Diablo 4is about to enter its ninth season since its launch back in June 2023. Titled Sins of the Horadrim,Diablo 4Season 9 looks to recapture some of the game’s audience that has started to dwindle amid a content slump and competition from other ARPGs likePath of Exile 2andLast Epoch. With this tough hurdle to overcome,Diablo 4Season 9 has plenty of new features that are worth checking out, whether a player is jumping for the first time, returning after a hiatus, or coming hot off the heels of Season 8.
The Sins of the Horadrim season forDiablo 4is shining a spotlight on the ancient brotherhood committed to protecting Sanctuary from the Prime Evils. With the Horadrim fallen from grace and condemned by the Church of Light followingDiablo 4’s main story campaign, providing more context for the order’s current status during Season 9 could end up laying the foundation forDiablo 4’s next major expansion. At the very least, players will get the chance to try out some new gameplay mechanics and tackle new challenges when the season launches on July 1.
Out of all these new uniques coming inDiablo 4Season 9, the Sorcerer’s Ophidian Iris is the most intriguing. The buff it grants to the Sorcerer’s Hydra is powerful enough that the Hydra Sorcerer will likely be one of the top-tier builds for the Sins of the Horadrim season. Additionally, the Spiritborn’s new unique pants could help revitalize thePoison Thorns Spiritbornbuild and elevate it to become another of the season’s best builds.
Diablo 4 Season 9’s Horadric Spells
The mainseasonal gimmick forDiablo 4Season 9is the addition of Horadric Spells, which play a similar role as past seasonal mechanics, like Season 8’s Boss Powers and Season 7’s Witchcraft Powers. This time,Diablo 4players will be able to mix and match three different components to create the Horadric Spell that’s ideal for them. By combining a Catalyst, Infusion, and Arcana, players can augment a Horadric Spell to suit their build’s needs.
Horadric Strongrooms Are a New Micro-Dungeon in Season 9
Similar to the Rootholds of Season 7 and theHellbreaches of Season 5, the Sins of the Horadrim season is adding another new micro-dungeon toDiablo 4in the form of Horadric Strongrooms. These micro-dungeons can appear within Nightmare Dungeons, requiring players to collect Horadric Attunement by defeating enemies before tackling the boss. Depending on the amount of Attunement obtained, rewards can include Horadric Tomes, which allow players to craft Horadric Jewels that can be socketed into gear for powerful Horadric Spell synergy.
Nightmare Dungeons Are Getting Even Harder in Diablo 4 Season 9
Aside from Horadric-themed features,Diablo 4Season 9 is adding a new twist to the game’s Nightmare Dungeon system by introducing Dungeon Escalations. This new mechanic allowsDiablo 4players to tackle three Nightmare Dungeons in succession, with Affixes from each previous dungeon carrying over to the next. Completing these dungeons rewards players with improved loot over the standard Nightmare Dungeon offerings, but requires specialEscalating Nightmare Sigilsfound in Horadric Strongrooms.
Diablo 4’s Escalating Nightmares will pit players against Astaroth at the end of their run, a boss returning from the game’s main campaign.
