When does Diablo 4 Season 5 start? A much-loved feature from Diablo 3 makes its return in D4 with the (re)introduction of seasons, adding everything from new questlines to items, gameplay mechanics, and more. Expanding on the rich, gothic world of Sanctuary, Blizzard makes sure players have plenty to sink their teeth into, whether you’re a fresh-faced player taking their first steps into Sanctuary or a grizzled veteran of the Burning Hells.
Just like every other seasonal event, expect Season 5 to add a whole bunch of new content to explore in Blizzard’s action RPG game, no matter whether you’re a level 100 player who’s been around since the Diablo 4 release date or someone who is considering jumping into the game now it’s on Game Pass.
Diablo 4 Season 5 release date
The Diablo 4 Season 5 release date is August 6, 2024. Blizzard confirmed the date via a press release. This isn’t surprising, though, as Diablo seasons typically run on a three-month cycle and start on the same day the previous one finishes.
Diablo 4 Season 5 Infernal Hordes
Headlining Diablo 4 Season 5 is its new, wave-based Infernal Hordes mode. Upon defeating all waves within a time limit – solo or with friends – you can advance the Well of Hatred and battle three of the five Fell Council members. After you slay them, you can spend your Burning Aether gathered in this mode on ‘Spoils of Hell’. There are four categories you can loot:
- Spoils of Equipment
- Spoils of Materials
- Spoils of Gold
- Spoils of Greater Equipment (this one guarantees an item with a greater affix.)
To add an extra layer of difficulty (and bolster your rewards), you can select an Infernal Offering – a boon or a bane – between waves. Infernal Hordes will be accessible through both realms – via a seasonal questline on the Seasonal Realm, and after completing a brief new questline on the Eternal Realm at World Tier 3.
To get Seasonal Realm enjoyers up to speed with what they’ll be in for in Infernal Hordes, Blizzard is introducing new Hellbreach Dungeons. These dungeons, the studio says in a presser, “will reward players with Burning Aether that can be spent on chests at the end.”
Infernal Hordes will also be “one of the best ways” to up your reputation and earn caches – drops that offer seasonal progression – throughout the season. Caches can also be dropped by “powerful servants of Hell.”
Diablo 4 Season 5 PTR
The Diablo 4 Season 5 PTR opened on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, and closed on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. This was announced during a Campfire Chat stream, which you can view above.
The PTR (Public Test Realm) included a new Eternal Quest named ‘The Eyes of the Enemy’ as well as early access to ‘Infernal Hordes’. There are also a bunch of new weapons – over 50 Uniques and Legendaries – and items to wield against the Burning Hells, balance updates, and some accessibility options that have been tested on the PTR.
You can install the PTR by opening the Blizzard Battle.net app and selecting Diablo 4 from the games list. There is a selector above the play button, which you’ll need to set to Public Test Realm. You can then install the PTR, boot up the game, and create a new test character to get started. You can view the patch notes and changes in the official Blizzard blog post.
Diablo 4 seasons explained
Diablo 4 seasons last roughly three months, with four seasons a year. You must have completed the campaign before you can experience any of the new seasonal stories. You can, however, complete the campaign in the seasonal realm if you are new to D4, and your usual slaying of beasts and clearing of dungeons will add to your Diablo 4 Battle Pass progress.
If you aren’t new to the game and have already started your adventure in Sanctuary, you’ll need new seasonal characters; each one is a fresh start from level one, which gets you to level up, experience the seasonal content, and get great loot – don’t forget that the skip campaign option becomes available once you have completed it once. Once the season ends, you won’t lose your character, as every seasonal character is transferred to the Eternal Realm to allow players to keep slaying and looting to their heart’s content.
Previous Diablo 4 Seasons
Here are all the previous Diablo 4 seasons and what they introduced:
- Season 1 – Season of the Malignant: this added a new short story campaign where players sought out Varshan the Consumed and dealt with the blight through interacting with Malignant Hearts.
- Season 2 – Season of the Blood: this season saw players obtain up to 22 vampiric powers, which were transferred to the base game as aspects. It also introduced several endgame bosses and the Blood Harvest event.
- Season 3 – Season of the Construct: players were able to use Seneschal, a robot companion who they can upgrade with abilities and traits. It also included a new dungeon type called Vaults, as well as the first appearance of leaderboards and always active Helltides.
- Season 4 – Season of Loot Reborn: this season had a campaign where members of the Iron Wolves were disappearing under suspicious circumstances. Players must also fight back against the Helltide to earn standing with the Iron Wolves. Several big changes were made to both Seasonal and Eternal realms for how items are earned, and how loot in general works.
Overall, there’s much to be excited about for the ongoing Diablo 4 seasonal story that continues in D4 Season 4, while we wait for Season 5. Do check out our in-depth Diablo 4 review for a full rundown of what to expect if you’ve not started the campaign yet, and considering you need a new build for your new character, be sure to check out the best Diablo 4 builds as shared with us by Blizzard. Don’t forget also to make sure you meet the D4 system requirements ahead of the game’s Game Pass release.