Another couple months have passed, meaning a new Season of Diablo IV is once again upon us. Starting May 14th, the latest Season, "Loot Reborn", will totally overhaul how you collect and improve your items, as well as update Helltides to add more challenge - and reward. There is also a new Iron Wolves questline in Khejistan, plus the return of Andariel.

Here's a quick overview of the itemization overhaul in Loot Reborn:

  • The number of drops will be significantly decreased, with less affixes on items (down to 3 on Legendaries, 2 on Rares).
    • To compensate, the provided affixes will be stronger and less conditional, making items generally more valuable.
    • Additional customization will come from "Tempering" and "Masterworking" the item.
  • Acquire Tempering manuals as a drop to learn new affixes you can apply to your items.
    • You can Temper the same item repeatedly until you run out of Durability.
  • Masterworking is an end-game system that greatly improves the strength of weapon affixes.
    • Requires materials from The Pit of Artificers, a new activity found on World Tier IV.
  • Forgotten Souls can be earned from Whisper bounties, or as a drop from Elites.
  • The Codex of Power will now store the best version of an Aspect you've acquired, and it can be used indefinitely.
  • Gems are streamlined and have been made better, such as Emeralds increasing your Dexterity.

See the full quote below. Patch notes for the latest Season will be dropping May 2nd after the Developer Update livestream - that's today!

Quote From Blizzard

The forges burn with renewed vigor, stoked by braziers to hone the steel of Sanctuary’s finest. Across the land, Hell’s expanded Legions gather and multiply, marshalling their strength to ambush wanderers that fall prey to their Helltide.

Fresh from our first Public Test Realm in Diablo IV, Season 4: Loot Reborn begins on May 14 at 10 a.m. PT. Use the Itemization overhaul on new systems, Tempering and Masterworking to change a noteworthy blade into a force to be feared. Across all World Tiers, Helltide is reborn: slay monstrosities to fill your threat meter, marking you as prey for the Hellborne. Prepare to fight side by side with the Iron Wolves—a seasoned mercenary company of brethren aiming to quell the demons.

ITEMIZATION REFORGED: MASTERWORKING, TEMPERING AND MORE

Seasons within Diablo IV bear their mark on Sanctuary in the Seasonal Realm, unearthing new quests and fresh mechanics to explore and master. Season 4: Loot Reborn takes on a new theme, overhauling many core game systems to refresh how items are earned, how they function, and how they improve as you level through World Tiers during the season.

Unlike previous Seasonal themes that affect only the Seasonal Realm, with Season 4: Loot Reborn, these Itemization changes persist beyond the Seasonal Realm and affect the Eternal Realm as well. Read on to learn how Itemization will change the way you loot and reap your way across all of Diablo IV.

All updates to our new items, Classes and Skills will be available in our Season 4 Patch Notes, which will be available here following our Developer Update stream on May 2.

General Item Updates

One of our several goals for the Itemization changes is to make it easier to understand which items are upgrades when they drop. We reduced the number of affixes on items (down to 3 on Legendary items, 2 on Rare items) and made these affixes more effective. Instead of seeing an affix that relies on conditional values (+10% damage on non-injured Elites), you'll see affixes such as base increases to your Movement Speed, Max life, or single ranks of a Core Skill. Dropped Items are now simpler to evaluate, and we've moved their complexity and customization to our new crafting systems, Tempering and Masterworking, which we will describe in more detail below. We've also increased the overall values of these affixes, so they should feel more powerful!

This screenshot displays an item under the Itemization changes with a Greater Affix.

Item affixes after Itemization changes, with Tempering and Masterworking applied.

By making items more individually impactful, we’ve significantly decreased the number of items that drop when slaying Monsters. The goal here is to spend more time obliterating and less time sorting through the many items that drop. The result is that fewer items will drop overall, but those items will be more likely to be valuable. To compensate and stay on par with the norm, materials gained from Salvaging and Crafting have been adjusted to match this change. Also, Forgotten Souls can now be earned from Whisper bounties and are a rare drop from all Elites. The Gold cost to re-roll items when Enchanting now has a maximum, and we’ve cut down on the materials needed to perform all activities when at the Blacksmith.

