The latest Diablo 4 Campfire Chat is dedicated to the big itemization changes coming with the update. As usual, we’re liveblogging the stream, so hang tight with us and refresh for the latest details!

Campfire Chat Recap

The following campfire chat focuses on itemization, endgame, and balance. All the changes discussed today will apply to both the Eternal and Seasonal realms.

Season 4 Public Test Realms

The first-ever Public Test Realm is coming for the Season 4 patch. Realms are going to open from April 2 through April 9.
Season 3 will end on May 14.
Season 4 will start on May 14.
PTR boosting features will be available on the PTR.

Itemization Updates in Diablo 4 Season 4

Base Item Updates
Additional Updates
Codex of Power Updates
Tempering (new customization system)
Greater Affixes (powerful items that provide endgame chase)
Masterworking (upgrading the best powerful items)

Base Item Updates

The updates should result in players getting less junk. Only Sacred items will drop in World Tier 3. Only Ancestral items will drop in World Tier 4. Affix values are punchier so they can be felt.
The number of affixes on gear that initially drops is being reduced from 4 -> 3 on Legendary items, and from 4 -> 2 on Rare items.
Legendary and Rare items will be tradeable in Season 4.

Additional Updates

Legendary items dropped from monster level 95+ are always 925 item power.
Gems are simpler, better, and have a much longer crafting tail.
Salvage, crafting, and rewards are all retuned.
Significantly reduced item drop rates, less item sorting, and more time slaying
Item rerolling gold cost capped. Material removal and consolidation.
Forgotten Souls from Whispers, rare drop globally from elites.
Uniques can start dropping in World Tier 1 and 2. All uniques can drop in WT3. Uber Uniques can start dropping from monster level 55, at 925 power.

Codex of Power Updates

Aspect crystals are gone. When you salvage legendaries, it will automatically upgrade aspects. There is no need to visit the Occultist anymore.
As you find better versions of the aspects, they will replace Aspects in the codex.
The codex has been updated with new filters.

Tempering

Tempering is a new crafting system that allows you to add affixes to your items, like a chance to cast more projectiles.

Here are two recipe examples.

An example of the Blacksmith UI related to Tempering can be found below.

Tempering Rerolls indicate how many times you can reroll your affix on the item. Attaching your first affix does not consume Tempering rerolls.
The goal of tempering is customization and a cool way of building your character.
You cannot temper Unique items.

Greater Affixes

More powerful versions of normal affixes. Approx. 1.5x Multiplier on the affix’s max roll.
Exciting drops, immediately obvious.
They only appear on Ancestral Uniques and Legendaries.

Masterworking

Late-game crafting system to upgrade items. It improves the value of your current affixes.

12 upgrade ranks
Most ranks slightly increase the value of all affixes.
For every 4 ranks, a single affix is massively upgraded.
Masterworking on Unique items.

Tempering and Masterworking replace the current item upgrade system in Diablo 4.

Here is an example of both Tempering and Masterworking being applied to a Bone Wand of Serration.

Enchanting

You can enchant out of a greater affix, but you can’t change anything into a greater affix.

Class Changes in Diablo 4 Season 4

Some of the goals with class changes in Season 4

High volume of meaningful class updates.
Making flat damage effects more viable, like dust devils, dancing bolts, etc.
Class Updates – Moving the needle – instead of only damage/health going up and down, updating systems and designs.
Every class will get 2 uniques in Season 4.
A new Uber Unique is coming in Season 4.

Some of the meaningful updates are highlighted below. Frozen Orb is getting some love and Necromancer minions will inherit 100% of the player’s stats. This will also apply to Druid wolves.

Game Balance

The landscape of everything is changing pretty drastically.

Itemization is changing a lot.
Many class updates will change things a lot.
Expect a shakeup of how things perform.

Item Changes

Tibault’s Will damage is being reduced.
Banished Lord’s Talisman damage is being reduced.

Barbarian Changes in Season 4

10% inherent damage reduction is being removed. Damage Reduction in general is going to be much more rare and special.
The effectiveness Charge, Hammer of the Ancients, and Unbridled Rage is being reduced.

An aspect tied to Dust Devils is being updated.

Sorcerer Class Changes in Season 4

Bug Fix – The Evade cooldown reduction affix was triggering off of free casts from Unstable Currents, allowing for near-infinite uptime on Teleport Evades. This has been fixed.
Esu’s Ferocity will only apply to Fire damage as intended.

There is a Unique that gives Frozen orbs a chance to spawn conjurations that have a chance to cast orbs at enemies.

Rogue Changes in Season 4

Inner Sight is being updated.

Druid Changes in Season 4

Two Druid legendary changes have been previewed in the campfire chat.

Necromancer Changes in Season 4

The Book of Dead is being updated.

Flat Damage Effects

Before S4, flat damage legendaries did not scale very well. Damage was fixed – now they scale based on the player’s weapon Damage. Should be much more viable now.

Hardcore Updates

Elixir of Death Evasion is being removed from the game. Blizzard has also redesigned Flame Shield’s Enchantment.

Helltide Updates

The following Helltide updates are coming in Season 4.

Boss Ladder Updates

A new challenger awaits, Andariel. Summoning parts come from Beast in Ince and Lord Zir. The boss has the same drop table as Duriel.
Stygian Stones start dropping deep within the Pit.

Artificer’s Pit

A new feature reminiscent of Greater Rifts has been added to Diablo 4 as a permanent feature. You must fill a bar to reach 100% and unlock the boss at the end of your pit run. Every time you die, you will add +30 seconds to your timer.
You need to clear a Tier 45 Nightmare Dungeon to unlock the new endgame feature.
As opposed to the Abbatoir of Zir, the pit starts at a more reasonable level.

Masterworking materials will drop in the pit, so you want to progress through it.

Diablo 4 Season 4 Patch Notes

Will become available next week, starting on March 25, since they are huge.

Q&A

Items in the old system will be marked as Legacy and cannot interact with Tempering and Masterworking. You will need to find new versions of the items, even on Eternal Realms.
In Season 4 the camera is more zoomed out if you pick the new game option. They forgot to mention it during the campfire chat!
They want to bring loadouts to the game but have nothing specific to announce right now.
The new itemization changes will make parsing through items easier in the new system, no plans to implement a loot filter now.
Greater Affixes are going to be indicated with Roman numbers near the item name when they drop. No unique icons planned for those currently, but this is going to be reviewed before launch.
You can party in the pit.
No updates planned for Clans and other social features for now.
Uber Uniques can roll Greater Affixes and can be Mastercrafted.

Stream Link

You can watch the Diablo 4 Campfire Chat below.

Diablo 4 Season 4 Campfire Chat: March 20th