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Diablo 3 season 23 – everything we know

All of the details for the upcoming season 23, including the Follower revamp

Deckard Cain looking over some books in a chapel in Diablo 3.

Want to know everything that’s coming in Diablo 3 season 23? Even though there is a new game in the series coming within the next year or so, Diablo 3 is still seeing significant support with seasonal updates to keep the game feeling fresh.

If you’ve not jumped into Diablo 3 for quite some time, then you might be wondering what exactly seasons are for the longstanding RPG game.. Essentially, they’re themed events that do not always provide players with permanent changes, but add a bit of variety as well as balance changes. For example, the previous season had shrines and pylons spawn in a shadow clone of your class that lasts a minute or until you die, as well as Kanai’s Cube having a fourth slot.

With the recent Patch 2.7.0 PTR concluding a few days ago, here is everything that is coming to Diablo 3 season 23. From balance updates and bug fixes to key mechanics getting reworked, there is a lot to unpack here and you’ll want to know ahead of time to get the most out of the new update.

Diablo 3 season 23 release date

Diablo 3 season 23 begins on April 2, 2021, and has a release time of 5pm across all regions. Season 22 ends on March 28 and the current Double Goblin event is also due to end at the same time.

All of the Diablo 3 season 23 rewards

Diablo 3 season 23 rewards

To commemorate Diablo 3 season 23, there will be several new rewards:

  • Chopping Block portrait frame
  • Lacuni Cub pet
  • Eternal Dragon pet
  • Conqueror set’s pants and boots
  • Treasure Goblins portrait
  • New icons for leaderboards

These will be bestowed upon players who complete the Season 23 Guardian’s Journey. You’ll need to upgrade your season hero to level 70 to transmogrify.

All of the Season 23 class sets for Diablo 3 for every character class.

Diablo 3 Season 23 class sets

Class sets are also rewarded for completing chapters in the Season Journey. When you complete chapters two, three, and four, you’ll be rewarded with three of Haedrig’s Gifts. These gifts contain a few pieces from one of the class sets, and players can only unlock one class set per season across Hardcore and Non-Hardcore modes.

To obtain the full set, you’ll need to complete those three chapters and receive Haedrig’s Gifts on the same character. Here are all of the Diablo 3 Season 23 class sets:

  • Monk: Raiment of a Thousand Storms
  • Demon Hunter: Unhallowed Essense
  • Crusader: Roland’s Legacy
  • Wizard: Tal Rasha’s Elements
  • Barbarian: Wrath of the Wastes
  • Witch Doctor: Helltooth Harness
  • Necromancer: Bones of Rathma

season journey Tasks

Blizzard has also said that you can get extra stash tabs by accomplishing a few tasks during the Season Journey. These are the Diablo 3 Season 23 Season Journey tasks:

  • Far Away: Kill the Siegebreaker Assault Beast at level 70 in under 30 seconds on Torment X difficulty.
  • Money Ain’t a Thang: Slay Greed on Torment X difficulty. Treasure Goblins outside of Nephalem Rifts will sometimes open portals to Greed’s domain, The Vault.
  • A Little More: Reach Greater Rift Level 60 Solo.
  • 4 Minutes to Save the World​: Finish a level 70 Nephalem Rift on Torment X difficulty within four minutes.
  • Gem of My Life: Level three Legendary Gems to level 55.
  • All I Do is Win: Complete two Conquests this Season.

Seasonal conquests

Speaking of seasonal objectives, there are a bunch of Seasonal Conquests to complete too. We don’t know precisely which bosses need to be killed or Set Dungeons need to completed to complete those conquests at this time, but we’ll update as soon as we find out more.

  • Avarice: Complete a 50,000,000 gold streak while outside of the Vault and The Inner Sanctum
  • Avaritia: Complete a 50,000,000 gold streak while outside of the Vault and The Inner Sanctum in Hardcore mode
  • Speed Demon: Complete a Nephalem Rift at max level on Torment X or higher within two minutes
  • Need For Speed: Complete a Nephalem Rift at max level on Torment X or higher within two minutes in Hardcore mode
  • Boss Mode: Kill the following bosses at max level on Torment X or higher within 20 minutes of the start of the game
  • Worlds Apart: Kill the following bosses at max level on Torment X or higher within 20 minutes of the start of the game in Hardcore mode
  • Divinity: Reach Greater Rift Level 75 Solo
  • Lionhearted: Reach Greater Rift Level 75 Solo in Hardcore mode
  • Masters of the Universe: Master eight of the following Set Dungeons
  • Masters of Sets: Master eight of the following Set Dungeons in Hardcore mode
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Diablo 3 Follower system revamp

