Diablo 4 Season 2 is bringing a big ol' helping of quality of life updates based on player feedback, and just some of the highlights include endgame improvements, faster leveling, permanent Renown, and mount buffs.
The first of two Diablo 4 developer updates about Season 2, titled Season of Blood, was livestreamed today and revealed a new 1 - 100 roadmap for players tired of the old grind, changes to make the game's rarest items easier to get, and a Steam version of the game. But maybe the most significant news to come from the livestream is the collective whole of quality of life updates that could shape player perception around the base game.
One major change coming in Season 2 is the ability for new players to skip the campaign after the prologue so that they can play the seasonal content immediately. Currently, you have to beat the main campaign before you can get into the seasonal stuff, but that all changes when Season 2 launches.
Renown rewards you earn will carry over from season to season as well as from character to character. That means you'll keep your potion charges, extra skill points, extra paragon points, murmuring obols, and any other rewards bought with Renown when a season ends and when you start a new character, whether that's in the eternal or seasonal realm. For clarification, you still can't carry rewards over one game mode to another, so your eternal characters' rewards will stay in the eternal realm and same goes for seasonal characters.
Compared to Season of the Malignant, you'll gain XP and reach Level 100 approximately 40% faster in Season 2. The late-level grind has been a common pain point since launch, so it's good to see this is being addressed.
Nightmare dungeons are also getting improvements in Season 2. Specifically, you'll be able to teleport to the interior of the dungeon instead of the outside entrance, saving you a loading screen and time. Likewise, Blizzard is boosting monster density, making NPC companions more durable, and reducing the need for backtracking by placing objectives on a more linear path.
Diablo 4's endgame, which has been heavily criticized since launch, is getting some much-needed changes as well. The biggest of those is the Boss ladder, which will allow players to target farm the new and returning five endgame bosses for Uniques and Uber Uniques, which Blizzard says will be dropping at a "much higher" rate. Likewise, the spawn rate for Legion Events and World Bosses is getting a highly requested boost in Season 2.
There's also a new protection against disconnect-related deaths coming to Season 2. Now, when you're disconnected during combat, you'll automatically consume a Scrolls of Escape if you have one.
Mounts are getting buffed and will now be faster and more agile. They'll also be able to just plow right through blockades, which just sounds satisfying as hell.
Incenses will grant an XP bonus and persist after you die, there will be more waypoints unlocked when you skip the campaign to jump into seasons, and overworld monsters will no longer trail your level after 55 and 75, respectively.
It's a lot to take in, and that's not even everything! The full patch notes will be available closer to launch of Season 2, and we'll presumably know a lot more after next Season 2 developer update on October 10. With any luck it's all for the betterment of the game.
We also know Diablo 4's quality of life changes are coming throughout Season 2, not just at launch.
