Diablo 4 Season 5 Patch Notes

Diablo 4 Season 5 is promised as the season that will pull back the game’s fan base before the arrival of the highly anticipated DLC this year. The update is big and promising but what’s exactly there for you to dig into. On this piece, we’ll show you all of the most important parts of the Diablo 4 Season 5 patch notes.

For the most part, the patch notes are based on the PTR last month. The developers of the game have revealed what changes are retained for the game with this season.

What’s New?

Diablo 4 Season 5 is probably the most sizeable update that the game has had so far. There are lots of things to dig into and we’re sure that you’re just as excited as we are. Let’s talk about everything that’s new first.

Infernal Hordes

This is one of the major additions to the game is a horde mode called Infernal Hordes. This new endgame activity has 8 tiers of difficulty and tons of rewards for you to dig into. To access Infernal Hordes, you’ll acquire a new type of resource called Infernal Compasses which can be found in other activities and chests such as Nightmare Dungeons, Whisper Caches, and more.

For example, Tier 4-5 Compasses can now be found in High Tier Nightmare Dungeons, while Tiers 4-8 Compasses drop naturally in high-tier Pit runs. These Compasses can also occasionally drop in Helltide and from Whisper caches after completing specific tiers of Nightmare Dungeons or Pits. Additionally, Infernal Compasses can be crafted at the Occultist using Forgotten Souls and Sigil Powder, and they can now be salvaged for Sigil Powder. 

The drop rate of Compasses during the activity has also been increased. You’ll be pleased to know that rewards from chests have been significantly boosted, and the cost of all chests has been lowered. 

The drop rate for Abyssal Scrolls has been increased, and common herbs, along with Angelbreath, have been added as potential drops, while the drop rate for Shattered Prisms has been reduced. After defeating the Council, you’ll receive an additional guaranteed drop of Aether that scales with the tier.

The new mode is going to put you to the test as it requires lots of patience, skill, and if you’re in a group, teamwork. As hard as it is, Infernal Modes seems like the best way to get some of the new items in the game which we’ll cover later.

New audio cues have been added to signal the start and end of each wave, making it easier for you to keep track of the action. The number of waves has been adjusted, with Tiers 1-3 now featuring 6 waves and Tiers 4-5 having 7 waves, while all other tiers remain the same. 

The wave timer has been shortened to 60 seconds, and you’ll encounter more monsters overall. To balance this, the health pools of the Council and other bosses have been reduced.. Finally, Shocktroopers, Aether Masses, Hellseekers, and Soul Spires now drop more Aether, and pets can even pick up Aether from the ground for you.

New Uniques And Legendaries

Of course, Uniques and Legendaries are going to play a huge role this season again. There are quite a few to get so make sure to start farming as soon as you can.

All Classes

Unique Items

• Crown of Lucion - Helm

• Affixes:

• [838-873] Maximum Life

• [6-8]% Lucky Hit

• [32-40]% Shadow Resistance

• [6-8]% Cooldown Reduction

• Power: Each time you use a skill with a resource cost, you gain [5-15]% increased damage, but the resource cost is increased by 30% for 4 seconds. This effect stacks up to 5 times.

• Endurant Faith - Gloves

• Affixes:

• [28-42] All Stats

• [638-873] Maximum Life

• [6-8]% Cooldown Reduction

• [16-25]% Healing Received

• Power: When you would take damage equal to at least 40% of your maximum life, the damage is instead distributed over 2 seconds and reduced by [10-30]%.

• Shard of Verathiel - 1 Handed Sword

• Affixes:

• +50% Damage

• [28-42] All Stats

• [5-13] Maximum Resource

• [16-25]% Basic Attack Speed

• [1-2] to Basic Skills

• Power: Basic skills deal [50-200]% increased damage but cost an additional 25 primary resources.

• Rakanoth's Wake - Boots

• Affixes:

• [12.5-18]% Movement Speed

• [57-75]% Non-Physical Damage

• [26-35]% Resistance to All Elements

• [6-8]% Cooldown Reduction

• Power: When you cast a skill with a cooldown, you explode, dealing Fire damage.

