Diablo IV: Season 9 PTR Arrives – New Horadric Powers, Dungeon Escalation, and More!

Get ready to dive back into Sanctuary! Diablo IV is gearing up for Season 9 with a Public Test Realm (PTR) starting May 27th and running through June 3rd. This PTR offers players a crucial sneak peek at the upcoming changes and features set to launch with the next season, Sins of the Horadrim, along with updates to the Vessel of Hatred expansion.

The primary aim of this PTR is to rigorously test updates and gather player feedback before the full season launch. This allows the developers to fine-tune balance, squash bugs, and ensure the best possible experience for players. Let's delve into what the 2.3.0 PTR has in store!

Horadric Spellcraft: Customize Your Powers

Season 9 introduces a groundbreaking way to interact with your abilities through Horadric Spellcraft. This system lets you customize and build powerful spell combinations using Catalysts, Infusions, and Arcana.

• Catalysts: The foundation of your spell, dictating its form and function.
• Infusions: Modifies the elemental damage type of your spell.
• Arcana: Augments the baseline power of your spell.

Experimentation is key! With a myriad of combinations, you can truly tailor your Horadric magic to your playstyle. The PTR Vendor Mrak will grant you access to these elements, allowing you to test them before the season starts. During Season launch Wayfinders, Catalysts, and Infusions can be earned through the Seasonal Questline, while Arcana will be found exploring Nightmare Dungeons.

Escalating Nightmares: The Ultimate Endgame Challenge

Prepare for a grueling test of skill in Escalating Nightmares, a new endgame activity. Players are thrust into a chain of three Nightmare Dungeons, each escalating in difficulty. Affixes from previous Dungeons stack onto the next, increasing the challenge and the rewards. Survive all three, and you'll face an exalted version of Astaroth himself!

To begin, you'll need an Escalation Sigil that can be obtained as a reward from Horadric caches granted from Strongrooms starting in Torment I. Completing a Nightmare Dungeon in the Escalation spawns a Horadric Portal displaying the affix information for the next Dungeon. After the third completion, you'll be transported to Astaroth's Lair.

Dungeon Content for All Realms

Dungeons are getting a major shakeup! Nightmare Sigils can now be activated from within Nightmare Dungeons once the dungeon is complete, streamlining the experience. A new set of Affixes have been added to Nightmare Dungeons to make them more rewarding. Each basic Nightmare Sigil will now include a positive affix from this refreshed and expanded pool of positive affixes, boosting your dungeon runs.

New Unique Items Await

Several new Unique Items are entering the fray to boost your ability to dispatch demons across Sanctuary. From the Hooves of the Mountain God for Barbarians to the Ophidian Iris for Sorcerers, these items promise to add fresh character build diversity.

How to Get Involved

To participate in the PTR:

1. Open the Blizzard Battle.net App and select Diablo IV.
2. In the game version drop-down menu, select Public Test Realm.
3. Click Install to install the PTR client, then click Play.
4. Create a new test character.

Provide feedback through the in-game feedback tool or the Diablo IV PTR forums. Your input is crucial to making Season 9 the best it can be!

Will these changes revitalize your Diablo IV experience? What type of Horadric Spell are you looking forward to crafting?

Share your thoughts and strategies in the comments below!

• Blizzard
• Diablo IV
• PTR