Blizzard has revealed that Diablo IV’s third season will be called Season of the Construct. Season of the Construct won’t begin until January 23 at 10 a.m. PST, but the full patch notes for the new season will be available this Friday, January 19.
Key features:
- New questline set in Kehjistan involving the Loom, an ancient technology
- New Dungeon type called Vaults with special elemental monsters and chests
- Seasonal robotic “Seneschal” companion that can be upgraded via Governing and Tuning Stones
- Weekly Leaderboards via The Gauntlet, a rotating fixed dungeon
- New Battle Pass with 28 free tiers, 62 premium tiers
Quality-of-life updates include:
- Helltides are always active
- Enhanced movement with W-A-S-D on PC
- Extra stash tab
- Skill tree reallocation improvements
- Improvements to UI when trading Gold
- Increased rates to earn the items needed to summon the Beast in the Ice
Governing Stones for granting Seneschal companion new skills:
- Autodefense: The Seneschal Construct activates an antimaterial field around itself shooting down enemy projectiles. Can not shoot down Boss or Player projectiles.
- Bushwhack: Quickly ambush dealing damage to each target. May strike the same target multiple times.
- Firefly: Deploy a small construct that lands on the target and explodes 3 times, dealing damage.
- Focus Fire: The Seneschal Construct channels a ray of fire onto targets dealing damage to each over time.
- Gyrate: The Seneschal Construct whirls its legs around quickly dealing damage to all surrounding enemies.
- Impale: Perform a line attack to all enemies in front of the Seneschal Construct dealing damage.
- Lightning Bolt: Launch a bolt of Lightning at the target dealing damage. Arcs to other targets dealing a portion of the original damage.
- Protect: The Seneschal Construct materializes a protective Barrier on the player for a portion of their Maximum Life.
- Reconstruct: The Seneschal Construct channels a reconstruction beam Healing the player for a portion of their Maximum Life over time.
- Slash: Pummel enemies in front of the Seneschal Construct dealing damage.
- Tempest: Electrically charge an enemy causing it to deal damage to themselves and additional each second over time. If the enemy is killed, Tempest spreads to another enemy gaining for additional time and bonus damage. These bonuses are also applied if Tempest is reapplied onto the same enemy.
Tuning Stones for augmenting Seneschal companion skills:
- Voluminous Support: The supported skill’s effect size is increased.
- Swift Support: The supported Skill gains an Attack Speed bonus.
- Breaking Support: Damage from the supported Skill instantly destroys enemy Barrier effects. In addition, there is a chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
- Tactical Support: Decrease the cooldown of the supported Skill.
- Efficiency Support: When the supporting skill deals damage, you gain Critical Strike Chance to the same targets hit.
- Devastation Support: Supported Skill gains a Critical Strike Damage bonus.
- Safeguard Support: When used, the supported Skill grants Damage Reduction to you.
- Frigid Support: A portion of the supported Skill’s damage dealt is applied as Cold damage over time and applies Chill.
- Burning Support: A portion of he supported Skill’s damage is applied as Burning damage over time. Burning enemies take bonus Critical Strike Damage from the Seneschal Construct.
- Electrocution Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Lightning damage over time and has a chance to Stun enemies.
- Bleeding Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Bleeding damage over time. Enemies take bonus Bleeding damage from all sources while moving.
- Poison Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Poison damage over time. This poison has a chance each second to spread all Poison damage to an additional enemy.
- Dusk Support: A portion of the supported Skill’s damage dealt is applied as Shadow damage over time. Afflicted enemies who attack have a chance for their attacks to be interrupted. Does not interrupt Bosses.
- Duration Support: Supported Skills have their durations increased.
- Fortify Support: When the Seneschal Construct uses the supported Skill, you gain Fortify. Skills with slower attack speeds or skills with cooldowns will increase the amount of Fortify granted.
- Resource Support: Player gains an amount of Primary Resource when the supporting Skill first deals damage.
- Initiative Support: The supported Skill will cause the Seneschal Construct to teleport to the target if out of range. Can only occur once every so often seconds.
- Arcing Support: The supported Skill can hit additional enemies.
- Multishot Support: Supported Projectile skills launch additional projectiles.
- Piercing Support: The supported Projectile Skill will pierce multiple enemies.
- Gripping Support: Damage and effects done by the supporting Skill to Distant enemies pulls them towards the Seneschal Construct. Can only occur once every so often per enemy.
- Registered Damage Support: Any damage caused from the supported Skill is registered. The registered damage explodes at effectiveness when the target dies as Fire damage.
- Seeking Support: The supported Projectile Skill will auto-seek enemies for a limited duration.
- Slowing Support: Damage from the supported Skill Slows enemy movement speed for a limited duration. The closer the enemy is to the Seneschal Construct, the greater the Slow amount. Enemies may be slowed up to a maximum amount.
- Mockery Support: Damage done by the supporting Skill Taunts enemies hit for a limited duration of time. This can only occur once every so often per enemy. Does not work on bosses.
New seasonal cosmetics include:
- Awoken Spheral Barding Mount Armor
- Awoken Clockwork Equid Mount
- Lord Eater bundle (armor set, weapon cosmetics, marking)
New Season Blessings:
- Urn of Enduring Grace: Boost to the duration of Shrine effects.
- Urn of Tuning: Chance to receive an additional Tuning Stone from Wardwoven chests.
- Urn of Whispers: Boost the chance to receive a Greater Collection from Whisper rewards.
A new threat lurks deep beneath the sands of Kehjistan, where the Loom, an ancient technology—designed by Zoltun Kulle and Ayuzhan of Caldeum—has been usurped by the forces of evil. The Demon Malphas is responsible for twisting the Loom for his cruel whims. Zoltun’s former companion Ayuzhan leads you through the treacherous Vaults, desperate to stop the formidable Malphas and his deadly constructs from overtaking Sanctuary.
Source: Blizzard