Diablo 4 dev confirms return of PTR ahead of Season 5

Blizzard has confirmed Diablo 4 Season 5 will receive a PTR (Public Test Realm) before the seasonal update goes live.

Weeks ahead of Season 4’s arrival, Blizzard hosted a PTR that let Diablo 4 players try the itemization changes, Masterworking crafting system, and more.

The Public Test Realm only lasted for seven days, but it was enough time for players to get a feel for the update and for developers to obtain relevant feedback.

Diablo 4 GM Rod Fergusson previously told IGN the developers were uncertain about releasing future playtests, since they prefer to keep some details secret. But he noted the success of Season 4’s PTR would certainly have an impact on their decision-making going forward.

For Season 5, at least, the decision has already been made. In a Blizzard Forums post, Community Manager Adam Fletcher confirmed Diablo 4 Season 5 will receive a PTR.

Blizzard Entertainment

The studio plans on sharing information about Season 5 and its PTR in a Campfire Chat on Friday, June 21. This stream will replace the usual mid-season Campfire Chat.

Diablo 4’s mid-season 4 update is still well on its way, though. Release notes for this particular update, Patch 1.4.3, will go live on Friday, June 14. Meanwhile, Patch 1.4.3 will be available to download sometime during the week of June 17.

Fletcher didn’t reveal much about the upcoming Season 4 patch, but said it will introduce “a ton of significant updates to the game related to class balance and more.”

Diablo 4’s seasons typically last three months, with the new season kicking off on the same day that the previous one ends. With Season 4 ending on August 6, it stands to reason Season 5 will begin on the same date.

From then on, players will patiently await the launch of the Vessel of Hatred expansion, which releases on October 8, 2024.