• Locran's Talisman - Amulet

• Affixes:

• 25% Resistance to All Elements

• [2-3]% All Stats

• [5-13] Maximum Resource

• [88-115]% Critical Strike Damage

• [8-10]% Resistance to All Elements

• Power: Your skills gain [0.10-0.40]% critical strike chance per point of primary resource you have, up to [10-40]%. Each point of primary resource above 100 grants 0.2% critical strike damage instead.

Legendary Aspects

• Of Inevitable Fate: When an enemy falls below 35% life while afflicted by your damage over time effects, they explode, dealing [200-350%] weapon damage.

• Wildbolt: Every [3.5-2] seconds, distant enemies are pulled in front of you and electrified, taking 10% bonus damage from all sources for 3 seconds. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds per enemy.

• Sticker-thought: Gain [1.0-2.5] thorns while channeling and for 3 seconds after channeling. The thorns value increases with item power.

• Of Sly Steps: After losing 50% of total life, an equipped defensive, subterfuge, or macabre skill automatically triggers. This may occur once every [45-30] seconds. It does not work with mobility skills.

• Dark Dance: Every 5 seconds, while above 60% life, core skills cost 0.15-0.2 life instead of primary resources. Skills that spend life deal 60-80% bonus damage.

• Creeping Death: Damage over time (DoT) is increased by [5-20]% for each different crowd control effect on the target. Unstoppable monsters and staggered bosses take an additional [10-40]% bonus DoT damage.

• Prudent Heart: You become immune to damage for 2.5-4.0 seconds when you lose more than 20% life in a single hit. This effect can occur only once every 60 seconds.

Barbarian

Unique Items

• Unbroken Chain – Amulet

• Affixes:

• 25.0% Resistance to All Elements

• [12.5-18.0%] Movement Speed

• [219.0-300.0%] Ultimate Damage

• [13.5-22.5%] Cooldown Reduction (Barbarian Only)

• [2-3] to Pit Fighter (Barbarian Only)

• Power: Casting Steel Grasp reduces Iron Maelstrom’s cooldown by [3.3-10.0] seconds. Enemies damaged by Iron Maelstrom deal [10-30]% less damage for 6 seconds.

• The Third Blade - 1 Handed Sword

• Affixes:

• +65% Damage to Close Enemies

• [99-135] Strength

• [1-2] Fury on Kill

• [30-40]% Vulnerable Damage

• [57.5-80]% Weapon Mastery Damage

• Power: Your weapon mastery skills are now also core skills that have no cooldowns but cost fury, dealing [50-70]% of normal damage. Their fury costs are reduced by 5 for each additional charge the skill would have had.

Legendary Aspects

• Executioner's: If you kill an enemy with overpower, an earthquake is triggered. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds.

• Of the Fortress: For every 10% life you are missing, gain 1-5% damage reduction.

• Of Anger Management: While above 40-55 fury, you are berserk but lose 4 fury per second.

Druid

Unique Items

• The Basilisk - Staff

• Affixes:

• 130% Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies

• [16-25]% Earth Attack Speed

• [80-100]% Critical Strike Damage

• [125-170]% Physical Damage

• [21-30]% Critical Strike Chance Against Stunned Enemies

• Power: When you first hit an enemy with an earth skill, they are petrified for 3 seconds. Petrifying an enemy also deals [4412-26472] physical damage.

• MjÖlnic Ryng - Amulet

• Affixes:

• [10.0%] Resistance to All Elements

• [10.0%] Shadow Resistance

• [99-135] Willpower

• [6.0-8.0]% Critical Strike Chance

• [16.0-25.0]% Movement Speed while Cataclysm is Active

• [1-2] to Endless Tempest (Druid Only)

• Power: While Cataclysm is active, you gain unlimited spirit and deal [40-100]% increased damage.

