Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled a new Diablo IV PTR, version 2.5.0, which is testing major core changes to the game that should go live in Season 11. To start with, monster combat has been overhauled. Enemy AI and formations have been rebuilt to make Sanctuary more threatening, providing monsters with unique combat roles and adaptive tactics. Players will find less grouping, smarter targeting, and stronger affix synergy. Over 20 new monster affixes are being introduced. Moreover, Champions will form thematic packs, and Elite minions inherit leader affixes.
Blizzard also made significant tweaks to Tempering and Masterworking in an attempt to reduce RNG. For Tempering, Diablo IV players will now pick the affix directly from a recipe, removing the randomness involved. Only one tempered affix per item is allowed, though Tempering charges can be restored infinitely. As for Masterworking, it no longer increases affix rolls; instead, it increases item Quality (boosting base armor, damage, or resistances). Each Masterwork adds between two and five Quality levels (up to a maximum of 20). A “Capstone bonus” at max Quality upgrades a random affix into a Greater Affix, which is rerollable without losing Quality. Finally, non-unique items now have four base affixes, up from three.
A new feature called Sanctification is also being added to the game. The Heavens have noticed the players' work against the Evils and are granting the adventurers a small amount of power. When Sanctifying an item, there's a chance it will:
- Gain bonus Legendary powers
- Enhance or replace affixes
- Add unique “Sanctification affixes”
- Become indestructible
There are two ways to obtain these power boosts: through Heavenly Anvils or Heavenly Sigils (the latter reserved for Torment‑tier items). Do note that once Sanctified, items cannot be modified further. As such, this is meant to be the very final upgrade you want to apply to an item.
Blizzard is also adding a whole new stat called Toughness, which summarizes the player's average defense against each damage type. Healing is being revamped: potions will be capped at 4, regardless of Renown. Each potion heals 35% instantly of total HP and regenerates every 30 seconds. Potion upgrades were removed and are now part of natural health scaling. Life on Hit returns as a potential affix, and other life‑sustain affixes have been buffed.
Season 11 will mark the return of the Lesser Evils to Diablo IV. Duriel, Belial, Andariel, and Azmodan will be invading endgame modes, each one targeting a specific mode:
- Duriel is in Helltide, which will now rain parasitic maggot reinforcements alongside the mode's signature meteors.
- Belial Eyes will appear randomly within The Pit. Once destroyed, they will stun nearby enemies and summon a pack of Belial apparitions. If players destroy several Eyes, the final boss will be replaced by Belial himself. Killing the Lesser Evil grants an additional Glyph upgrade and reward.
- Andariel is in Kurast Undercity, where players will find three new Undercity Tributes. Each boost Undercity rewards and guarantees Andariel spawns as the final boss. These specific Tributes also add Dungeon affixes to the Undercity run.
- Azmodan stalks the Sanctuary open world as a formidable new World Boss appearing in multiple locations. This Lesser Evil can also be summoned at will from three Summoning Altars; each altar will invoke Azmodan with powers from one of the other three Lesser Evils.
In Season 11, players will obtain Divine Gifts from the angel Hadriel. Each Divine Gift has three components: a reward, a Corrupted Gift, and a Purified Gift. When slotted, the Divine Gift activates the reward bonus associated with it, increasing the rewards for that specific Divine Gift. Corrupted Gifts make each related activity more difficult, but still grant the reward bonus on the Divine Gift. Purified gifts remove the negative effect, add a positive effect, and double the reward gained. Corrupted Gift slots unlock automatically. Players must progress through the Seasonal Reputation board to unlock the Purified Gift slots.
Diablo IV is also getting a new competitive dungeon challenge called The Tower. Each Tower run is a multi‑floor timed dungeon (with a 10-minute limit) unlocked in Cerrigar. There will be random layouts, affixes, and Pylon buffs across four Shrine types. Adventurers must kill enemies or collect Orbs to fill a progress bar, which will spawn bosses. Completion records will appear on global Leaderboards subdivided by:
- Solo Classes
- Party tiers (2‑4 players)
- Normal / Hardcore
- Platform filters
- Clan/Friends views
Lastly, Renown is now permanent only in the Eternal Realm. Seasonal progression becomes Rank‑based. Each rank requires completing a Capstone Dungeon to advance. Rewards grant skill points, Paragon points, Smoldering Ashes, and cosmetics.
Blizzard appears to be significantly updating the game in an effort to lure back some lapsed players ahead of next year's second expansion. Whether they will succeed remains to be seen, but you can test this patch on the PTR between October 21 and October 28.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
