Blizzard has pulled back the curtain on what’s coming in the next season of Diablo 4. Season 7, still awaiting its official name, is set to begin on January 21. But before that, players can dive into the patch 2.1 Public Test Realm (PTR) earlier.
On December 3, PC players on BattleNet can start exploring the 2.1 PTR. This time, it’s not just about the typical gameplay adjustments; the PTR will also feature the season’s special content, which is a first.
Season 7 revolves around witchcraft, bringing a fresh set of skills into the fray. This approach is much like the Vampiric powers from Season 2, offering unique abilities that will only last until the season concludes. Some of these powers are hidden in the game world, tucked away in dungeons, waiting to be discovered and activated at altars.
The season’s core enemy is the Headrotten. Defeating them will drop Restless Rot, a resource vital for unlocking new powers for your characters. With a simplified system in place, upgrading these witchcraft powers is more efficient than it was in Season 2. Players can equip five standard powers and one distinct power simultaneously.
Occult Gems make a return, bringing their own spellbinding abilities to the game and can be slotted into jewelry for added flair.
The game also ties reputation with the coven back to Whispers, giving players a clear path for their seasonal endeavors. Headrotten can also be hunted in special zones reminiscent of Helltide, dubbed as Headhunt zones, which also serve as Whispers.
Blizzard didn’t forget about quality-of-life improvements. The area around the Tree of Whispers has been enhanced with additional services, and navigation has been streamlined. Of particular note is the new Raven of the Tree feature, which allows players to turn in their Whispers without making the trek back to the Tree. These can be found within Headhunt zones.
Patch 2.1 brings broader changes to gameplay, most notably a boost to Ultimate skills. Raising an Ultimate to rank 5 will now grant increased power or improve damage scaling. Players can further enhance these Ultimates by selecting complementary skills in the skill tree and strategic nodes in the Paragon board.
Several classes are also seeing improvements, thanks to adjustments in passive abilities. While the Spiritborn class isn’t directly being nerfed, resolving some unintended issues means it won’t be as overpowered as it was in Season 6.
A significant new feature is the Armory, allowing players to save and switch between multiple loadouts for each character without spending Gold. These loadouts can include different Paragon boards and can be accessed from various locations, including Sanctuary towns, the Tree of Whispers, training areas, and even within the Citadel.
As expected with a new season, the loot pool expands with fresh Uniques, and some existing ones are tweaked for consistency. New Legendary Aspects are also on the way, some designed to boost Ultimate abilities.
For more details, catch the livestream linked in the story. However, the patch notes won’t be available until Wednesday, November 27.
