Diablo 4‘s massive second season is kicking off on 18 October 2023 (AEDT), bringing a wave of new enemies and bloody new abilities to the battlefield. Per fresh plot details revealed by developer Blizzard Entertainment in a recent livestream, the upcoming Season of Blood will see players infected with a unique form of vampirism that grants wild new abilities.
In this new plot, the town of Sanctuary “faces a new threat as ancient Bloodlords stir, plotting to gather the blood of innocents for their dark master, the Vampire Lord Zir” – with Zir serving as a major boss in the endgame. Players will need to harness vampiric abilities to survive the onslaught of the vampire armies, while also corralling new allies like vampire hunter Erys (played by Gemma Chan of Eternals, The Creator).
Per Blizzard, here’s what to expect in the upcoming chapter:
– Gain all new vampiric powers that provide a wide variety of dark, powerful skills that enable new builds and let you fight like a vampire in the world of Sanctuary.
– Battle new Blood Seekers, the former champions that have succumbed to the Dark Master – corrupted by the Vampire lord, these enemies look and behave like player characters and can use familiar skills and powers to fight you.
– Experience the Blood Harvest Seasonal Event which takes place across multiple regions in Sanctuary throughout the season, and increases your chances of receiving Potent Blood and Pact Armour drops to aid in your fight against the bloodsthirsty foes.
– Test your vampiric powers against the blood-curdling Lord Zir, the grand Vampire Lord who rules over them all. May the powers of strength be with you to defeat this uber boss.
In addition, Season of Blood will also introduce an array of improvements to Diablo 4, including the ability to skip the campaign and easily access seasonal content. So, if you’re looking to hop in and immediately grab new, all-powerful vampire abilities, you’ll now only need to complete the Prologue before unleashing your full might.
Alongside this change, Blizzard has also announced that Renown rewards earned in the eternal or seasonal realms will carry over from season-to-season. Unique rewards will persist for new characters players create within the same game type, and Hardcore rewards will be “account bound” to a player’s hardcore characters.
Read: Diablo 4 arrives on Steam in October 2023
In addition, you’ll now be able to gain XP and reach Level 100 around 40% faster, which should reduce the feeling of grind in the game. Improvements are also coming to Nightmare Dungeons, item and inventory management, mounts, towns, events, monster density, and more.
Finally, the endgame user experience is also being tweaked in Season of Blood, with a new Boss ladder available for players, as well as new abilities – including the ability to target farm the new and returning endgame bosses for Unique and Uber Unique item drops.
Blizzard has high hopes for the launch of Diablo 4: Season of Blood on 18 October 2023. As described, the new chapter of Diablo is designed to be accessible for all players, so if you’ve yet to jump in, now might be the time.
