Diablo 4 Season 5: Start, Changes and PTR

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Season 5 in Diablo 4 starts in August and some new features have already been announced. Here on MeinMMO you can find out everything about the start date, the changes and the PTR.

Season 5: Release Date and PTR

When does Season 5 start? A window in the character selection of Diablo 4 basically already shows the start date for Season 5, because: Season 4 ends on August 6th and Season 5 starts afterwards. We expect it to go live this evening around 7 p.m.

It is not yet known whether there will be a preload this time. Season 4 came in May with a major patch and preloading was not possible. Blizzard said that they are discussing improving the process in the future and giving players more time to prepare with downloads.

How long does Season 5 last? Season 5 will be shorter this time because it ends with the release of the expansion “Vessel of Hatred.” This will take place on October 8th and will usher in Season 6 at the same time.

Is there a PTR? Yes, there will be a PTR (Public Test Realm), as there was for Season 4. Blizzard will open the test server next Tuesday. All players with Battle.net access on PC can test the new features there.

You can find more information in the following article:

Season 5: Theme and Features

What is the theme of Season 5? So far, the developers have not announced a specific theme for Season 5. In the last YouTube livestream, they said it was heading in the direction of “return to hell.” The new feature “Infernal Hordes” is only a part of it.

What’s in Season 5? In the last “Campfire Chat” livestream on June 21, the developers reported on the numerous updates for Season 5. Players will then get an insight on the PTR.

New features in Season 5:

  • New quest series: There is a new quest line on the PTR that takes place after the events of the main story and is available on both the seasonal and eternal realms. After completing the quest line, you can fight the “Infernal Hordes” in the new activity.
  • New activity “Infernal Hordes“ (in German, something like “Hell Hordes”): You activate a “Hell Compass” and then fight against time-limited waves of monsters and against a boss. This allows you to collect “Burning Aether”, which you can exchange for various rewards:
  • Infernal Compasses are obtained through various endgame activities such as: Endgame Bosses, Infernal Floods, Nightmare Dungeons, and Whisper Quests. There are 8 levels for the compass, which bring an increase in wave count and monster level.
  • After completion, you can choose a reward box containing either equipment, gold or mats.
    • With the Hell Compass you start the “Hell Hordes”.
    There you fight waves of monsters against a time limit.
    At the end you can choose a reward.
  • Endgame Bosses: The beast in the ice can then be summoned via mats, like the other bosses, and no longer via a nightmare seal. Varshan only needs one body part to summon instead of four. Mephisto is to be added as a new boss. It is not yet clear whether he can be summoned in the same way as other bosses. You will no longer need to leave and reset dungeons, but can summon the bosses again at the base immediately after the fight.
  • New Items: According to the developers, there will be 50 new uniques and legendaries. You can then farm uniques and Uber Uniques from the curio dealer, in the Helltide and at the Tree of Whispers – but also from the “Infernal Hordes”.
  • Mythical Uniques: Uber Uniques become Mythic Uniques. They are then purple and receive a new drop sound. This should make them easier to distinguish from other Uniques. The drop chance for Mythic Uniques in places outside of the bosses is increased.
    • Uber Uniques become Mythic Uniques.
    The Mythic Uniques are also easy to recognize as drops.
  • Class Updates: The developers are making adjustments to the five classes. The classes will also have more options for equipping weapons. For example, necromancers will be able to carry axes.
  • Tempering: The “Tempering” crafting system is being revised. Items with larger affixes will have additional hardening options. In concrete terms, this means: If an item has 1 larger affix, you can harden it one more time. If it has 2 larger affixes, you get two more attempts – and so on. The feature will only be introduced at the start of Season 5 and will not be available on the PTR.
  • Quality of Life updates: The time you need to complete whisper tasks should be shorter. The number of tasks in the Helltide, however, is higher. The loot drops from the Treasure Goblin should be of better quality. You will no longer automatically collect “Magnificent Sparks” and “Scattered Prisms”. Instead, they will be “sent” to your chest if you leave them lying around.

    • Season 5 runs until the launch of the expansion “Vessel of Hatred.” Here you can see the bloody cinematic trailer:

    Trailer for Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred gives insight into the story of the expansion

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    Season 5: Tips and Builds

    What do I need to do before the end of Season 4? You still have over a month until the current season ends. With it, your seasonal characters will move to the Eternal Realm and all seasonal items will disappear.

    The cosmetic content from the Diablo 4 Season Pass will also no longer be available. You will only receive it in the current season. If cosmetics are important to you and you like the style of the Battle Pass, you should pick them up by August 6th.

    You should complete (at least) the prologue of the campaign to have access to seasonal content. Find all Lilith statues, which give you permanent bonuses for all characters (not across the board if you switch to hardcore mode, for example). Uncover the map, collect at least the teleport points in each city. Complete the region progression for important bonuses to start the new season.

    Which class is suitable? It is still unclear which builds are particularly strong in Season 5. However, Diablo expert wudijo says in a YouTube video that hunters are the winners after the changes in patch 1.5.0. They receive many strong uniques and buffs. According to wudijo, sorceresses are more likely to fall by the wayside here, with a hail of nerfs.

    In the current Season 4, the Necromancers dominated the tier lists of the strongest builds at the beginning. Currently, hunters and barbarians in particular are at the top with several builds. In our overview you will find the most powerful builds for the endgame in Season 4 of Diablo 4 – including a description of what they can do and what makes them so good.

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