Although Diablo 4 Season 12 is still currently underway, we are sure you've already started looking forward to Season 13! This is because its projected release date is expected to coincide with the launch of the new expansion, Lord of Hatred!

This means that in Season 13, you can expect to experience a wealth of new content, far more than in a standard season, much like Season 6 in 2024, which launched alongside the game's very first DLC.

In this article, drawing upon the information currently available regarding Lord of Hatred, we will speculate on exactly what content Season 13 might ultimately contain.

Season 13 release date

Based on current estimates, it can be tentatively confirmed that the season will kick off on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 10:00 AM PDT. At that same time, the second DLC, Lord of Hatred, will also go live.

As of now, the official title for Season 13 has yet to be revealed. However, following the precedent set by Season 6 and the first DLC, it is unlikely that the season will simply adopt the title Lord of Hatred, though it may very well still be thematically linked to Hatred.

Will Season 13 have PTR?

Typically, prior to the start of a new season, Diablo 4 launches PTR lasting about a week to allow for testing of the upcoming season's content.

Season 6, which shares a similar launch context to Season 13, saw its PTR go live a full month before the season itself launched.

However, with only two weeks remaining until the projected launch of Season 13, there has still been no news regarding the opening of a PTR. All you can do now is wait!

Potential new content for Season 13

In addition to the mechanics introduced by the new expansion, Season 13 itself is expected to bring a new questline, seasonal mechanics and events, as well as optimizations and upgrades to the game's overall gear system.

This content is expected to launch alongside the new DLC, ensuring that you have a rich and engaging gaming experience over the subsequent 2-3 months.

New mechanics in Lord of Hatred

As a brand-new DLC that Diablo 4 has consumed nearly two years developing, much of Lord of Hatred's core content has already been unveiled.

Crucially, however, this content will also serve as an integral part of Season 13; therefore, we have compiled a comprehensive overview of these features for you here.

Two new classes

While the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, introduced Spiritborn class, Lord of Hatred will offer you even more diverse options by introducing two brand-new classes: Warlock and Paladin.

However, Paladin class was already made available for early access to all players who pre-ordered Lord of Hatred at the start of Season 11.

Furthermore, it has undergone multiple balance adjustments since then; therefore, if you are looking for a smoother gameplay experience in Season 13, Paladin is the superior choice.

This class is melee-oriented and is renowned for its exclusive Oaths mechanic. This mechanic unlocks once your character reaches Level 15, allowing you to switch between four distinct Oaths to suit your specific needs.

As for Warlock, judging by the trailers and content released so far, it is a class centered around dark magic, primarily utilizing two distinct resources, Dominance and Wrath, to unleash its power.

Much like Paladin, Warlock's exclusive mechanics offer a variety of playstyles to choose from, giving you the opportunity to take on the role of a summoner, a melee combatant, or a spellcaster.

War Plans

You can think of this mechanic as an upgraded version of Tree of Whispers system. It issues a series of bounty-style quests tied to various other endgame activities in Diablo 4, which you can complete to earn rewards.

Even better, the selection of quests is not rigid; you are free to choose tasks that align with your specific combat style or loot requirements, allowing you to customize your own unique War Plans with a high degree of freedom.

If you wish to start preparing for the new season right now, War Plans is the perfect place to begin. Since most of the upcoming quests will be linked to existing game mechanics, you can effectively get a head start by practicing them in advance.

Echoing Hatred

This is a brand-new, wave-based endgame event, similar in concept to the existing Infernal Hordes.

However, what sets Echoing Hatred apart is that with each new attempt, the terrain, enemy types, and even the difficulty level you encounter will vary. Consequently, every single challenge promises to be both highly engaging and intensely demanding.

Horadric Cube

This iconic feature has appeared in previous Diablo titles, most notably making a spectacular return in the recent expansion for Diablo 2 Resurrected, and now, it is finally making its debut in Diablo 4.

Horadric Cube is primarily used for the modification and crafting of items. Once available, you can farm specific materials and then utilize the cube to customize your gear for Season 13 and the new expansion.

New Talisman System

Do you remember Runes introduced in VoH? This time around, Lord of Hatred introduces Talisman mechanic, allowing you to acquire charms as loot drops during various in-game events.

By socketing charms into your personal Talisman, you can activate powerful corresponding set bonuses, such as boosts to damage output or defensive attributes.

Casual gameplay: fishing

Diablo 4 has long been renowned for its heavy emphasis on combat elements; however, this time around, we are introducing a rare casual feature: fishing! Moreover, the fish you catch might just serve some unexpected purposes!

System-wide optimizations

To comprehensively enhance the overall quality of the game, beyond just adding new content, upgrading existing systems is essential. To this end, the first major undertaking will be a complete rework of the skill tree.

Compared to previous iterations, the new skill tree offers much more than just the ability to unlock skills; it features significantly greater depth, even allowing you to fine-tune specific details such as skill duration or casting speed.

Building upon this foundation, if you own LoH expansion, you will gain access to over 20 additional skill variant options, regardless of which class you choose to play.

Another new feature designed to optimize your gameplay experience is the loot filter.

