Diablo IV Season 9: New Activities and Exalted Astaroth Endgame Challenge Launching Soon, Testing Starts Next Week

What’s New in Diablo IV Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim

With the launch of Diablo IV Season 9, players can look forward to a wealth of exciting new content, including innovative activities, powerful abilities, and the highly anticipated return of Astaroth as a formidable endgame adversary.

Introducing Escalating Nightmares

During an engaging Campfire Chat with the development team, it was revealed that this season features a thrilling new endgame activity titled Escalating Nightmares. This consists of a triad of Nightmare Dungeons, where the affixes from each dungeon progressively stack, culminating in a climactic battle against an Exalted version of Astaroth. This encounter promises to offer a challenging experience for even the most seasoned players.

To participate in the Escalating Nightmares, players must obtain Escalation Sigils, which are hidden within Horadric caches located in Horadric Strongrooms. These are compact dungeons nestled within Nightmare Dungeons. As a bonus for navigating Horadric Strongrooms, players can earn Horadric Attunement, a resource that can be exchanged for various rewards. Each Strongroom also features a selection of challenges, enhancing variability in gameplay.

Unveiling Horadric Spellcraft

Season 9 further expands the gameplay with the introduction of Horadric Spellcraft. This fresh system allows players to craft spells by skillfully combining three components: Catalysts, Infusions, and Arcana. The Catalyst sets the foundation for the spell’s raw power, while Infusions and Arcana modify its elemental characteristics and enhance the overall effect. Players familiar with prior seasonal content will find this new mechanism easy to adopt.

Dungeon Enhancements and Quality of Life Updates

In addition to exciting new content, the Diablo IV development team has also outlined significant modifications to the dungeons across both the Seasonal and Eternal Realms. Notably, after completing a Nightmare Dungeon, players will now have the ability to activate Nightmare Sigils directly from within the dungeon, eliminating the necessity to exit first. Additionally, the variety of affixes available in Nightmare Dungeons is set to expand, ensuring a fresh experience for both realms.

The full range of these new features and adjustments will be made available for player testing starting next week, on May 27th, coinciding with the release of the 2.3.0 PTR patch.