Additionally, which World Tier you play in will directly affect the rarity of the items you earn. Sacred items or higher only drop in World Tier III, and only Ancestral items will appear in World Tier IV. Similarly, Legendary items dropped from enemies over Level 95 will always have a value of 925 Item Power.

However, keep an eye out for Uniques—some have a chance to appear starting in World Tier I and II. All Uniques have a chance to drop starting in World Tier III, and Uber Uniques can start appearing as once you’re killing monsters that are Level 55 at max Item Power level.

Codex of Power Updates

Extracting Aspects from Legendary items now stores them in your Codex of Power to be used indefinitely. Instead of taking up space in your inventory, the Codex of Power is a library that stores your most-powerful extracted version of that Aspect, which can be used as many times as you want.

The Codex of Power displays all available Aspects, so you can spend more time seeking the highest Aspect rolls possible. Once the Aspect with the maximum potential value is extracted, a specific border indicates the Aspect has been completed.

Aspects can now be favorited within the Codex of Power, and a tooltip will denote whether you already have that Aspect equipped when searching within the Codex. Note that in the Seasonal Realm, when the Season ends, your Codex of Power will reset and retain those learned affixes for the Eternal Realm. If you already have the same Aspect learned in the Eternal Realm, the Codex of Power will keep the higher of the two.

Tempering: Sharpen your Steel and make it Sing

As you find and learn Tempering Manuals, Blacksmiths across Sanctuary will be able to use these manuals of craftsmanship to shape the qualities of your equipment. Tempering allows you to add potent affixes to your item.

Crafting Manuals can be found as a regular item throughout the game. Once learned, they can be used as many times as desired (like the new Codex of Power changes). Each Crafting Manual contains a small number of affixes, and typically correspond to six different categories: Weapons, Offensive, Defensive, Mobility, Utility and Resource. Simply head to a Blacksmith to Temper your item and add one of the available affixes, greatly reducing the time it takes to ensure your weapon has the affix you desire. Note that Ancestral items can have two Tempered affixes from different categories!

Remember, the Tempering Durability indicates how many times you can Temper an item…even the most battle honed blades can lose their edge. The manuals you learn on the Seasonal Realm last until the end of the season, and manuals learned on the Eternal Realm will be known permanently.

Masterworking: Refine your Weapon to Untold Prowess

Using the rarest of materials found within the deepest mines and caverns, improve your weapons to the absolute pinnacle of their potential. Masterworking is an end-game crafting system, using materials earned from The Pit of Artificers to upgrade your weapons.

Masterworking improves the overall strength of all affixes on your weapon, and at every 4th tier, massively upgrades one of your equipped affixes. The affix that receives the bonus will turn Blue. If the same affix is improved again, it will change to Yellow, and in rare cases, it will turn Orange if improved a third time.

If you hit the max level of Masterworking on a given weapon and you’re unsatisfied with the improvements on your weapon, you can reset and begin the process again.

Greater Affixes

Appearing only on Ancestral Legendary and Unique Items, Greater Affixes are 1.5x more powerful versions of normal affixes. Items with Greater Affixes drop with a distinct audio cue, alerting you to their presence, and have a unique icon both in the world and within your inventory. Each affix on an item has a chance to be a Greater Affix in World Tier III and IV. You cannot Enchant an affix into a Greater Affix—their awesome power may only be discovered.

Gems

Gems are simpler, streamlined and more effective across your Character’s journey. Crude Gems have been removed, and crafting levels have been shifted back. Normals Gems are available at Level 51, Flawless at 71, and Royal at 91. Diamonds have had their All Resistance values increased. Topaz now provide increases to Intelligence, and Sapphires increases to Willpower. Amethyst increases your Strength, and Emeralds now provide bonus Dexterity.

HELLTIDE REBORN

The legions of the Burning Hells regroup to coordinate a most formidable display of force in a Helltide reborn. Inspired by the Vampiric Blood Harvest in Season of Blood, your ferocity in combat draws the attention of increasingly dangerous foes. Only the strongest and most well-prepared can survive this potent onslaught. Unless otherwise noted, these Helltide changes affect both Eternal and Seasonal realms and persist beyond the end of Season 4: Loot Reborn.

Threat Levels and Becoming Hell-Marked

As you cleave your way through Helltide, you will now generate Threat. Threat is earned based on the difficulty of the monsters you slay and how often you’re opening Tortured Gifts within Helltide. There are three Threat Levels in total, with each level increasing the danger and frequency of ambushes. Once you hit Level 3, you will become Hell-Marked.

