The curtain’s finally been lifted on Diablo 4’s newest chapter – Season of Witchcraft, marking the game’s seventh season. We got a sneak peek into this exciting release towards the end of last year, just ahead of the public PTR. But today, Blizzard has gone all in, revealing every juicy detail.
Get ready for Tuesday, January 21, when Season of Witchcraft kicks off. Coincidentally, that’s the very day Season 6 wraps up. This time around, the spotlight is on the Three of Whispers, now missing a few heads, and it’s your mission to track them down and halt their corruptive influence in the brand-new seasonal quest.
As you can probably guess from the name, this season is all about witchy powers, which will make a grand debut. There are 25 new powers to discover, falling under three distinct schools of witchcraft: Eldritch, Psyche, and Growth & Decay. Plus, there’s an enigmatic fourth category – the Lost powers, even shrouded from the Coven’s knowledge. Just like the Vampiric Powers from Season 2, these come with a dedicated interface for you to manage them.
Unlocking the elusive Lost powers will take some extra effort. You’ll need to scour the dungeons for Forgotten Altars where they randomly appear. It’s a bit of a scavenger hunt, but crucial if you want to access that ultimate tier of powers.
The Coven will be your primary guide this season, steering your quest and helping you earn fresh abilities while gaining favor with the Tree of Whispers. Expect some new faction reputation tasks to tackle with the Coven, too, much like you’ve seen in previous seasons.
A new menace, the Headrotten, will be your adversary in this season. They’ll be prowling every corner of Sanctuary. You’ll be tasked with hunting them down not just in the main storyline but across various world activities. The more Headrotten you defeat and decapitate, the more Restless Rot you’ll accrue. This valuable resource is key to unlocking new Witchcraft Powers and securing the Coven’s good graces.
You’ll find the Headrotten more frequently in designated Headhunt zones. These areas are crucial for grinding early on and tying into Whisper bounties. Keep an eye out for emissaries of the Tree, like the Raven, to whom you can turn in your Whispers without a trek back to the Tree itself.
In these zones, keep an eye out for Exposed Roots, which might spawn Uprooted Cocoons. These bring forth bosses you can challenge. Hunting down Headrotten bosses adds another layer to your adventure.
Given how pivotal the Tree of Whispers is this season, its bounties have been enhanced. There’s a chance you’ll pocket an Ancestral Collection from turning in a Whisper, which is guaranteed to have at least one Ancestral item. Blizzard’s also revamped the Whisper flow and spruced up the nearby town to streamline service access and Whisper turn-ins.
Season 7 also revives craftable gems – a seasonal exclusive. These occult gems, forged from materials gathered through Whispers and Head hunts, are packed with potent affixes and are crafted to perfectly augment your Witchcraft Powers.
And of course, the Eternal Realm isn’t left out, receiving updates that benefit all players, whether they’re engaging in seasonal content or not. Among these are new features like the Armory for effortless build swapping, along with fresh Uniques and Legendary Aspects.
In addition, Ultimate abilities are getting a boost across the board, and the Class Quest is being simplified. If you own the Vessel of Hatred, there’s a little bonus in store – new Runes and some tweaks to existing ones.
Blizzard’s holding a live stream tomorrow, January 16, where the team will go into even more detail and address community questions. Until then, keep an eye on the Blizzard blog to catch up on today’s revelations.
