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Diablo 3 Season 28 is the perfect preparation for Diablo 4

The Diablo 3 Season 28 PTR goes live soon, and the new Rites of Sanctuary skill tree uses seals and potions to prepare for the RPG game's sequel, Diablo 4.

Diablo 3 Season 28 is the perfect preparation for Diablo 4: A red demon with glowing red eyes and fire in its chest looks past the camera

As Sanctuary continues to turn on its axis, Blizzard has unveiled the details of Diablo 3‘s next update with Diablo 3 Season 28, known as the ‘Rites of Sanctuary.’ Focusing on a mysterious new altar, the third instalment in the classic action RPG game series is preparing players for the Diablo 4 release date with the all-new potions and seals.

Diablo 3 Season 28 start date

While there’s no exact start date for Diablo 3 Season 28, the PTR (Public Test Realm) for the update begins on January 31.

PTR sessions normally run for around two weeks, meaning we’ll likely see the Diablo 3 Season 28 start date pop up around February 14 – the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, am I right? This also positions its end date perfectly with the launch of Diablo 4 on June 2.

A buff man stands in front of an old altar amid dying trees bathed in orange light

Diablo 3 Season 28: Thematic

This season’s thematic is the ‘Rites of Sanctuary,’ which thrusts players into the heart of the long-forgotten Festering Woods in search of an ominous, very old, very dangerous altar – the so-called Altar of Rites.

In exchange for a sacrifice, this demonic relic bestows players with new powers that last throughout the duration of Season 28 – they will not transfer outside of this timeframe. There are 26 seals on offer (one for each letter of the alphabet) and three power potions. Players will work down from A, and can choose different build paths depending on how you want to play your character.

To unlock different seals, you’ll need to collect their different components. The cost of each increases as you progress, meaning you’ll have to slay hordes of minions in order to complete your build tree. There’s also an incentive for unlocking all 26 seals, as players will be given the ‘Wings of Terror’ cosmetic, twisted, horn-like wings reminiscent of the ones that sit atop the Lord of Terror’s head.

A female armoured warrior with black, horn-like wings sprouting from her back emanating fire energy and sparks

Potions, however, require a truly unique sacrifice; specifically Primordial Ashes. Given its rarity, Season 28 will allow you to salvage a Primal tier item for 55 Primordial Ashes. A Primal Item recipe has also been added to Kanai’s Cube, so you can use 100 Primal Ashes and a non-crafted Legendary Item to rebuild any items salvaged.

All of this is reminiscent of what I saw during my Diablo 4 gameplay preview. The network of different skills looks very like Diablo 4’s twisted skill trees which unlock and offer new specialisations as you level up. While the UI is very, very different, it feels like this season is very much angled at preparing players for Diablo 4.

If you want to get ahead of the game and read up on all of the seals and what they do, as well as the effects granted by the mysterious new potions, it’s all outlined here.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to prepare to take on the Mother of Sanctuary herself, we’ve got a rundown of all of the Diablo 4 classes, as well as a rundown of everything we know about the Diablo 4 beta release date. Meanwhile, you can whet your whistle with some of the best games like Diablo as you await Lilith’s arrival.