Diablo 4’s eighth season has arrived in the Public Test Realm. These are the changes that can be expected to come with the update.
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How to Participate in the Public Test Realm
Before we jump right into the details on the Update, we want to share how to participate in the Public Test Realm (PTR). Unfortunately, the PTR is only available to PC players on Battle.net from March 11, 2025, until March 18, 2025.
That said, if we want to participate, all we need to do switch to the PTR Client from the Game Version down menu as shown below.
From here, it’s simply a matter of installing or updating the PTR. Once it’s installed, go ahead and launch it, and we’ll be able to check out the PTR content.
New PTR Features
It used to be that playing the PTR meant making a fresh start, or starting from an arbitrary point earlier in the recent season. Now, they allow for Account Copy, which will carry over all of your characters from Live, regardless if they are Seasonal or Eternal.
They’ve also added Testing Tools and Boosts via Mrak, the “Cheat Vendor”. This cheerful dancing Fallen found in Kyovashad has everything we need for testing. Level Boosts, Gear Caches, Uniques, Map and Waypoint Unlocks, as well as plenty of useful resources to get going.
It’s worth noting that The Cheat Vendor often isn’t available the first two or three days, as they typically leave a window to test early game progression changes without the Vendor being active.
Boss Lair Updates
What was previously called Endgame or Ladder Bosses are now being changed to Boss Lairs. These Lairs are restructuring the Endgame system to expand it and update their mechanics.
These are broken down into three very similar tiers to the previous Boss Ladder we had before, just with one extra tier to house the only current boss of that new tier, Belial, the Lord of Lies. We’ll still need to defeat the lower-tier bosses to be able to challenge higher-tier bosses. All Bosses have been reduced to just a single Lair Key item, which now also stacks to 99, up from 50.
One other major change is how rewards are given, as they are no longer just regular drops, instead coming from a Hoard Chest. This special chest will spawn at the end of the encounters, requiring the Boss Materials to open.
Yes, you understood that correctly: Bosses will only take your materials when they are defeated. Each party Member must pay the materials to claim the loot, but the loot is also slightly increased by party size.
This change not only benefits party play by removing most potential avenues for scamming, but also allows for much easier carry runs as well. With Boss Matierals also no longer being required to start the encounter, this also effectively adds a much needed Practice Mode for the Endgame Bosses.
Seasonal Mechanic: Boss Powers
In addition to the Boss Lair Update, we’re getting a Seasonal Mechanic to go alongside this called Boss Powers. Boss Powers are collected from defeating Lair Bosses, World Bosses, or the Apparition Bosses that appear in the new Incursion Events.
Each Boss grants a Unique ability triggered under certain conditions as a Main Boss Power. Every Boss Power can also be used as a Modifer Boss Power, forgoing its ability to provide an additional effect to us, or the Main Boss Power we choose.
The Boss Power UI allows us to equip up to one Boss Power as a Main Boss Power and up to three as Modifier Powers. The only restriction here is that the same Boss Power cannot be used as a Main and Modifier. This allows us to use the easily accessed Apparition Boss Powers as Modifiers, even if we’re unable to use them as a Main Power right away.
Boss Powers are upgraded through a new Currency called Spectral Ash. This currency can only be found by defeating Apparitions during Apparition Incursions as well as Belial, Lord of Lies.
Seasonal Mechanic: Belial’s Apparition Incursion
These new Apparition Incursions are timed World Events that appear all over Sanctuary. They work similarly to Legion Events in that they spawn spread out waves of enemies. However, we’re after mainly just the Apparitions, which can only be revealed by the Betrayer’s Eye found in the area.
Once we defeat enough Apparitions to meet the requirement of the event, one of ten Greater Apparitions will spawn. If this first Greater Apparition is defeated quickly enough, we’ll be able to complete another loop of the event, spawning a second Greater Apparition. These are the ones that will grant us Boss Powers when defeated.
If we manage to defeat this Greater Apparition, we’ll face off with an Apparition of Belial himself. Defeating this imitation Belial will increase the final reward of the event, as well as grant a bunch of Spectal Ash.