This is the biggest update of Diablo 3 season 23, and will affect both seasonal and non-seasonal gameplay. Players will be able to equip their followers with items in a total of 14 different item slots. These slots include:

  • Follower Relic item
  • Helm
  • Shoulders
  • Chest
  • Gloves
  • Bracers
  • Belt
  • Rings (x2)
  • Neck
  • Pants
  • Boots
  • Main-hand weapon
  • Off-hand

There are also new items that you can equip onto the follower with the Emanate trait. According to the official Diablo 3 blog post, this “allows the player to gain the intended effect of certain Legendary Powers and Set Bonuses when equipped on the hired Follower”. There are 13 items with this trait, as well as two 3-piece set bonuses.

Follower skills updates

The Vanish, Fate’s Lapse, and Guardian skills will be updated in the patch to include – higher priority over player’s cheat death skills, display a debuff icon while each of them are on cooldown, and remove the bug that reduces cooldown by 50%. In addition, Vanish’s description has been reworded for clarity, and follower ability tooltips now display the current value of scaled abilities, rather than the range.

Here are the full list of skills with their new balance patches for each individual follower in Diablo 3:

The Scoundrel from Diablo 3 is holding a bag of money and smirking.

Scoundrel

  • Crippling Shot: Ranged attack that deals 140% weapon damage and slows enemies hit by 80% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity.
  • Powered Shot: Ranged attack that explodes on impact, dealing 120% weapon damage as Arcane to enemies within 10 yards and has a 100% chance to Stun enemies for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity.
  • Hysteria: Whenever you or the Scoundrel land a Critical Hit, you both will go into hysterics, increasing all damage done by 3% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity.
  • Anatomy: Increases Critical Hit Chance by 1.8% to 4% for you and the Scoundrel based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity.
  • Multishot Passive: The Scoundrel’s special attacks have a 50% to 70% chance to fire 3 bolts based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity.
  • Vanish: When you take fatal damage, the Scoundrel conceals you from enemies for 3 to 7 seconds based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity, and prevents your death allowing you to escape your death.
  • Night’s Veil: The Scoundrel launches a cloud that covers a 20-yard area and lasts 2 to 4 seconds based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity. All attacks against enemies that are inside the cloud will be critical hits.
  • Piercing Shot: Ranged attack that pierces and increases damage done to enemies by 10% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity.

Added skills – Night’s Veil and Piercing Shot
Removed skills – Dirty Fighting and Poison Bolts
Reworked skill – Vanish

The Templar follower from Diablo 3 is covered in scale armour.

Templar

  • Heal and Loyalty: These skills now scale based on the Templar’s Strength.
  • Intimidate: Enemies that hit or are hit by the Templar are slowed by 80% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Templar’s Strength.
  • Charge: Charges a target, dealing 280% weapon damage and stunning all enemies within 8 yards for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Templar’s Strength.
  • Intervene: Taunt enemies within 10 yards of you for 3 to 6 seconds based on Templar’s strength when you are hit.
  • Onslaught: Delivers a massive blow to an enemy for 800% weapon damage and causes the target and nearby enemies to take 10% increased damage for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Templar’s Strength.
  • Guardian: When you take fatal damage, the Templar will rush to your aid, knocking back enemies within 15 yards, healing you for 15% to 25% life based on the Templar’s Strength, and shielding you from all damage for 5 seconds.

Reworked skills – Onslaught and Guardian

The Enchantress follower in Diablo 3 has a staff with a bright green orb on top.

Enchantress

Erosion: Conjures a pool of energy that deals 330% weapon damage as Arcane over 5 to 7 seconds based on the Enchantress’s Intelligence. Affected enemies will also take 10% increased damage.
Focused Mind: A 40-yard aura that increases attack speed for you and the Enchantress by 3% to 6% based on the Enchantress’s Intelligence.
Powered Shield: Reduces damage by 6% from ranged attacks, increases Armor by 3%, and slows melee attackers by 60% for 3 to 6 seconds for you and the Enchantress based on the Enchantress’s Intelligence.
Temporal Pulse: The Enchantress casts a guided orb that deals 150% weapon damage and slows enemies by 80% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Enchantress’s Intelligence.
Amplification: Increases your highest static elemental bonus by 5% to 10% based on the Enchantress’s Intelligence.
Prophetic Harmony: Reduce your skills’ Cooldowns by 5% to 10% based on the Enchantress’s Intelligence.
Fate’s Lapse: When you take fatal damage, the Enchantress empowers you to speed up your movement through time for 3 to 7 seconds to avoid death based on the Enchantress’s Intelligence.

