Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborn – Release date, start time & everything we know so far

Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborn is nearly upon us after an unprecedented delay but timing isn’t the only thing that sets this season apart. Following the institution of the game’s first Public Test Realm (PTR), the development team has distilled the feedback and plans on making Season 4 a return to form for the game, after the lackluster Season 3.

Developers have explained that just as the title and timeline of Diablo Season 4 differ from its predecessors, so too does its content. Fortunately, the lessons learned from the PTR look to have shaped an exciting new framework for the game and the powerful builds unearthed in the preview will thrive.

So, given the massive shift in focus for the team behind it, what can we expect from Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborn? We’ve gathered all the relevant details on what’s coming including its release date, itemization changes from the PTR, narrative details, and more.

Contents:

• Release Date
• Start time
• What is Season 4’s theme?
• Itemization Changes
• Helltide Changes
• New Boss: Andariel
• Tortured Echoes
• Seasonal Journey

Blizzard Entertainment

Does Season 4 have a release date? 

Yes, Diablo 4 Season 4 will begin on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Diablo 4 Season 4 Start time

Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborns launches at the following times worldwide:

• 10 AM – PDT
• 1 PM – EDT
• 6 PM – BST
• 7 PM – CEST
• 2 AM – JST

There’s also likely to be an update to download at that time.

What is the theme for Season 4 of Diablo 4?

Unlike the previous three seasons, Season 4 of Diablo 4 doesn’t have an established theme.

Season 1 had Malignant Hearts, Season 2 had Vampire Powers, and Season 4 used the robot follower as themes, but Season 4 isn’t hanging its hat on one particular theme.

Instead, Season 4 is more of a soft reset for Diablo 4’s seasonal content and may end up bringing back some aspects from older seasons as well as introducing some fresh ideas.

It could be argued that Loot Reborn is the theme of Season 4, but this is more of a mission statement from Blizzard, marking Season 4 as a new beginning for the game as it approaches its first anniversary. Rather than having a distinct theme, Season 4 is focused on the changes to itemization.

Itemization changes in Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborn

Diablo 4 Season 4 lives up to its Loot Reborn title by overhauling how loot functions from the ground up. While fewer items will drop overall in this revamped system, Blizzard has aimed to make those that do “more individually impactful”.

Rare and Legendary items will each have one fewer Affix attached but the newer Affixes are intended to be more valuable to players. Examples given are things like a base increase in Movement Speed and more common instances of awarding extra skill levels.

To compensate, players will be able to use Diablo 4 Season 4’s new crafting mechanics like Tempering and Masterworking to add chosen Aspects to gear. Legendary Aspects also give players a new level of control thanks to changes in the Codex of Power.

These new changes will be present in the Eternal Realm of Diablo 4 as well and we have explained them in greater depth in our breakdown of the PTR. For those unfamiliar, the cliff notes are as follows:

New crafting system: Tempering

• This new system will allow you to add affixes to your items at the Blacksmith through a new reusable item that can drop from most content in-game, called Temper Manuals!

• These are categorized like the Codex of Power (eg: Resource, Mobility, etc)
  • Once gained, you retain these for unlimited use!
• Each manual contains a handful of affixes; you are able to attach one at a time.
• Affixes can be rerolled up to the item’s Temper Reroll limit.
• Ancestral items can have two Tempered affixes from different categories.

Greater Affixes

• Only appearing on Ancestral Legendary and Unique items, these are more powerful versions of normal affixes, with a 1.5x multiplier on the affix’s maximum roll.
• An item with a Greater Affix will be immediately obvious, with a unique audio cue, as well as a I up to a IV next to the item name indicating how many affixes are Greater.
  • eg: Helm (Ancestral) – II
• Each affix on an item has a chance to be Greater in World Tier III & IV.
• Players cannot Enchant into a Greater affix – they can only be found!

Masterworking

• A late-game crafting system to upgrade items, using materials gathered from The Pit.
• Improves the value of your current affixes.
  • There are 12 upgrade ranks.
  • Every 4 ranks, a single affix is massively upgraded.
  • Other ranks slightly increase the value of all affixes.

