After the longest Diablo season to date, more is finally known about Season 28. We tell you everything you should know about the launch and have the patch notes.
The closer Diablo 4 gets, the longer the seasons of Diablo 3 last. With Season 27, Blizzard already broke its record, after all, the season lasted half a year. Soon, however, the long hike will be over, because we now know when to expect Season 28. And not only that, the season”s theme has been revealed (in a blog entry) too. Most excitingly, it introduces a new skilltree of sorts for passive skills.
We are collecting all known info around Season 28 of Diablo 3 in this article and will update the article regularly as new information becomes available.
Table of Contents
What is the seasonal theme?
Diablo 3”s new season theme is called Rites of Sanctuary and it sounds very, very exciting indeed. After all, it basically introduces a new talent tree. To be more precise, it is an altar in the Festering Woods. You can visit this altar with your Nephalem and unlock new bonuses, provided you make an appropriate sacrifice.
This altar of rites has a total of 26 seals and three legendary potion powers that you can unlock gradually. Once an ability has been unlocked, it will be active for the entire season and will affect all of your characters. The skill tree shows that you can choose from many paths:
These bonuses unlock the seals:
| A | The duration of your bloodlust timer and the bonus granted are doubled. |
| B | Fountains of Reflection bonuses are in effect for the entire season and are not removed by your demise. |
| C | Items no longer have a level limit. |
| D | You do +200 damage. |
| E | You take 25% less damage from projectiles. |
| F | Your speed increases by 25 percent (unlimited). |
| G | Damage against elite monsters is increased by 15 percent. |
| H | Healing Orbs give you a shield that stays for 7 seconds and absorbs 5 percent of your maximum life. Can stack a maximum of five times. |
| I | You take 25 percent less damage from melee attacks. |
| J | Your highest elemental skill damage is increased by 10 percent. |
| K | Damage against elite monsters is increased by 20 percent. |
| L | You do +20 percent damage. |
| M | Double your Breath of Death drops. |
| N | Critical hit generate: 15 mana, 5 hate, 5 anger, 3 arcane power, 3 rage, 5 mind power and 5 essence. |
| O | Bounties roll twice as many bounty dice. |
| P | Progress orbs from Nephale Portals and Great Nephale Portals are automatically collected within 60 meters. |
| Q | Elite monsters do 25 percent less damage. |
| R | You do +30 percent more damage. |
| S | You are immune to crowd control effects. |
| T | You can run through enemies. |
| U | Pets collect breath of death. |
| V | Elite groups drop an additional progress orb. |
| W | You do 25 percent more damage to bosses. |
| X | Pets collect and recycle common, magic and rare items. |
| Y | You increase the chance to dodge by 15 percent. |
| Z | You double the chance of finding a legendary item purchased from Kadala. |
| Potion AA | When you drink a healing potion, a rune circle manifests on the ground, allowing you to deal more damage, reduce cooldowns or lower resource costs. |
| Potion AB | When you drink a healing potion, all enemies within 25 yards do 25% less damage. |
| Potion AC | When you drink a healing potion, you get a random shrine effect or the effect of the Oylon of Dimensional Power. |
| AD | When an archaic item drops, a second archaic item is also dropped. |
How to unlock the skills?
To get the sigils and potion effects, you will have to make some sacrifices, as mentioned. Strictly speaking, each power is tied to a material price. The more seals or potions you have already unlocked, the more expensive the next ability will be. Once you have unlocked all of the seals and potions, Diablo 3 will reward you not only with extreme power, but also a new cosmetic item: the Wings of Terror.