Legendary Aspects

• Moonrage: When an enemy is killed, there is a 5% chance a wolf companion will assist you for 20-35 seconds, with a maximum of 3 additional wolves. This is a lucky hit against bosses.

• Rejuvenating: When you drop below 20 spirit, there is a 15-30% chance for your spirit to be instantly refilled to maximum.

• Spirit Bond: [10-17.5]% of the damage you take is shared among your companions, who also cannot die.

Necromancer

Unique Items

• The Mortacrux - Dagger

• Affixes:

• 50% Damage

• [126-180] Intelligence

• [98-125]% Critical Strike Damage

• [62.5-85]% Vulnerable Damage

• [3-5] to Hewed Flesh

• Power: When consuming a corpse, there is a [10-30]% chance to create a decaying skeletal simulacrum that seeks enemies but cannot attack. When it dies, it explodes for 5,514 Shadow damage. This effect is treated as a macabre skill.

• Path of Trag’oul - Boots

• Affixes:

• [3] Maximum Evade Charges

• [1,500-1,750] Armor

• [12.5-18.0]% Movement Speed

• [13.0-17.5]% Bone Prison Cooldown Reduction (Necromancer Only)

• [1-2] Bone Skills

• Power: Bone Prison traps a larger area and fires [10-30] Bone Splinters at enemies trapped within. Your maximum essence increases by 2 for 10 seconds each time these Bone Splinters hit an enemy.

Legendary Aspects

• Shademist: Your minions deal 25% shadow damage per second to nearby enemies. The damage over time lasts for 2.0-5.0 seconds after leaving the aura.

• Of the Cursed Aura: Gain an aura that automatically afflicts nearby enemies with Decrepify and Iron Maiden for 4 seconds. Cursed enemies spread their curses to additional enemies every 0.2-2.5 seconds.

• Of the Great Feast: Each minion drains 1 essence per second but deals [30-45]% bonus damage. If you have no minions, this bonus applies to you and drains 5 essence per second.

Rogue

Unique Items

• Xenorin’s Needle – 1 Handed Sword

• Affixes:

• 40% Damage

• [110-135] Dexterity

• [13.5-22.5%] Critical Strike Chance

• [150-200]% Critical Strike Damage

• [10-25%] Movement Speed

• Power: Lucky hit: Using a core skill with a basic skill causes your movement speed to increase by [20-50]% for 3 seconds.

• Vishani's Seal – Amulet

• Affixes:

• 20% Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies

• [120-165]% Critical Strike Damage

• [7-10]% Cold Resistance

• [12-17]% Lightning Resistance

• [1-2] Core Skills

• Power: Shadow imbued skills deal [50-75]% more damage against vulnerable enemies.

Legendary Aspects

• Of Expiring Doom: Attacks against enemies with less than 40% life have a 20-50% chance to be critical strikes.

• Replenishing: Attacks against vulnerable enemies grant 1-4 maximum energy for 5-10 seconds.

• Of Blurred Step: Evade has a 15-25% chance to instantly reset its cooldown when used.

Sorcerer

Unique Items

• Li-Ming’s Binding – Chest Armor

• Affixes:

• [2,500-3,000] Armor

• [6.0-8.0]% Cooldown Reduction

• [18.0-25.0%] Lightning Damage Reduction

• [20.0-25.0%] Damage Reduction from Enemies Affected by Status Ailments

• [1-2] Defensive Skills (Sorcerer Only)

• Power: Taking damage while healthy casts an automatic defensive skill and lowers the cooldown of all defensive skills by 25-45%.

• Valthek's Echo - 2 Handed Staff

• Affixes:

• 50% Damage

• [175-225] Intelligence

• [50-80]% Lightning Damage

• [25-35]% Elemental Resistance

• [65-90]% Resistance to All Elements

• Power: Channeling Unstable Currents pulls in nearby enemies, creating an electrified vortex that deals [7,500-10,500] lightning damage every 0.5 seconds.

