Blizzard has taken Diablo into an MMO and Games as a Service realm, which means monetization and seasons. With season 1 on the horizon for Diablo 4, we have so many questions. While some of those questions have no answers, we do have some details. We will break down everything we know about the first season and the plan going forward to keep online ARPG alive. Blizzard wants this to be on the level of Overwatch or World of Warcraft to keep it going to feed its hungry players with new content. With its giant open world and a plethora of eye-catching cosmetics, the opportunities are endless.
Diablo 4 Season 1 Explained
The start date of Diablo 4 season 1 will be somewhere in July, around mid to late July, as Blizzard has only given that time frame without a concrete date. It will be long stretches of content as a season lasts an entire quarter, so approximately three months. Comparatively to other games with similar models, Overwatch 2 seasons last nine weeks, Rainbow Six Siege seasons last three months, and Marvel Snap has a round of new content with a new season every month. These plans to apply to the ARPG have been tested for quite some time with its mobile spinoff, Diablo Immortal. Those players may have a good idea of what to expect from Diablo 4.
Seasons will deliver content and changes that shake things up. These quarterly changes will include gameplay additions, new ideas to add to the mechanics, class balances, quality-of-life enhancements, and more. The Battle Pass will consist of a slew of content to unlock, but what that will look like is still up in the air. To access this new content when it starts arriving in July, you will need to complete the campaign.
Season Journey will give you the details of season 1 in Diablo 4. It will list the objectives to complete to progress the Battle Pass. You can start gaining Favor to progress through the Battle Pass by playing the game, so killing monsters, completing events, and more will get you through to unlock seasonal content. You will also earn Smoldering Ashes to gain boosts to experience, gold, and Obols. Some of this will be free; some will need to be Premium, needing payment to access. The Battle Pass will consist of 27 free Tiers and 63 Premium.
While we have not reached season 1 of Diablo 4, we still have seen the Games as a Service mechanics at work. The store has been live since its release. We also have plenty of online features, like PvP and timed events, that players can join together to complete an objective or kill a boss for a reward.
Diablo 4 is available on PS4 and 5, Xbox One, Series X|S, and PC.
