Diablo 4 Season 5 introducing even more menacing version of The Butcher

One Diablo 4 player encountered a new version of the Butcher while navigating the Infernal Hordes in the Season 5 PTR.

A hulking boss character who previously appeared in Diablo 1 and 3, The Butcher shows up at random in D4 dungeons.

He’s known for being quite the formidable foe, too, so players know they have a difficult fight on their hands whenever he spawns in. One Level 99 user recently had a nearly 24-hour run ruined by The Butcher and his meat cleaver.

Now, there’s reason to believe a more dominating version of the enemy will surface once Season 5 drops.

During Diablo 4’s Season 5 PTR, content creator Rizarjay randomly ran into a foe dubbed the Burning Butcher while working through a Tier 3 Infernal Horde.

About 30 seconds into the clip, the new Burning Butcher spawns in. He notably bears more horns than his main game counterpart, as well as an eerie fiery aura.

The character is dispatched pretty quickly in the video, though the YouTuber attributed this to the Tier 3 Infernal Horde.

Presumably, the Burning Butcher would put up much more of a fight in higher Tiers of Diablo 4’s upcoming wave-based mode. And since this encounter happened in the Public Test Realm, it’s possible the character wasn’t operating at 100 percent strength.

If that’s the case, players should steel themselves for Season 5’s debut on Tuesday, August 6.

In addition to the Burning Butcher-featuring Infernal Hordes, Season 5 will introduce new Unique items and various balance updates for all character classes.

Season 5’s conclusion in early October will open the door for an even bigger threat, given that its end will coincide with the launch of Vessel of Hatred, the expansion centered around Mephisto’s plans for Sanctuary.