Diablo 4 Infernal Hordes: Everything we know about the Season 5 endgame mode

Diablo 4 Season 5 will introduce Infernal Hordes, a new endgame activity that will feature in the Season 5 PTR.

During the Campfire Chat for D4’s Season 5 PTR, Lead Season Designer Daniel Tanguay previewed a new endgame activity called Infernal Hordes.

Tanguay noted that feedback about the lacking endgame inspired the creation of Season 4’s Pit feature. Developers opted to push the envelope further by adding a “rewarding and very replayable” experience packed with stakes and waves of monsters.

And since D4 didn’t let players return to Hell after conquering the big bad like in previous installments, Infernal Hordes seemed a good solution.

Here’s everything we know about Diablo 4’s Infernal Hordes, the endgame mode launching in Season 5.

What is Diablo 4’s Infernal Hordes activity?

Infernal Hordes will invite players to take part in a wave-based mode buttressed by “survival-like choices” between each wave. Notably, it’ll all culminate in new boss encounters versus the Fell Council.

Throughout the activity, players can expect to face off against hordes of Hell’s Legions in the Realm of Hatred and earn Burning Aether while doing so to unlock powerful new rewards and weapons.

The Infernal Hordes overview begins at the 36:00 mark.

In the PTR, starting the activity will first require users to finish a quest in Zarbinzet, where they’ll obtain a Compass that opens up access to Hell.

Not unlike Sigils for Nightmare Dungeons, Compasses include a starting difficulty, limited revives, and eight levels of difficulty Tiers with “escalating challenges and rewards.”

While progressing, players can upgrade Compasses with new consumables known as Abyssal Scrolls.

How waves work in Infernal Hordes

Diablo 4’s Infernal Hordes will operate on limited waves, each running 90 seconds in length. While confronting Hell’s Legions, players will collect Burning Aether which can be spent upon completion of a successful run.

Diablo 4’s Infernal Hordes will reward Burning Aether for slaying Aether Fiends and Aether Lords, as well as destroying Soulspires and Aetheric Masses. Each player will get their own Burning Aether, whether they play solo or in a group with friends.

Blizzard Entertainment

When the timer runs and all enemies have fallen, users will be presented with three Infernal Offers from which to choose.

The next wave will start once a choice is made. Wiping out all waves in a Tier will open up the Well of Hatred, where the fight versus the Fell Council takes place.

Infernal Offer

Completing waves will result in Hell tempting players with an Infernal Offer. The offer itself includes three “Boons and Banes” that modify the next run. One example shared in a Blizzard News post is an Elite damage increase.

Notably, Infernal Offers stack across Hordes runs, meaning several can be active at once.

Spoils of Hell

After every successful run, players will spend Burning Aether to unlock Spoils of Hell, of which there will be four:

• Spoils of Equipment
• Spoils of Materials
• Spoils of Gold
• Spoils of Greater Equipment – will always guarantee an item with a Greater Affix

Infernal Compass

Infernal Compasses feature a total of eight different Tiers, scaling in difficulty and World Tier. Every Infernal Compass Tier increases the number of monster waves, beginning at five waves for Tiers I through III.

The number will continue to rise until players hit a maximum of 10 waves with a Tier VIII Infernal Compass.

Compasses also increase the starting difficulty of Monsters, as well as the potency of rewards. Do note that it additionally decreases the number of revives.

Blizzard Entertainment

Players will be able to upgrade their Infernal Compass with Abyssal Scrolls, earned through upgrading their Tier. Notably, Infernal Compasses will exclusively drop at Tiers I through III, with Abyssal Scrolls being mandatory for reaching a Max level of Tier VIII.

Infernal Compasses work 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

Diablo 4’s Infernal Hordes will be available in the PTR on June 25 for BattleNet users on PC.