As we all know, the gradual decline of Blizzard’s action role-playing game was reversed in 2014. In that year, Diablo 3 pre-Reaper of Souls expansion patch called 'loot 2.0' almost saved the company's decline in the ARPG field. Both game critics and ordinary players believe that it was undoubtedly a shot in the arm at the time, re-injecting strong vitality into Blizzard. But times have changed, and today, 10 years later, Diablo has once again become depressed. It is still unknown whether Diablo 4 Season 4, which is expected to be released on May 14, 2024, can continue its previous glory, but Blizzard seems to be very confident in this.

Blizzard's Diablo 4 Public Test Realm (PTR), launched from April 2 to April 9, showed players the comprehensive changes in the fourth season's project settings in advance. It has now received a lot of positive feedback in the market, such as "Diablo 4 is good now", "Diablo 4 should use Season 4 as the initial release content" and so on. After experiencing the first three Seasons, players' enthusiasm for Diablo 4 has actually declined significantly, as can be seen from the number of real-time online players and real in-game popularity. Based on people's current impressions of Season 4, it seems that the new season is likely to have a strong enough attraction to bring back those players who have lost it, and even bring in new players who are eager to try Diablo 4 but have never done so.

Diablo 4 boss Rod Fergusson also said in an interview with the famous game news site IGN that they have put a lot of effort into the development and maintenance of Diablo 4. I totally understand the entire Diablo IV development team. No matter which project it is, from launch to full display in front of players, and if it can receive a lot of praise from users, then this will undoubtedly be the greatest encouragement for every team member who works hard.

At the same time, they are also very willing to listen to players' opinions and are working hard to make the game content more challenging and playable every season. Therefore, they launched PTR during the current Season 3 period to collect feedback from players. This is a very good time, giving developers the opportunity to adjust the upcoming content in time before the release of Season 4. Keeping pace with the times and always focusing on user experience is the secret to maintaining a game's long-term excellent vitality.

In addition, Rod Fergusson also said that they have completely subverted the way loot works and what we call itemisation in Diablo 4 Season 4. It will allow more possibilities and also mobilize players’ enthusiasm for exploration, which is exciting. Everyone can take part in it and practice. We can see it from the player participation in PTR that some people who have never participated in a season before have also tried PTR this time. It shows that the measures taken by Blizzard this time are very wise and should have a huge positive effect on Diablo 4 to attract new players.

Season 4 has also added a lot of approachable changes, which is to allow more people to understand the working mechanism of various things in Diablo 4. You know, those different attributes and affixes can be really confusing, especially for people who have never played Diablo or even an ARPG. Even if this group of potential people wants to try Diablo 4, they don’t have enough energy and confidence to play it well. So in order to solve this embarrassing problem, devs makes various things in the game clearer and easier to understand. In this way, players can immediately know what they are when they see something unfamiliar. Use the tempering system and the Masterworking system. Is it useful to you, and what action should you take next? Open up more information and autonomy to players, so that more and more people can have their own ideas.

At the same time, Rod Fergusson is proud that many people have said that they are working hard to return to the game and wait for Season 4. This is a genuine compliment to all developers for their tireless efforts. They go to great lengths to test the limits of how things can develop. Taking what everyone really finds interesting and successfully implementing it in the game efficiently is what they will continue to research next.

Some players said that the changes presented in PTR this time are so significant that they are very similar to‘loot 2.0’ that appeared in Diablo 3 in the past, and are just like the core mechanism of Diablo 4. So they infer based on this that it will most likely be the core of Diablo 5 in the future. This speculation is not unreasonable. Rod Fergusson said that Diablo is originally a role-playing game with the core of obtaining loot. Kill monsters, get loot, become stronger, and then challenge more powerful monsters to get more valueable Diablo 4 items or other loot, and the cycle continues in this order.

But in this PTR, the changes shown differ completely from the game logic that has been solidified in the past. They hoped that the system would have a certain degree of depth and complexity, but realized that it exceeded the goal. This will be a scope for future updates, but what kind of experience upcoming Diablo 4 Season 4 and the more distant Diablo 5 will bring us depends on the next development and market feedback. Let us wait and see!

As an action RPG, Diablo 4 is set to undergo a significant metamorphosis. You may play this enormous update early through Blizzard’s “PTR,” or public test realm, which opens on April 2.

Players on PCs that use the Battle.net launcher (excluding Steam players) get the opportunity to test out Blizzard’s revamped loot progression from April 2 to April 9. This includes 2 new crafting systems that allow you to personalize your things.