The exact costs are in the following table:
| 1 | 10 Recyclable parts |
| 2 | 1 Flawless Diamond (or better), 15 Arcane Dust, 20 Recyclable Parts |
| 3 | 1 Large Portal Key, 10 Breath of Death |
| 4 | Some class specific set helmet |
| 5 | 20 Forgotten Souls, 10 Runes of Khandura, 10 Nightshade from Caldeum, 10 Tapestry from Arreat , 10 Corrupted Angel Flesh, 10 Holy Water from Westmark |
| 6 | 1 Leoric”s Regret, 1 Vial of Rot, 1 Idol of Terror, 1 Heart of Evil |
| 7 | Wrap Cloth of the Soul Harvester |
| 8 | 30 Forgotten Souls |
| 9 | 1,100 Blood Shards |
| 10 | 1 Flawless Royal Ruby, 20 Breath of Death, Ring of Royal Splendor |
| 11 | 1 Flawless Royal Samarag, 30 Runes of Khandura, 30 Nightshade of Caldeum, 30 Tapestry of Arreat, 30 Corrupted Angel Flesh, 30 Holy Water of Westmark |
| 12 | 20 Great Portal Key 1 Ramaladni”s Gift |
| 13 | 1,300 Blood Shards |
| 14 | Strangled Scream |
| 15 | Challenge Portal Bag |
| 16 | 250 Forgotten Souls |
| 17 | 1,400 Blood Shards |
| 18 | Old Hellfire Amulet |
| 19 | 4 pages from the Folio of Set Portals for your class. |
| 20 | Old Wicker Ring, 50 Runes of Khandura, 50 Nightshade from Caldeum, 50 Tapestry from Arreat, 50 Corrupted Angel Flesh, 50 Holy Water from Westmark |
| 21 | 500 Breath of Death, 300 Forgotten Soul |
| 22 | 1,500 Blood Shard |
| 23 | Whispers of Repentance Rank 125 |
| 24 | Some improved ancient weapon |
| 25 | Staff of the Shepherd |
| 26 | 1,600 Blood Shard |
| Potion 1 | 55 Archaic Ashes |
| Potion 2 | 110 Archaic Ash |
| Potion 3 | 165 PArchaic ash |
Archaic Ash is a brand new resource that you can sacrifice at the altar. You can use archaic items at the blacksmith and get 55 Archaic Ashes for them. You can also use the ashes to try out a new recipe in Kanai”s Cube.
Which sets will be given away?
As with every season, you will be given a set for your character as part of your seasonal journey in Season 28, called the Gift of Haedrig.
- Barbarian: Horde of Ninety Savages
- Crusader: Aegis of Valour
- Demon Slayer: Gear of Terror
- Monk: Pattern of Justice
- Summoner of the Dead: Masquerade of the Burning Carnival
- Witch Doctor: Mundunugus Regalia
- Sorceress: The Typhon Veil
What cosmetic rewards are there?
As usual, cosmetic rewards from previous seasons are brought back. This time it”s Season 16, so you”ll get:
- Armor pieces: There is the Conqueror”s head guard and shoulder guard.
- Portrait Frame: A set of adornments for your portrait called Call of Adventure.
- New Wings: You can pin on the wings of Lempo and make quite an impression.
However, new cosmetic rewards will once again be introduced for completing the seasonal journey:
- Companions: You can call the little dragon Taennin the Tiny to your side.
- New portrait frames: There are also brand new frames called Primeval Hunter.
Patch Notes
FIXED BUGS
Altar of Rites
- The power description for seal N has been made more explicit.
- Companions no longer pick up and recycle other players” common, magic and rare items due to the power of Signet X.
- Fixed a bug where Signet V was dropping more progress orbs than intended.
SKILL CHANGES: MONK
- Passive Skill Combo Strike:
- Each mind power generator you use increases the damage done by your other mind power generators by 100 % for 10 sec.
- Skill Paralysing Woge:
- Every third hit dazes enemies within 11 metres, reducing their movement speed by 30 % and attack speed by 20 % for 10 seconds.
- Shock Rune: Enemies hit by Paralysing Surge deal 20 % less damage for 10 sec.
- Breaker Rune: Enemies hit by Paralysing Surge take an extra 10 % damage from all attacks for 10 sec.