New Uniques and Legendary Aspects
We’ll quickly wrap up by briefly covering the new Uniques and Legendary Aspects that are coming. We won’t go into too much detail here, as these may change between PTR and Live release.
Barbarian
Barbarians are getting both a Unique and Legendary Aspect geared toward Mighty Throw, seeming to pair it with more support towards a Fire-based Barbarian Build.
The Bane of Ahjed-Den grants a high number of Mighty Throw Ranks, alongside Critical Strike Damage, Fury Per Second, and Cooldown Reduction for its Affixes. It’s Unique Power adds a ton of burst damage to Mighty Throw, giving it an instant and powerful Fire AoE after landing.
Aspect of Delayed Extinction Exchanges any Cooldown Reduction Bonuses for Mighty Throw and Steel Grasp, granting Multipicative damage instead. Additionally, they gain another 125-250% multiplicative damage on top of this.
Druid
Druid’s new additions are geared towards making Human Form and its skills more powerful. They may even make an appearance in our Defiled Ground Druid Build
Gathlen’s Birthright is a unique Helmet that grants the Unique buff Anima of the Forest when Critically Striking with Nature Magic several times. Upon doing so, we’ll gain the effects of Perfect Storm and Earthen Might while gaining 15% Attack Speed. Additionally, its affixes grant a huge amount of Willpower, Armor, and Ranks to Humanity.
The Aspect of Impending Deluge is an Offensive Aspect that increases Storm Strike’s Damage while allowing it tot apply a debuff that increases the damage of other skills for a short time.
Necromancer
Necromancers are getting a lot of love for Minions Builds this time, with a New Unique and Legendary Aspect suited for that build archetype.
Sanquivor, Blade of Zir is a Unique Two-handed Sword that grants multiple ranks to all Minion Mastery passives and a high chance for Army of the Dead to deal Double Damage alongside some Intelligence and Maximum Life. Its Unique effect allows Minions to apply Vampiric Curse and enables Army of the Dead to unleash the souls of Vampiric Curse for extra damage.
The Aspect of Service and Sacrifice is an Offensive Aspect that makes Skeleton Warriors explode on death. Additionally Skeletal Warriors will lose 25% of their Health per second in combat, while Skeleton Mages instead gain 90% Damage Reduction and gain a multiplicative bonus to their damage.
Rogue
Rogues will get to go all-in on Poison Traps this time, with a Unique and a Legendary Aspect to better support them. More tools that may fit into our Scoundrel’s Traps Rogue Build.
Band of the Ichorous Rose are Unique Gloves that increase the limit for Poison Traps and grants a chance for them to be Cast Twice. These also come with Attack Speed and bonuses to Poison Resistance. Its Unique Power makes it deal its full damage over 3 seconds rather than 9 while also gaining bonuses for all three Rouge Specializations.
The Aspect of Contamination is an offensive Aspect that allows Poison Trap to deal an immediate burst of Poison Damage when triggered. If this damage Critically Strike, all Poison Damage gains a multiplicative bonus for a short duration.
Sorcerer
Sorcerer’s Cold builds are getting some love, especially builds like our Shard Storm Sorcerer Build.
Hail of Verglas is a Unique Helm that grants a ton of power to Ice Shards, including Ranks to Ice Shards, Attack Speed, as well as a ton of Intelligence, Maximum Life, and Cold Resistance Bonuses. Its Unique Power creates a shotgun effect, instead of the normal Linear target it has by default. It also gains additional Projectiles and a stacking multiplicative damage bonus for each time it hits.
The Shivering Aspect is an Offensive Aspect that increases the potency of Chill while also increasing the damage enemies take from their current Chill or Stagger amount.
Spiritborn
Spiritborn is getting a few new additions as well, which are sure to open new build paths for them.
Sunbird’s Gorget is a Unique Amulet that grants a high amount of All Elemental Resistance, Movement Speed, and multiple ranks to Potent, Furnace, AND Acceleration. It’s Unique effect focuses on Storm Feathers, creating a Firestorm around us when we collect them and increases in power as we continue to collect them.
The Rip and Tear Aspect is an offensive Aspect that empowers Rushing Claw, granting increased damage as well as additional effects based on how many charges it has when cast. These effects
