Sanctuary beckons you forth, wanderer. At BlizzCon 2023, associate game director Brent Gibson, production director Tiffany Wat, lead game producer Kalyeigh Calder, game director Joe Shely, and associate director of community Adam Fletcher, gave a tantalizing glimpse into the future of Diablo IV. Toward the end of the Campfire Chat, the team answered questions from the community, collected from players at BlizzCon and afar. To watch the Developer Campfire Chat in full, check out the replay at the end of this article.
[h3]Diablo IV First Expansion: Vessel of Hatred[/h3]
For the first time since Diablo II, players can return to the land of Nahantu. Vessel of Hatred, the first expansion in Diablo IV, continues from where we last left the main story. Descending deep into the jungles of Nahantu, Neyrelle struggles to control perhaps the worst possible travel companion: the Prime Evil Mephisto.
[h3]Season of Blood: Unique Malignant Rings and the Abattoir of Zir[/h3]
Though many tried to staunch and sanitize the wounds of the plague ridden... malignance has a nature of spreading. Five Malignant Rings based on popular powers from Season of the Malignant arrive in our next update on November 7, available immediately in both Seasonal and Eternal realms. For full details on these and more details on our next update, read our
Diablo IV Patch Notes.
During Season of Blood, based off community feedback the Occultist will now display a preview of which potential affixes are available before your selected item is enchanted. Combined with the cost changes to enchanting items made earlier, this should help players optimize their items into the endgame.
Courageous wanderers in the Seasonal Realm can put themselves through a grueling test in the Abattoir of Zir. From December 5–January 23, after completing the final tier of the Season Journey, enter the Visceral Channel to push your Vampiric Powers to the ultimate limit with this Seasonal Event. The Abattoir of Zir is an ultimate challenge, it’s recommended to only use your best builds and Characters that are at the pinnacle of their power at Level 100. Note that all rewards earned in the Abattoir of Zir last until the end of Season of Blood.
[h3]A Chill Descends on Sanctuary with Midwinter Blight[/h3]
Savage Blightfiends aim to disrupt any cheer the denizens of Fractured Peaks have managed to scrounge for themselves. From December 12–January 2, cull the cursed fiends and stay vigilant in case you receive an untimely visit from the Red Cloaked Horror. Restore the Midwinter Square and protect festive goodtidings!
Further details for Midwinter Blight will be revealed in an upcoming article.
[h3]Weekly Leaderboards: The Gauntlet[/h3]
Arriving with our next Season in January, The Gauntlet will test your skills in the Seasonal Realm against fellow players in a set layout, non-linear Dungeon, where a potent combination of mastery and skills achieves high scores. Players will need to collect Proofs of Might to contribute to their overall score, which can be obtained from slaying Monsters and destroying items within the Gauntlet.
Weekly Leaderboards track scores between Hardcore, Normal characters, Party size, and Classes. The top players from each week’s Leaderboard will be displayed in a permanent Leaderboard called the Hall of the Ancients. With each week’s Leaderboard reset, so does the fixed layout of The Gauntlet! Refine your most trusted builds to emerge victorious.
For a handy reference for all that is soon to arrive, our immediate Roadmap can be seen in full here:
To glean all the details from our Diablo IV BlizzCon Campfire Chat in full, watch the below video:
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Thank you all for an incredible BlizzCon 2023. Sharpen your blades and strengthen your resolve for the journey that lies ahead.