Diablo 4 Season 3: Release date, Helltide changes, The Gauntlet, more
Blizzard EntertainmentDiablo 4 Season 3 is the next major content update for the game and we’ve gathered everything there is to know about it, including the reveal details and release date.
Diablo 4’s Season of Blood was a huge success with its new mechanics and an endgame overhaul restoring some faith in the game’s seasons after a lackluster Season 1. The massively popular Blood Harvests played a big role, so much so that Blizzard has promised their mechanics are sticking around in Season 3.
Now, after the much more positively received Season of Blood is nearly at an end, players will need to tie up any loose ends before the beginning of Diablo 4 Season 3. Season 2 characters will be transitioning to the Eternal Realm though, so they’ll still be available.
Season 3 of Diablo 4 will switch the theme from blood-sucking vampires to a new mechanical menace left behind by Diablo 3 frenemy, Zoltun Kulle. Now that we’ve finally gotten a full breakdown of the season in Blizzard’s recent Developer Update, here’s everything we currently know about Diablo 4 Season 3, so far.
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Blizzard EntertainmentDiablo 4 Season 3 release date
Diablo 4 Season 3 begins on January 23, 2024. This is the first time that a Season will begin directly after another.
There was an 11-day wait between Seasons 1 and 2 but Season 3 begins the same day Season 2 ends. Blizzard hasn’t announced whether this is the plan for seasonal content going forward or if it’s a one-off.
Diablo 4 Season 3 details
A post from the Diablo Twitter account showcased an announcement trailer for the new season, officially subtitled Season of the Construct.
The trailer teases the upcoming quest that players will embark on, a journey set “deep beneath the sands of Kehjistan” where a new threat lies in wait. Notably, ancient technology created by Zoltun Kulle and Ayuzhan of Caldeum hides beneath Kehjistan’s depths.
Known as the Loom, the technology has been appropriated by the Demon Malphas who means to use it in an attempt to rule Sanctuary. Players can expect Ayuzhan to lead them on a path to stop Malphas’ machinations.
In a Blizzard News post, Diablo 4 developers confirmed the Gatehall town center under Kehjistan will constitute the players’ base of operations this season. The Gatehall serves as an access point for deadly Vaults (dungeons), each one filled with “elemental Hazards and Constructs.”
In addition to being littered with destructive obstacles, the Vaults also represent the key to unlocking the Loom’s full potential. Players looking to take the fight to Malphas will visit the Loom and face the demon in a brand-new boss battle.
Akin to previous seasons, starting the Season of the Construct questline will require users to create a new character on the Seasonal Realm.
Blizzard EntertainmentSeason 3 companion: The Seneschal Construct
Season 3 will introduce a new mechanical companion called the Seneschal during the Seasonal Questline which will fight by your side and can be customized to fit your playstyle. In Zoltun’s vision, the Seneschal “compliments your adventures by engaging directly in the fight or aiding you dutifully on the sidelines.”
To further augment their Seneschal Companion, players will utilize the Governing and Tuning Stones found in Vaults. Governing Stones determine the Seneschal slate of core abilities. You can equip two of these to your companion at once; meanwhile, Tuning Stones augment how these abilities function.
There are 27 Tuning Stones in total and you can equip 3 of these to each of your Governing Stones for a total of six augments. Some of these augments function by adding status effects or crowd control to enemies, others function like Legendary affixes and completely alter the way the attack functions.
Similar to Malignant Powers and Blood Pacts before it, developers say the Seneschal is “the embodiment of the power chase for this season”. The most important piece of info from the recent Developer Update is of course that you can pet it.
Seasonal dungeons: Vaults
As mentioned previously, Diablo 4 Season 3 introduces a new type of dungeon called Vaults. These are filled with fantastic rewards but to access them, you’ll need to fight through hordes of construct enemies and deadly traps.
According to developers, even the basic chests in Vaults are “suped-up” and will contain superior rewards than those outside including better gear and lots more gold. The real prize in these Vault dungeons however are the special Wardwoven Chests which contain far better Legendary and sometimes Unique gear.
To access these, players will need to approach and open these chests while a special buff known as Zoltun’s Warding is activated. To apply the buff, you’ll need to obtain an item called a Pearl of Warding and offer it to the statue of Zoltun Kulle that is present in every Vault dungeon.
The catch is that being damaged by a trap or hazard removes this buff and locks you out of the Wardwoven Chest. As you get better at these Vault dungeons, you can begin challenging yourself to access the Wardwoven Chest.
Vaults also have Nightmare Dungeon equivalents that can be accessed via crafted Vault Sigils. These will be far more difficult but will offer far better rewards to compensate.
Blizzard EntertainmentNew Overworld Activity: Arcane Tremors
Arcane Tremors are a new type of Overworld Activity like Blood Harvests or Helltides that occur around the entrances to Vaults. The aim is to collect a certain number of Cores through various activities to draw out a powerful Elite enemy known as a Herald of Malphas.
Completing these Arcane Tremors will reward players with the usual gear and gold, but also Pearls of Warding. This means if you’re hoping to access the goodies inside Wardwoven Chests, you’ll want to keep an eye out for these events.
Diablo 4 Season 3 Helltide changes
Helltides are set to receive a bit of an overhaul in Diablo 4 Season 3, thanks to the incredibly positive reaction to Season 2’s Blood Harvests. These changes primarily focus on frequency.
In Blizzard’s November 2023 Campfire Chat, Associate Game Director Joseph Piepiora announced that Helltides will spawn every hour, on the hour. This means there will be no more frustrating waits between them and one should always be present on the map.
The aim of this is to make it simpler for players to obtain the various Helltide rewards, specifically Forgotten Souls. Blizzard reiterated as much in its Season 3 blog post.
The Gauntlet Weekly Challenge Dungeons
The Gauntlet is a brand new Challenge Dungeon coming later in Diablo 4 Season 3. The location, enemy types, and layout of the dungeon will rotate weekly to keep things fresh.
It’s a timed challenge run that drops loot upon completion so players will not need to waste precious seconds collecting it. To access The Gauntlet, your character must have unlocked World Tier 4 and while Level 100 isn’t necessary, it will likely be a boon to players focused on its tie-in mechanic.
Blizzard EntertainmentDiablo 4 Season 3 Leaderboards
Progress in The Gauntlet will be tracked by weekly leaderboards that highlight the top 1,000 player scores in various brackets. These include solo brackets for each of Diablo 4’s five classes as well as parties of 2-4 players.
Those competing in The Gauntlet will also be awarded different Seals based on their leaderboard position. They are shown on players’ profiles to show off their accomplishments for the week.
The Seals include Seal of the Blooded, Seal of the Steadfast, Seal of the Iron-Willed, and Seal of the Worthy. The positions related to each Seal are currently unknown.
Leaderboards can be filtered between normal and Hardcore categories but the scoring system has not yet been revealed. The top ten players from every week will be recorded and added to a permanent leaderboard known as the Hall of the Ancients.
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