Diablo 4’s Season 4 is just around the corner and the game has received massive changes, so let’s dive in!
Itemization Overhaul
The Season 4 patch introduces the biggest itemization update so far in the game.
- Extracting an aspect upgrades it in the Codex of Power. All Aspects now reside in the Codex of Power.
- Various item affixes have been updated and the overall pool of affixes has been condensed.
- Greater Affixes have been introduced.
- Legendary items dropped from enemy level 95+ now always have 925 item power.
- New Tempering and Masterworking systems allow for deeper customizations of gear.
- The Minimum levels required to equip Sacred and Ancestral items has been reduced to 35 and 55, respectively.
- Unique Items can now drop earlier in the game.
Greater Affixes
These are powerful versions of normal affixes, exclusive to Ancestral Legendary and Unique items. They are much stronger and identifiable by unique audio and visuals in the game.
Refined Gem System
The patch simplifies gem levels and improves their benefits, such as increased resistances and attribute bonuses, making them more impactful.
Tempering and Masterworking Sysyrm
The Tempering and Masterworking systems are designed to enhance your gear through customization and upgrading, providing players with tools to refine and power up their gear in specific ways.
The Tempering System
Tempering allows players to add two affixes to their items. Each affix can be adjusted within a range, improving the item’s stats based on the player’s preferences and needs. The system’s used for fine-tuning of gear to better iron our specific builds.
The Masterworking System
Masterworking allows players to significantly increase the base stats of items. The endgame crafting system, using materials earned from the Pit of Artificers to upgrade weapons.
Masterworking improves the overall strength of affixes on your weapon, and at every fourth tier, massively upgrades one of your equipped affixes. The affix that receives the bonus will turn Blue. If the affix is improved again, it will change to Yellow, and in the rarest cases, it will turn Orange if improved a third time.
Here is an item with both Tempering and Masterworking applied.
Helltide Rework
Helltides have been revamped to provide a more challenging and rewarding experience. When you defeat enemies and open Tortured Gifts, you generate Threat that increases the intensity and frequency of enemy encounters. High levels of Threat culminate in battles against “Hellborn” enemies, who are powerful versions themed after the 5 Diablo 4 classes.
Insane Leveling Improvements
Blizzard has increased the bonus experience for World Tiers II, III, and IV in the latest Season, allowing you to level up your character to max level faster than ever!
The Pit of Artificers
Do you remember Greater Rifts in Diablo 3? A similar end-game activity is coming in the Season 4 patch. You must kill as many enemies as possible within a timer to unlock crafting materials.
Leveling is Nuts in Season 4
Each class received changes to improve gameplay balance and effectiveness in the patch. Changes such as cooldown caps, tweaks to damage reduction calculations, and improvements to evade mechanics will smooth out the player experience and allow for more strategic gameplay.
Fight With the Iron Wolves
Rewards for helping out the Iron Wolves are Tempering Manuals, Iron Wolf events inside Helltides, and more.
For more information about the changes, check out the Diablo 4 Season 4 patch notes.