While not all of the Diablo 4 Season 4 improvements, such as the exclusive seasonal mechanics, will be available on the PTR, there are new Diablo 4 Items, adjustments to the class balance, and a brand-new endgame dungeon to try out and give feedback on prior to the final update going live on May 14.

The PTR Release Dates For Diablo 4 Season 4 

Blizzard has provided the schedule for accessing the Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR, yet the precise launch time remains undisclosed. Based on past experiences, it is anticipated to become accessible for download and play at the following approximate times:

• 10 am PDT
• 1 pm EDT
• 7 pm CEST

It is not possible to preload the PTR before then at this time.

Instructions For Accessing And Participating In Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR

Season 4 PTR content is available for download and play for PC users who have purchased Diablo 4 on Battle.net or Game Pass. All you need to do is download the game and modify the version in the app.

To play and download Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR, follow these steps:

1. Launch the Battle.net app. For Game Pass users on Windows, access the Battle.net app through the Windows Xbox app.
2. Locate Diablo 4 in the list of available games within the Battle.net app.
3. Next to the “Play” button, you’ll see a dropdown menu labeled “Diablo IV.” Click on this dropdown menu.
4. From the dropdown menu, select the PTR (Public Test Realm) option.
5. Once you’ve selected the PTR option, the “Play” button will transform into an “Install” button. Click on “Install” to begin downloading the PTR client.
6. After the PTR client is successfully installed, click on the “Play” button to launch the game.
7. Upon launching the game, you’ll be prompted to select one of the available test servers. Choose the server you prefer, and then you can proceed to create characters and begin testing.

Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR Character Leveling Tips

The primary focus of the Season 4 PTR is to evaluate the acquisition and enhancement of loot at maximum level. To expedite testing, Blizzard offers the option to instantly elevate any character to level 100 through an NPC named “PTR boost” located in Kyovashad.

Initially, players must complete the game’s prologue and opt to bypass the campaign via the provided selection on the character select screen. Blizzard mentioned that this prerequisite might become unnecessary with an upcoming PTR update. Afterward, players should navigate to Kyovashad within the Fractured Peaks region and engage in dialogue with the PTR boost NPC. From there, they can choose the option to elevate their character to the maximum level.

Boosted characters on the PTR will receive a range of bonuses tailored to facilitate testing, such as:

• A sum of 100 million Diablo 4 Gold
• 1,000 Obols for loot gambling at Purveyor of Curiosities NPCs
• 2 random sets of Ancestral gear
• Enhanced potions and unlocked Paragon Glyphs
• Up to 10 Tempering Manuals for attribute application to items
• A designated quantity of consumable materials, excluding those used for Tempering, Masterworking, and accessing The Pit dungeons
• A fully revealed map

Additionally, Blizzard emphasizes the ability to create new characters continuously to accumulate these rewards on your PTR account.

All additional skill points, paragon points, or unlocked potions attained by completing the regional renown objectives in the regular game will transfer over to the PTR, along with your cosmetic unlocks. It’s important to note that nothing from the PTR will carry over to the live game.

Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR’s Most Significant Modifications 

The Diablo 4 Season 4 patch notes contain over 10,000 words, but as you delve into the game, you’re likely to discover even more changes. Altering the mechanics of loot in an action RPG inevitably impacts various aspects of the game. Consequently, your gear, class, and builds will undergo significant transformations compared to previous iterations, effectively marking the onset of Diablo 4’s 2.0 era.

In the upcoming Diablo 4 Season 4 PTR, players can anticipate significant changes:

Loot drops will be reduced, but individual items will be more potent, with Legendary drop rates doubled in the PTR.

Players will have the ability to trade Legendary and Unique items (excluding Ubers) with others.

The introduction of Tempering and Masterworking will enable players to customize and upgrade their items by applying stats.

The Codex of Power will serve as a repository for all discovered Legendary powers.

Helltide events will now occur in all world tiers, featuring increased enemy numbers and a new summonable boss.

The Pit, a new feature, will allow access to timed endgame dungeons with over 100 tiers of difficulty.

Andariel, a new boss, will offer loot similar to that of Duriel.

All bosses will have a level 200 "Tormented" variant, providing enhanced rewards.

Players will have the option to zoom the camera out further than before.

Barbarian nerfs are expected, while necromancer buffs will bolster minion builds.

The PTR is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, April 9, followed by the transition from Season 3 to Season 4 on May 14. Details regarding unique aspects of the new season have not yet been disclosed by Blizzard but are anticipated to be revealed by the end of the month.