Diablo 4 is getting a popular gameplay system from Diablo 3 for its upcoming Season 12–killstreaks.
Originally introduced in Diablo 3, killstreaks reward players for racking up a large number of kills in quick succession, with stacking XP bonuses for how high a player’s killstreak climbs.
The system will be largely the same in Diablo 4 (minus rewards for destroying breakable objects or killing enemies with the environment, as in Diablo 3). There will be five tiers of killstreaks players will be able to earn, with increased XP and seasonal reputation bonuses based on the highest tier achieved during the streak. Those five tiers are:
- Killstreak
- Carnage
- Devastation
- Bloodbath
- Massacre
To go alongside the killstreak system, Blizzard is also introducing a whole new type of item in the form of Bloodied gear. These Bloodied weapons and armor will interact with killstreaks in different ways. A few examples provided by Blizzard include affixes like “gain Berserking for six seconds every 25 kills,” “resource cost reduction per killstreak tier,” and “higher chance for enemies to drop runes during killstreaks.”
Killstreaks aren’t the only new mechanic in Diablo 4 Season 12. Blizzard will also add Bloodied Sigils. These items will increase the overall difficulty of endgame content like Nightmare dungeons, Infernal Hordes, and Lair Bosses, but come with more rewards. Every Bloodied Sigil includes an affix that will see the Butcher relentlessly hunt down players, so much so that even when killed, he will immediately return. The appearance of the “Relentless Butcher” does not replace the chance for the Butcher to spawn normally either, meaning players could be fighting two Butchers at once if they are unlucky.
Diablo 4 Season 12 is set to be a bit shorter than most previous seasons, beginning March 10 and presumably lasting up until the launch of the game’s next expansion, Lord of Hatred, on April 28. While Lord of Hatred is still a few months away, those who preorder can play the expansion’s new Paladin class right now, with yet another new class coming with the expansion yet to be revealed.
In a blog post announcing the Season 12 public test realm, Blizzard stated Season 12 is “designed as a more focused, streamlined season” ahead of the new expansion. The PTR for Diablo 4 Season 12 will take place February 3-10. Blizzard will be hosting a Diablo 30th anniversary showcase on February 11, where no doubt more details about Season 12 and Lord of Hatred will be revealed.