- Every third hit dazes enemies within 11 metres, reducing their movement speed by 30 % and attack speed by 20 % for 10 seconds.
- Lethal Reach Skill:
- Far Vision Rune: Every third hit additionally increases the damage done by all your attacks by 15 % for 10 sec.
- Way of a Hundred Fists:
- Assimilation Rune: Each enemy hit on the third strike increases your damage dealt by 5 % for 10 sec.
ITEM CHANGES
Barbar
- Horde of Ninety Savages (set bonus (6 parts)):
- ”Frenzy” deals 2,000 % increased damage per stack.
Demon Hunter
- Chanons Balläster:
- Your spike traps attract enemies and deal 150-200 % more damage. Enemies can be lured once every 10 sec.
- The Demons” Downfall:
- Each blast of ”Spike Trap” deals damage again to all enemies after 1 sec and deals 150-200 % more damage.
- Natalya”s Butcher:
- Increases the damage of Spike Trap by 10-15 %.
- Natalya”s Revenge (Set Bonus (2 parts)):
If you hit an enemy while ”Spike Trap” is in your action bar, a spike trap is created. Each explosion of a spike trap restores 1 Discipline.- ”Spike Trap” deals 100 % more damage to enemies affected by ”Crow”s Feet”. ”Spike Trap” now restores charges immediately upon use, no longer costs resources and each blast restores 2 Discipline.
- Natalya”s Revenge (Set Bonus (4 parts)):
Laying a spike trap grants 60 % damage reduction. The duration of this bonus is always equal to the number of traps already laid in seconds.- Explosions from spiked traps push affected enemies towards the nearest crow”s feet laid. Laying a spike trap grants 75 % damage reduction. The duration of this bonus is always equal to the number of traps already laid in seconds.
- Natalya”s Revenge (set bonus (6 parts)):
The damage of ”Spike Trap” is increased by 10,000 % and each successive explosion of the triggered chain reaction deals 10 % more damage than the previous one.- ”Spike Trap” deals 10,000 % more damage and each successive explosion of the triggered chain reaction deals 25 % more damage than the previous one.
- Gears of Terror:
Your primary skills deal 15,000 % more damage.- Your primary skills deal 27,500 % more damage.
- Cloak of Shadow (Set Bonus (2 parts)):
- Increases the damage of ”Bolas”, ”Chakram”, ”Dagger Fan” and ”Impale” by 6,000 % when wielding a melee weapon.
- The set bonus (2 parts) for Shadow”s Cloak no longer has benefits for Spike Trap.
- Wrap of Trag”Oul:
- ”Spiked Trap” gains the effect of the rune ”Scatter”, is used twice as fast and deals 150-200 % more damage.
- Unholy Essence (Set Bonus (6 parts)):
- Hate Maker, attacks with ”Revenge” and ”Multiple Shot” deal 1700 % more damage per currently available discipline point.
Monk
- Pattern of Justice (set bonus (6 parts)):
- When Tearing Wind is active, hits with Thunderstorm Front increase the extension of Tearing Wind and they also increase any damage dealt by 20,000 %.
- Garments of a Thousand Storms (set bonus (4 parts)):
- ”Frenzied Attack” consumes 25 Spirit Power, but refunds one charge in this case.
Summoner
- Masquerade of the Burning Carnival (set bonus (6 pieces)):
- Bone Spear deals 9,000 % more damage. Simulacra receive triple bonus.
Witch Doctor
- Ghost Barrage:
- Nature Spirit Rune: Summons a phantom that hovers over you and attacks nearby enemies with spirit projectiles. It deals 6,000 % 14,000 % weapon damage as cold damage over the course of 20 seconds.
Wizard
- The Typhon Veil (set bonus (6 parts)):
- Hydras deal 4,000 % increased damage per living hydra head.
What do you think of the new season? Do you want to jump right back in or are you getting tired of Diablo 3? What do you think will happen after Season 28 when Diablo 4 is out? Write us your opinions in the comments!
