels. At world level 3, only “sacred” items drop, and at world level 4, only “legacy” items. And the developers are simplifying complicated armor values – you will only need to remember one number.
- Trading: Trading will also be revised in Season 4. You will be able to trade legendaries and uniques, except for Uber Uniques or items that are bound to your account through crafting.
- Curiosity Trader: The “gambling” aspect should also become more interesting, because: the special trader will receive a better offer, and the maximum limit of Obols has been raised to 2,500. Starting from level 100, you will be guaranteed legendaries with an item power of 925 from him. And the items have a chance to possess “greater affixes”.
- New endgame content: With Andariel, a new boss enters, who according to the developers drops the same loot as Duriel. In the new activity “The Pit,” you will find new materials called “Stygian Stones,” which allow you to summon “Level 200” versions of the bosses.
- Revision of Hell Floods: The more monsters you slay, the more your “threat” increases. At maximum threat, assassins will appear who are targeting you. With a currency that you find in Tormented Gifts, you can also start a new event for a boss fight and strong rewards. Additionally, Hell Floods in Season 4 are also available in world levels 1 and 2. Players love the changes, but say: the best feature is too good.
- “Quality of Life” improvement: In Season 4, developers will add another zoom function, and the community is pleased. For some, that even serves as a reason to re-enter the game.
In the video, you will get an insight into the changes for Season 4 in Diablo 4:
Season 4 – Tips and Builds
How do I best start in Season 4? The latest season completely revamps Diablo 4. Some even say it is now a completely different, new game. You will no longer find an overwhelming number of affixes and can compare items more easily. Additionally, there is a completely new crafting system and new endgame content. If you are starting in Season 4 now, we provide you with some tips for the ideal start.
Which class is suitable? At the start of the season, necromancers dominate the top of the tier list and have three builds in the S-tier when it comes to endgame content. The minion build is suitable for both leveling and endgame activities.
The strongest classes and builds in the endgame in Season 4 of Diablo 4 can be seen in our tier list. There, we present three strong builds for each of the five classes, along with a brief description of what the builds are capable of and what makes them so good: Diablo 4 Season 4 Tier List of the best classes & builds – This is how you play them
