Blizzard has been running Diablo IV seasons at a steady clip since the game launched back in 2023, and Season 14 looks like one of the more packed ones yet. Titled Season of Death Awakening, it arrives on June 30 at 10 00 a.m. PT, and theDiablo IV Season 14 Warlock trial is probably the headline perk for anyone who hasn’t pulled the trigger on the Lord of Hatred expansion. New and existing players can jump in as the Warlock for free, no purchase required, from June 30 through July 7.
The trial lets you take the Warlock up to level 25 across Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox. Any progress you rack up carries over if you decide to buy Lord of Hatred afterward. It’s worth noting that Blizzard’s official Season of Death Awakening page confirms the Warlock is already the more popular of the two new classes, with players choosing it over the Paladin by nearly two to one. That makes the timing of this trial feel less like a surprise and more like a smart move to get the remaining holdouts on board.
Pandemonium Ruptures tear open Sanctuary
The core seasonal mechanic this time around is Pandemonium Ruptures, portals that crack open across Sanctuary, including more frequently in Helltide zones, and unleash waves of enemies. Three types of Ruptures exist, each with its own rhythm. The longer you keep one open, the more rewards you earn. Kill enough monsters and you might summon the Realmwalker boss, which in turn unlocks the Deathtoll Chamber, a mini-dungeon where you can farm Superior Lair Keys. Those keys are what you need to access the seasonal Lair Boss’s Hoard on Torment I and above. The new Corrupted Reaper serves as that Lair Boss, and Blizzard says it’ll be one of the most efficient sources of Mythic Uniques throughout the season.
Speaking of which, Mythic Uniques 3.0 is arguably the biggest systemic change arriving with Season 14. After testing the feature during the current season’s PTR, and walking back some changes that drew serious backlash from the community, Blizzard is now rolling it out to everyone. The idea is straightforward. Any Unique item can now be elevated into a Mythic version with substantially boosted attributes via the Horadric Cube. Mythic status becomes a quality rather than a fixed rarity, which opens up build crafting in ways the previous system simply didn’t allow. I’ve been waiting for something like this since the endgame started feeling a bit too rigid, and on paper it looks like a genuine improvement.
Tower, Leaderboards, and an Overwatch crossover
Season 14 also marks the official exit from Beta for the Tower and Leaderboards. New cosmetics are now tied to Leaderboard completion, with rewards distributed at the end of each reset and at the end of the season. Separate Leaderboards for Solo Self Found Normal and Hardcore players are also being added, which is a nice touch for those who prefer a more self-sufficient run. The Season Journey itself packs over 120 objectives across nine ranks, a step up from last season.
Then there’s the Overwatch crossover, which is a first for the franchise in this direction. Starting at season launch, players earn Eye of the Overwatch currency by defeating Elite and Champion monsters. That currency unlocks legendary cosmetics in a free Overwatch Reliquary, including the Kiriko Fox Spirit companion. Exclusive Overwatch skins for characters like Genji, Mercy, Reaper, and Reinhardt are also available in the in-game shop. It’s a fun collision of two very different Blizzard universes, and I’m curious to see how the community receives it. For context on just how far Diablo IV has come since its record-breaking launch, the game has now reached its 14th season with no signs of slowing down.
For those who want to prepare ahead of time, patch 3.1.0 was available for pre-download on June 25 across PC (Battle.net), PlayStation, and Xbox.