Diablo 4 Season of Death Awakening Starts June 30 With Warlock Trial

The Age of Hatred story arc, which defined Diablo 4 since its 2023 launch, has officially concluded following the Lord of Hatred expansion. Blizzard is moving into the next era of the action RPG next week with the launch of Season of Death Awakening, which is set to begin on June 30.

The new season brings a macabre theme to the forefront, centering on dark rituals that have begun tearing ruptures across Sanctuary. These ruptures serve as the core of the new endgame activity and come in three distinct varieties. Players will face waves of new Gravehound monsters, with the potential to trigger an encounter with the massive Realmwalker boss. Defeating this boss grants access to the Deathtoll Chamber mini-dungeon, where players can earn the lair keys required to unlock the season's Lair Boss Hoard.

Refining the Mythic Experience

Following community feedback from the Public Test Realm (PTR), Blizzard is adjusting how Mythic Uniques function. The developer initially faced significant blowback regarding a plan to remove guaranteed stats from these items. Instead, the team has opted to provide two guaranteed bonuses that preserve the items' unique identities while allowing for more build diversity. Furthermore, players will now have the ability to swap one of these bonuses to their preference, while the remaining stats will continue to roll randomly.

Warlock Trials and Overwatch Crossovers

For those who have yet to dive into the Lord of Hatred expansion, Blizzard is offering a limited-time opportunity to test the new Warlock class. From June 30 through July 7, all Diablo 4 players on all platforms can play the Warlock up to level 25. Any progress made during this trial period will carry over should the player decide to purchase the full expansion.

The season also introduces an unexpected aesthetic shift through an Overwatch crossover. Players can earn a new currency, Eye of the Overwatch, by defeating elite and champion monsters. This currency can be used to unlock themed cosmetics, which will also be available for purchase in the in-game shop. The event brings iconic heroes such as Reinhardt, Genji, Reaper, Mercy, Brigitte, Moira, Roadhog, and Kiriko into the Diablo setting, though their vibrant designs offer a stark contrast to the game's traditional grimdark atmosphere.

As the game enters this new seasonal era, speculation regarding its future on other hardware continues to grow, with recent reports indicating that Diablo 4 has received a new rating in anticipation of a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release.