When you’ve been Hell-Marked, you’ll be besieged by a frenzy of densely packed monsters. If you make it out alive, a Hellborn will come for you: one of Sanctuary’s most formidable fallen warriors, now an immensely powerful agent of Hell. The Hellborn can embody one of the classes in Diablo IV. Your Threat Level resets once the Hellborn ambush has been activated, or if you succumb to the overwhelming forces of Hell and perish.

Unholy Blasphemy: Accursed Ritual

At a scene of shocking gore, the Accursed Ritual is the ultimate testament to the disturbing lengths these manic Cultists will go to appease their dark desires. It is here where you can begin the Accursed Ritual.

Baneful Hearts can be earned by opening Tortured Gifts throughout Helltide and by defeating Hellborn enemies. Deposit three Baneful Hearts to begin the ritual, which will commence with a swarm of demonic enemies. This ambush will end with the arrival of the formidable Blood Maiden, an immensely powerful demon who offers great reward upon her death.

Contributing any Baneful Hearts to initiate this dark ritual will grant you increased rewards as a contribution bonus.

Helltides in World Tier I and II

To get your feet warmed up to the awesome threat of Helltide earlier on in your character’s journey, Helltide is now available in World Tier I and II. The overall Monster density will be suited relative to these World Tiers, and no roaming bosses will be present.

Additional Hellish Changes

For the wanderer that want to push the limits of Helltide, an exceptionally valuable new elixir called Profane Mindcage is available to up the ante. Consuming a Profane Mindcage increases the level of Helltide Monsters by 10 and boosts Cinder drop rates. These are a guaranteed drop after killing Hellborne. You will see diminishing returns on boosted Monster levels closer to level cap—keep progressing in World Tiers to retain the same benefit from this potent elixir. The Profane Mindcage will only last until the end of Season 4: Loot Reborn.

Fresh demonic events have been added to Helltide, including new encounters with the fabled Iron Wolves. Stay vigilant for these encounters of demonic treachery.

As a recent change since our Public Test Realm for Season 4: Loot Reborn, Doomsayers no longer drop Chests of Doomsaying. Instead, they now drop the equivalent rewards that a Chest of Doomsaying would have granted on death—entirely removing the Cinder cost it previously held.

YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE: THE PIT OF ARTIFICERS

There are rumors that there are strange varieties of ore deep within the network of dungeons crisscrossing the north of Sanctuary, perfect for crafting exceptionally-made armor using secret Horadric techniques. However, the horrors that lay in wait for intrepid wanderers seeking to unearth these riches are unspeakably terrible.

Upon entering World Tier IV, you’ll receive a priority Quest to complete a Tier 46 Nightmare Dungeon. Upon completion, you’ll begin to collect Runeshards by playing through different Endgame activities. They’ll appear when you encounter Helltide Chests, World Bosses, Legion Events, Nightmare Dungeons and Whisper Bounties.

Collect Runeshard to activate the Obelisk in Cerrigar, allowing you to descend into the beckoning depths of The Pit. Your task is to slay enough monsters before your 10-minute time limit runs out to summon a final boss. Each player death removes time from the clock: first death removes 30 seconds, second death removes 60 seconds, third and subsequent deaths will remove 90 seconds.

After enough monsters are slain, a portal materializes, transporting you to the boss’s arena. Slay the boss before the timer expires to earn coveted Masterworking materials… and the next brutal tier of The Pit. If you can manage to kill the boss with time left on the clock, the benefit increases. With 4-6 minutes to spare, you skip a level and unlock an additional Tier of the Pit. Killing the boss with 6 or more minutes to spare grants you two additional Tier unlocks. The Pit has 200 total levels of difficulty to try and conquer, if you dare face the challenge.

The Pit can be entered in groups of up to four players, with the player who spends the Runeshards to open the Pit earning the lion’s share of materials. Only the player who opened The Pit has the chance to receive tantalizing Stygian Stones used for summoning Tormented Echoes—Level 200 variants of the summonable bosses found in Diablo IV. The further you descend into levels of The Pit, the more frequent these Stygian Stones will appear.