Removed skills – Forceful Push, Mass Control, Disorient, and Missile Ward
New skills – Temporal Pulse, Amplification, Prophetic Harmony, and Fate’s Lapse
Reworked skill – Powered Armor (renamed from Powered Shield)

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Season 23 item updates

It’s worth noting that, in addition to the item updates below, the redesign of the Bones of Rathma set for the Diablo 3 Necromancer means that the objective to ‘raise 100 skeletal mages’ will be updated to ‘revive 100 corpses’.

Here are all of the updated items in the upcoming Diablo 3 season 23 update:

  • Teleport: Adjusted Wizard’s Teleport animation speed.
  • Land of the Dead: Invigoration skill rune now removes all resource costs.
  • Rathma’s Shield: Now has a 60-second cooldown
  • Bones of Rathma 2-Piece Set: Your permanent minions reduce the cooldown of Army of the Dead by 0.50 seconds each time they deal damage. Your skeletal warriors spawn faster, and your revived minions no longer expire.
  • Bones of Rathma 4-Piece Set: Your minions no longer take damage. You gain 1% damage reduction for 15 seconds each time one of your minions deal damage. Maximum of 75 stacks.
  • Bones of Rathma 6-Piece Set: Each permanent active minion increases the damage of Army of the Dead and Bone Spirit by 500%, up to 9000%.
  • Defiler Cuisses: Bone Spirit’s damage is increased by 400% to 500% for every second it is active and will also freeze enemies on impact. Maximum of 5 seconds.
  • Bonds of C’Lena: Army of the Dead deals 75% to 100% increased damage or double this bonus against an active target of Command Skeletons
  • Firebird’s Finery 2-Piece Set: Disintegrate Ignites enemies, causing them to take 3000% weapon damage per second until they die. When you die, a meteor falls from the sky and revives you. This effect has a 60-second cooldown.
  • Firebird’s Finery 4-Piece Set: Casting Disintegrate adds Combustion stacks that reduce the cooldown of Teleport by 2% per stack. Stacks up to 50 times. You gain 80% damage reduction while maintaining Combustion stacks.
  • Firebird’s Finery 6-Piece Set: You gain 2000% increased damage while Ignite is applied to a target. Hitting an Ignited enemy with a non-channeling fire spell deals Ignite damage multiplied by Combustion stacks.
  • Gears of Dreadlands 6-Piece Set: Your primary skills deal 15,000% increased damage.
  • The Ninth Cirri Satchel: Hungering Arrow is guaranteed to pierce and also deals 450% to 600% increased damage. Hungering Arrow can only pierce up to 4 times.
  • Gazing Demise: The damage of Spirit Barrage is increased by 100% to 150%. Spirit Barrage gains the Phantasm rune that lasts twice as long, and the attack rate from Manitou spectres is increased.
  • Blackthorne’s Jousting Mail: Replaced one minor property with a random elemental damage affix.

A skeleton is lying in the desert outside of a grand city.

Diablo 3 season 23 updates and bug fixes

Outside of the updates to follower classes and items, there are plenty of other updates in store for season 23.

Solo leaderboards update

Greater Rift solo leaderboards will contain additional filters. You’ll be able to use a total of seven filters per class, including Class Sets, No Class Set, and the Overall filters. This is so that players can have their favourite set represented, while not just showcasing the strongest Diablo 3 builds on the leaderboards.

Bug fixes

  • Fixed an issue with the legacy version of Etched Sigil buffing unintended effects.
  • Fixed a bug where the Follower’s cheat death skills activated while the player had a Shield Pylon active.
  • Fixed a bug where Templar follower would sometimes stop following the player.
  • Fixed Revive – Personal Army buff not persisting with Bones of Rathma’s 4 piece bonus.
  • Updated text on Blackthrone’s Jousting Mail item description
  • Fixed a bug where the Demon Hunter’s Hungering Arrow – Shatter Shot pierced more than intended.
  • Fixed a bug where the Wizard’s Firebird’s Finery 6-piece bonus didn’t interact with Wave of Force – Heat Wave and the base Hydra’s attacks.
  • Fixed a bug where the Wizard’s Deathwish damage bonus didn’t always apply correctly while Channeling.
  • Fixed a bug with the leaderboards where players could be placed on the ‘No Six Piece Set’ leaderboard when having a Class Set equipped.
  • Fixed a bug on the leaderboards that caused the bottom of the leaderboard UI to be cut off.

And those are all the changes coming to Diablo 3 season 23. It’s a lot to take in, especially when it comes to the Follower revamp and the many item updates, but there are plenty of updates for use in solo play that change up the gameplay significantly.