It allows you to customize the display rules for dropped items, thereby transforming the currently cluttered post-combat battlefields and allowing you to more efficiently identify and select the specific items you truly need.

That wraps up everything we have to share with you for now. Let's look forward to the new round of adventures in Sanctuary, kicking off in late April with Diablo 4!

Once Season 13 and the new DLC go live, if you want to get a head start and pull ahead of the competition, acquiring Diablo 4 items for sale on IGGM will prove incredibly useful!

Our services cover every angle, whether you are looking to acquire specific gear directly or need other enhancement materials, we have everything you need to help you succeed!

As the fourth weekend since its launch arrives, MLB The Show 26 has finally rolled out its first Weekend Classic event! This also marks the conclusion of the previous Ranked Season cycle.

Given that Weekend Classic is a limited-time event, and you may be busy completing other in-game challenges or attending to real-world work, the primary factor in deciding whether to participate is whether the rewards are worth the effort.

In this guide, we will walk you through the gameplay mechanics of MLB 26 Weekend Classic and provide an in-depth analysis of the two available player card rewards.

Event schedule

MLB 26 Weekend Classic: Week 1 officially began on the afternoon of April 10th and will run until April 14th. Although nominally a weekend event, you actually have approximately 96 hours to play.

This event typically launches at the conclusion of each Ranked Season cycle; you can think of it as a comprehensive, upgraded finale to Ranked Season. Week 2 is not expected to begin for at least another two weeks.

However, the game may occasionally schedule additional Weekend Classic events to coincide with specific major real-world baseball matchups. If you don't want to miss out on any of them, be sure to keep a close eye on the schedule.

How to play Weekend Classic?

In essence, Weekend Classic is a limited-time competitive event embedded within Diamond Dynasty, one of MLB The Show 26's core game modes. It requires you to utilize your own custom Diamond Dynasty roster to compete in 1v1 ranked matches.

The first six games you play in the event are crucial. MLB 26 uses your performance, specifically your Solo Season Ranked rating, to assign you to a specific tier. These tiers range from lowest to highest: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Immortal.

Subsequently, based on your assigned tier, the game places you into a small leaderboard group of 100 players, where you must play additional games to improve your rating.

At the conclusion of the event, the top 10 players on each leaderboard receive additional rewards.

Weekend Classic follows a best-of-six format; rewards are distributed based on your total number of wins, while your final tier placement is locked in based on the highest rank you achieved.

Furthermore, for every game you win during those initial six matches, you will immediately receive a corresponding reward, such as a card pack or MLB 26 stubs.

Additionally, each installment of Weekend Classic features a unique Choice Pack reward option. Taking this week as an example, you have the opportunity to earn Weekend Classic Choice Pack for Week 1, which contains two cards from which you can select one.

Week 1 unique reward analysis

The two options available in this week's choice pack are 2nd Half Bernie Williams and Postseason Victor Martinez. Both cards carry an overall rating of 92, so you might be unsure which one is the better choice.

2nd Half Bernie Williams

Bernie Williams is a renowned player formerly of New York Yankees. Although he retired from professional baseball long ago, and has even since focused on a music career, in MLB 26, you can still catch a glimpse of the brilliance he displayed in his prime.

The specific attributes for his reward card are as follows:

• Speed: 65
• Steal: 45
• Fielding: 60
• Reaction (Jump): 61
• Forward: 67
• Backward: 52
• Right: 60
• Left: 65
• Arm Strength: 68
• Arm Accuracy: 60
• Sac Bunt: 35
• Drag Bunt: 25
• Quirks: 6 total

Unfortunately, judging by the actual statistics, this card's speed and fielding abilities are quite mediocre.

Let alone serving as a starting outfielder, even positioning him in a corner outfield spot carries a risk of conceding runs, unless, of course, you assign him to Designated Hitter (DH) role.

This arrangement is currently the only way to effectively utilize 2nd Half Bernie Williams at the plate; however, you could just as easily opt to use other switch-hitting batters you already possess.

Therefore, all things considered, this player card is worth acquiring; however, if you already own players with similar capabilities, it may prove to be somewhat redundant.

Postseason Victor Martinez

First, let's take a look at the stats for this reward card:

• Contact vs RHP: 100
• Contact vs LHP: 92
• Vision: 90
• Clutch: 109
• Power vs. RHP: 80
• Power vs. LHP: 70
• Speed: 44
• Steal: 0
• Fielding: 73
• Blocking: 72
• Pop Time: 76
• Reaction (Jump): Forward 74, Backward 62, Right 66, Left 76
• Arm Strength: 75
• Arm Accuracy: 80
• Sac Bunt: 35
• Drag Bunt: 25
• Quirks: 8 total

Although Victor Martinez himself is not a newcomer, this marks his debut as a legend player in MLB game series; consequently, it is currently difficult to provide a sufficiently detailed review regarding the actual in-game experience.

However, based on the available stats, if you are looking to acquire a better catcher, Postseason Victor Martinez is certainly worth a try.

Based on the points mentioned above, and if a direct comparison is absolutely necessary, we would recommend choosing Postseason Victor Martinez, as he offers greater versatility.

That covers the key information you need to know for this week's Weekend Classic. We hope this helps enhance your MLB 26 experience!