ANDARIEL JOINS THE FRAY & TORMENTED ECHOES

The Maiden of Anguish has returned in all her tormented glory. She joins the boss ladder at the same tier as her brother Duriel, with the same Uber Unique drop rate. With a mix of Shadow, Fire, Lightning, and her iconic Poison attack, Andariel stands ready to face all who dare fathom to bring about her demise.

Found east of Tasarak, in Hanged Man’s Hall, you’ll need summoning materials from both Lord Zir and Beast in Ice to fight Andariel.

Tormented Echoes

All summonable bosses are now available at Level 200 as Tormented Echoes. Summonable with their regular summon Materials alongside Stygian Stones—which can be found deep within The Pit—these bosses cost more to summon but drop far more rewards. To summon a Tormented Echo, simply go to their typical summon location and select the Tormented Echo variant. Note that to summon the Beast in Ice, you’ll need to craft a different Nightmare Dungeon Sigil.

All items dropped from Tormented Echoes will be Item Level 925. Defeating your first Tormented Echo drops one Resplendent Spark as a first-time reward (account bound).

FIGHT WITH THE IRON WOLVES

Seek out the battle-hardened and stalwart Soudeh the Anvil, a stoic field commander of the Iron Wolves. The Iron Wolves are a band of noble Mercenaries in the South, seeking to protect the common people of Sanctuary and hold themselves to a higher code of honor than other mercenary companies of similar mettle. Mysteriously, members of their ranks have been dying under suspicious circumstances—seek out the source of this slaughter to earn the Iron Wolves’ favor.

Meet Soudeh in Khejistan to start your journey to uncover this deadly plot. Working with the Iron Wolves will earn you several Tempering Manuals, which are key to unlocking the potential of your items in Season 4: Loot Reborn.

Any Iron Wolf Events that occur in Helltide will persist past the end of Season 4: Loot Reborn.

EARN REWARDS WITH THE SEASON JOURNEY AND BATTLE PASS

As you fight side by side to vanquish demons with the Iron Wolves, you’ll earn rewards from the Season Journey and Battle Pass.

The Season Journey is broken into Chapters with tasks to complete. As you progress through the Journey, you’ll earn rewards befitting Sanctuary’s defenders, such as new Legendary Aspects, and 3 Scrolls of Amnesia, which provide a free Skill Tree and Paragon Board reset. The Journey also provides Favor—the resource used to climb through the Battle Pass’ Tiers— also earnable simply by playing aspects of the game.

The Season 4: Loot Reborn Battle Pass begins on May 14, 10 a.m. PT and hosts 90 Reward Tiers (28 Free Tiers and 62 Premium Tiers).

If you get the Premium Battle Pass, not only will the rewards of the Free Tiers be yours to wield, but Awoken Demigod Armor Sets, Platinum, and more also await you, including the Awoken Demigod Plating Mount Armor, Purified Demigod Thoroughbred Mount, and Divine Banner Mount Trophy, which unlocks at Tier 90.

The Accelerated Seasonal Battle Pass also contains 20 Tier Skips and the Wings of Hell’s Legion Emote.

Smoldering Ashes earned from the Free Tiers can be spent on Season Blessings that provide helpful bonuses to beat back Hell’s armies. There are three new Blessings for Season 4: Loot Reborn:

  • Urn of Nightmares: Boost Paragon Glyph XP earned in Nightmare Dungeons.
  • Urn of Iron: Boost your reputation with the Iron Wolves from Helltide activities.
  • Urn of Burning Obols: Boost the amount of Obols you can find in Helltide chests, which contain Obols during this season.

The bonuses gained from the five Season Blessings only last until the end of Season 4: Loot Reborn.

ACQUIRE FABLED THREADS FROM TEJAL’S SHOP

We’re dialing up the heat in the Shop with new Equipment, Armor, Accessories, Mount and Mount Armor bundles that will have you slaying in style. Starting on May 14, pay Tejal a visit to browse her wares—remember to check back often, as she’ll update her stock throughout Season 4: Loot Reborn. One such rarefied find from the far reaches of Sanctuary is the the Demon’s Heart Bundle for the barbarian, which contains the Demonheart Armor Set and 2 Demonheart Weapon Cosmetics.

What do you think of Diablo IV's updated loot system? Will you be returning to Diablo for another Season? Let us know in the comments below!