Diablo 4 Seasons and Battle Pass Content Revealed
The Diablo IV developers have finally detailed the content that will follow the launch of the game, with a start window for Season 1, as well as all the details of the battle pass, including its price, its content, and the time to validate it. We summarize all the important information for you.
The very long Diablo 4 livestream in May, accompanied by an official blog, took care of giving the missing information on what could well prove to be the most important feature of the game in the long term: the seasons. The developers have also detailed the content and operation of the element that never fails to worry players, especially after spending 70 euros to buy the game: The Battle Pass.
Diablo 4 Season 1 Start Date
Unfortunately, we don't have a precise date yet, but the developers have announced a launch between mid-July and the end of July. This corresponds to a big month after the official launch, in order to make sure that everything works well, and to give players time to finish the main story. There will also be no ranking during the first two seasons.
The seasons will last 3 months, and there will be 4 per year.
The Battle Pass will also arrive with Season 1, the two being intrinsically linked, as we will see. It also means that you only have until the end of the season to unlock its content. If you have come across our article on FOMO, this is where we can say that it comes into play a little, in the end. If you don't want to miss anything, you will have to play enough during the 90 days of the season, even if the regularity and intensity are free.
Content of the seasons
Each season is going to introduce content, with new features, quests, battle pass, legendary items, balances and quality of life improvements, etc. They will therefore be accompanied by a large patch.
What's important is the introduction of new in-game concepts and principles. Each season will have its own theme, and quests, Battle Pass content, and the store will often tie into it. The developers have mentioned zombies several times, insisting that it will not be the theme of the first season.
What there will not be, however, are quests related to the main story of the game. The objective is not to continue the plot through the seasons. It will be done in another way.
Seasons are also used to experiment with the game and its content. Seasonal items may or may not then be added to Eternal Realm, the game's non-seasonal/base mode. The developers want to avoid the game becoming increasingly long to complete, however.
If you have completed the Main Campaign for the first time on your account, you can choose to skip it directly and begin your adventure in Kyovashad. This is valid from the first season. The same goes for the mount, once unlocked with a first character, it will be available at level 1 with the others.
The Seasonal Journey
Progress in each season is tracked through the Seasonal Journey, which is similar in principle to Diablo 3. You can think of it as a series of specific objectives to complete, such as completing a certain dungeon, killing a boss, reaching a certain level, etc., in order to unlock rewards. It should not be confused with the Battle Pass, which is more general. The two are nevertheless linked, since validating the chapters of the Seasonal Journey will greatly accelerate your progress in the Battle Pass via Favors. But it also gives useful rewards, like Skins, Loot Caches, and special currencies.
You only have to complete part of the objectives of each chapter to move on to the next one, there is no need to do everything, if you don't like some of them (for example, Player vs Player type objectives, if you play in Extreme mode).
The Journey is linked to all your seasonal characters. If you're playing Extreme Mode and your character dies, your next character doesn't have to start over.
Battle Pass
As you might expect, the Battle Pass is tied directly to Seasons. But that makes it all the more optional, especially for players who don't intend to participate.
Each season has its own Battle Pass, which you will need to complete within its 3 month period, otherwise what you have not unlocked will be lost.
The Journey is linked to all your seasonal characters too, the progression is common.
Free section
The Battle Pass contains 27 free Tiers, which contain rewards directly useful in-game, including Smoldering Ashes. This special currency allows you to unlock Seasonal Blessings in a special interface, which grants different bonuses, such as experience, gold, obols, and others, depending on your choices. It is possible to have several blessings active at the same time, but they all disappear at the end of the season.
There are also other useful rewards in the free section, like items, experience, currencies, etc.
Premium
There are 63 levels in the Premium Battle Pass, for a total of 90. To be able to unlock them, you must pay 1,000 Platinum Coins, the equivalent of 9.99 euros. The first Season Pass is included in the Deluxe Edition of the game.
The paid section contains absolutely no power bonuses, there are only cosmetics and Platinum Coins, which makes it possible to buy other cosmetic ornaments unique to the season in the shop, or outright to buy the next one Paid battle pass without taking money out of your pocket (or having a balance to pay, this remains to be determined).
There is a third version of the Battle Pass, the accelerated premium version, which includes the elements listed above, as well as 20 levels directly unlocked, but in the paid section only. This also includes an exclusive cosmetic, the Wing of Creation emote. Its price is 2,800 platinum coins, or 24.99 euros. Those who purchased the Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4 are entitled to these items. The interest of this version is mainly to allow players who are short on time to complete the Battle Pass more quickly.
Note that if you have purchased the Deluxe or Ultimate version of Diablo 4, its bonuses related to the Battle Pass only apply for Season 1. You will have to pay again for the following ones, or use the Platinum unlocked by progressing in the season. Battle pass.
The Premium Battle Pass contains 2 cosmetic armor items related to its theme, and a skin for the mount.
Shop
The game naturally offers to unlock hundreds of cosmetic elements by playing normally. But if you want exotic skins, or skins that match certain specific themes, the shop is there for that. It offers absolutely no power boosts, just cosmetics, while trying to preserve the game's dark themes and vibe. You shouldn't normally have Fortnite-style cosmetics, if that's what you were worried about. Let's hope that all of this will hold true, and that Blizzard will be able to maintain its commitments for the long years to come.
The store will be available before the launch of the season, but with limited content.
Platinum Coins must be used in the store. They are obtained in exchange for real money, or by unlocking levels of the Premium Battle Pass.
The content of the shop will change every week. If you missed an opportunity, it's not lost forever, as cosmetics will return from time to time, in the form of a rotation. Make no mistake though, the goal is to get players to buy impulsively so they don't miss out on a cosmetic they want.
A section of the store will make personalized recommendations to players based on past purchases or class.
Some cosmetic sets are limited to a specific class, but you can use them with all characters of that class, whether seasonal or not.
The content of the store is cross-platform, you will have access to it regardless of the mac