Legendary Aspects

• Aspect of Volatility: You gain 15-45 mana each time an enemy dies while frozen, burning, or shocked. You also gain 15-30% bonus mana regeneration for 10 seconds each time you pick up a mana potion.

• Enraged Brilliance: Lucky Hit: Critical strikes deal an additional 10-25% damage to nearby enemies and heal for 10-25% of the damage dealt.

• Of the Subterranean Pulse: When using a lightning skill, there is a 2.0-7.5% chance to cast Charged Bolts, which deal [1,512-8,710] damage to nearby enemies.

General Changes

The "Exploit Weakness" ability has been revamped and no longer executes all enemies regardless of their health. Previously, it had a Lucky Hit chance of up to 45% when dealing direct damage to Vulnerable enemies, boosting your damage by 1% for 25 seconds and stacking up to 50%. Once you hit 50 stacks, it would reset and execute all nearby non-boss enemies. Now, the updated ability gives a 60% chance to increase your damage by 1%[x] for 25 seconds, stacking up to 25%[x]. At 25 stacks, the bonus lasts for 6 seconds before it expires.

Björnfang's Tusks have been reworked and renamed, with part of its power now being tied to the "Cataclysm" ability. Additionally, Legendary item drop rates in Helltide have been improved for monsters above Level 100. The previous penalty where only the player who opened the Pit got all the Masterworking materials has been removed, so all party members now benefit equally.

In Helltide, the process for earning Baneful Hearts has been adjusted to make it more consistent. You start with a 15% chance to get a Baneful Heart from a Tortured Gift, which increases each time you fail to get one. Once you get a heart, the chance resets to 15%. Hellborne and Helltide Assassins start with a 1% chance to drop a heart, increasing with each failure and resetting to 1% upon success. Helltide Commanders will always drop a heart, and World Bosses in active Helltide Zones drop three hearts. Local Event chests now have a small chance to grant hearts when you achieve Mastery. Threat gain has also been adjusted to scale consistently with the health of slain monsters.

For Helltide Whispers, these now spawn in just one subzone and will always add up to 10 Grim Favors. Icons have been updated for consistency with other Whispers. The "Cull Demons" event now includes Fallen enemies, and "Cull Fallen" has been replaced with "Cull Cultists." Profane Mindcages are back for the Season of the Infernal Hordes and always drop from Hellborneenemies. They can be stacked up to three times but are only available in the Seasonal Realm.

In World Tiers I and II, summoning the Blood Maiden now requires only two Baneful Hearts. Additionally, opening Tortured Gift chests in these tiers now costs 75 Cinders instead of 100.

Boss Changes

The summoning Urn now respawns after the boss is defeated, letting players quickly reset and take on bosses again. For the Beast in the Ice, you no longer need a crafted sigil to start the fight, making it function like a regular dungeon. 

Once you defeat the Beast, players on the Eternal Realm can use any leftover crafted Sigils to summon it again without using up more materials. Plus, the boss fight is now much closer to the entrance, so you can jump into the action faster without trekking through the entire dungeon. We've also removed Sigil Dust from the cost to summon the Beast in the Ice.

For summoning Varshan, only Malignant Hearts are needed now, as the other body parts like Trembling Hands, Blackened Femurs, and Gurgling Heads have been removed. If you still have those parts as an Eternal Character, you can convert them into hearts at the Alchemist. Additionally, Boss Ladder bosses no longer drop Rare items; instead, they give you more Gold.

Tormented Bosses have also seen some changes. The idea behind these updates is to give you better chances to get Mythic Unique Items. Now, you can tackle any Tormented Boss you have the materials for, with all bosses having five chances to drop a Mythic at a 1.5% rate each, totaling a 7.5% chance. This means they might drop multiple Mythic Uniques instead of just one. The cost to summon a Tormented Boss has also been cut from two Stygian Stones to one.

Everything Else?

There balancing changes, bug fixes, and a few other minor adjustments within the update but these are the most important ones. If you have anything you need for Diablo 4 Season 5, don’t be afraid to reach out to us at RPG Stash for help!