Codex of Power updates

• All Legendary Aspects now appear in the Codex of Power, so you can focus on chasing great items instead of managing your inventory.
• The highest roll Legendary you salvage is stored permanently in your Codex.
• Legendary Affix ranged increase based on item tier (Normal, Sacred, Ancestral).
• Most Legendary Affix ranges have been increased.
• The UI has been revamped, now includes manual and keyword search.
  • You can also favorite Legendary Aspects to make them easier to find!

Helltides overhauled in Diablo 4 Season 4

Blizzard Entertainment

It’s not just loot that has been reborn in Season 4. Helltides have undergone a number of changes to make them more rewarding to players and, depending on your preference, more fun. The newfound aggression of Helltides even ties into this season’s campaign.

The new changes have been stated by Blizzard to be directly “inspired by the Vampiric Blood Harvest in Season of Blood” which was incredibly popular during its availability. As such, Helltides now offer increased enemy density, greater material drops, and are available at lower World-Tiers.

A new system has also been added to Helltides known as Threat which steadily increases your Threat Level as you kill enemies within a Helltide. When a player reaches Threat Level 3, they become Hell-Marked. This causes a massive wave of enemies to spawn capped off by an incredibly powerful Hellborn which offers better loot and more exp for defeating it.

Players can also collect and sacrifice Baneful Hearts found within Helltides to increase the rate and quality of rewards that drop. This works in tandem with a previously revealed elixir that raises Helltide difficulty for better acquisitions.

Andariel returns in Diablo 4 Season 4

Lesser Evil and Maiden of Anguish Andariel makes her return to Diablo 4 in Season 4 as a new boss in the same tier as Duriel. She will share the same drop rate for Uber Uniques as her hideous brother.

Blizzard has gone to great lengths to illustrate her potential challenge by outlining Andariels vicious arsenal. “With a mix of Shadow, Fire, Lightning, and her iconic Poison attack, Andariel stands ready to face all who dare fathom to bring about her demise.”

She will be located east of Tasarak in Hanged Man’s Hall but like most other bosses in Diablo 4, she will require materials to be summoned. These materials can be earned by defeating Lord Zir and the Beast in Ice.

Tormented Echoes

To freshen up Diablo 4’s roster of bosses even further, variants of every boss in the game are now available as Tormented Echoes. Similar to Uber Lilith and Uber Duriel, these Tormented Echoes spawn at level 200 and offer an even greater challenge.

Summoning these beefed-up bosses requires the use of Stygian Stones which can be found in The Pit that was unveiled during the PTR. To spawn them, head to the desired boss’s usual summoning location with their required materials and a Stygian Stone, and select the Tormented Echo variant.

Tormented Echo variants of bosses will all drop gear at the maximum item power of 925. On top of that, your first defeat of each one will reward you with a Resplendent Spark which can be used to craft an Uber Unique.

Seasonal Journey: The Call of the Wolves

In Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborn’s campaign, you’ll ally yourself with a fearsome band of mercenaries known as the Iron Wolves. Champions of the common people of Sanctuary, the Iron Wolves hold to a strict code of honor as they rally against the encroaching Helltides.

Their members have been dying mysteriously and it’s up to you to find out why. To join up with these newfound comrades, head to Khejistan and meet their representative, Soudeh the Anvil.

Assisting the Iron Wolves and completing your Seasonal Journey will slowly unlock unique Tempering Manuals. These will help you get the most out of the new itemization mechanics and enhance your build even further.

As usual, a new season and its accompanying Seasonal Journey also means a new Diablo 4 Battle Pass. This will come in the usual free and premium variations and offer all manner of cosmetics, emotes, trophies, and more.

Of particular note are the Smouldering Ashes that the Battle Pass rewards all players. These, like always, are used to activate Seasonal Blessings as part of your Seasonal Journey.

Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborn introduces three new Seasonal Blessings that coincide with the new story and itemization changes. Those are:

• Urn of Nightmares: Boost Paragon Glyph XP earned in Nightmare Dungeons.
• Urn of Iron: Boost your reputation with the Iron Wolves from Helltide activities.
• Urn of Burning Obols: Boost the amount of Obols you can find in Helltide chests, which contain Obols during this season.

These are all the major details revealed by Blizzard so far regarding Diablo 4 Season 4: Loot Reborn. We’ll be sure to update this guide with more info as it surfaces.

Be sure to check out our other Diablo 4 guides to prepare for another trek into the hellish plane of Sanctuary.

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