Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred Lair Bosses War Plan Nodes Preview | Your screen will explode with tenfold treasure madness

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• Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred Review Skill Rework and Endgame Waves | Sanctuary has never felt this good to return to

  Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred is undoubtedly the focus of discussion for all ARPG players for the foreseeable future.Its arrival comes hand in hand with sweeping, foundational changes to the entire game - so much so that the experience on either side of this expansion will feel like two entirely different worlds.

  With so many alterations and new additions packed in at once, a fair amount of confusion has naturally arisen. What exactly is exclusive to Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion? And what will be rolled out to all players as part of the free base-game update? This distinction directly influences whether someone will want to pick up the expansion or not. Let's sort through the details and evaluate if it's truly worth your while.

  

  Lord of Hatred Expansion Exclusive Content

  A Continuation of the Narrative

  While the team has always demonstrated considerable skill in weaving an epic and grand story, Vessel of Hatred left many with the distinct impression of a tale cut abruptly short. Lord of Hatred picks up right where it left off. Wanderer will journey to one of the ancestral homelands of humanity to confront Mephisto, Prime Evil of Hatred, directly.

  Though the trajectory of the plot may not be wildly unexpected, it firmly steers the narrative back toward the core conflicts and fates intertwined among Nephalem, demons, and angels. This return to the saga's roots feels far more aligned with the franchise's thematic heart, making Vessel of Hatred seem, in hindsight, more like a substantial side chapter.

  Brand-New Classes

  The cornerstone of any ARPG expansion is a fresh class, and this time, the developers have delivered two distinctly different power fantasies. One is already quite familiar to those who secured early access - Paladin.

  Even with anticipated adjustments on the horizon, Paladin remains remarkably sturdy and packs a considerable punch. Compared to the state of affairs in Season 12, you might need to tweak your gear and approach slightly, but it will be right back in top form before long.

  Warlock is the other new arrival, positioned somewhere between Necromancer and Sorcerer in terms of fantasy and mechanics. You can sculpt a wide array of playstyles - whether that involves toying with shadow magic, commanding hellfire, or bending Greater Demons to fight on your behalf.

  Beyond the striking visual spectacle, Warlock's skill synergies are impressively well-rounded, making the leveling journey feel exceptionally smooth from the very beginning.

  Talismans System

  Talismans system provides an independent layer of progression on a dedicated screen. Here, you can socket Charms to activate set-based bonuses. Depending on the type of seal you place, you can embed up to 6 Charms, which belong to three or four distinct set families - each oriented toward damage, defense, utility, or hybrid effects.

  Introducing this system is a stroke of genius. It allows the developers to incorporate set item concepts without encroaching on the design space and viability of Legendary, Unique, or Mythic Unique gear. This system has tremendous potential; if the team continues to build upon it, it could become absolutely pivotal for nearly every build imaginable.

  Horadric Cube

  Horadric Cube will be a brand-new gear crafting system, allowing you to upgrade gear and craft custom-made new items. It ushers in an unprecedented level of endgame customization, fundamentally altering how you manage and process the loot you gather.

  Beyond letting you efficiently deal with unwanted Diablo 4 items, it also introduces an element of chance. If fortune smiles upon you early in your journey and you manage to land a powerful affix or a well-rolled item through this system, it's a genuine and welcome surprise.

  War Plans

  War Plans is a new mechanic that allows you to organize a checklist of up to five activities to complete back-to-back for unique rewards. The rewards themselves are enticing, but the real draw is that each completed task earns points toward its corresponding activity tree, unlocking further bonuses and enhancements for you.

  This system elegantly unifies several of the more disjointed progression paths that have appeared across past seasons. Once you've set your agenda and set out, the map provides a convenient quick-travel option that whisks you directly from your current location to the next activity marker, which is remarkably convenient.

  Echoing Hatred

  Another new endgame activity, Echoing Hatred, takes the form of a wave-based survival mode. You'll face randomly generated hordes of enemies whose strength ramps up steadily over time. To even qualify for this challenge, you'll need to find a specific key item and have assembled a deeply optimized, high-powered build. The longer you manage to stand your ground, the more impressive the spoils become.

  Fishing

  In a turn that caught everyone off guard, the expansion introduces a non-combat endgame pastime: Fishing. You can cast your line into the eerily still, mirror-like waters scattered across Sanctuary. While early feedback suggests the system isn't especially deep and the aquatic life tends to repeat across most locations, it still allows you to relax after intense battles.

  Global Updates (Available to All Players)

  Item Filter

  A feature driven relentlessly by community demand: a robust Loot Filter is finally arriving. This functionality is available to all Diablo IV players. Using customizable toggles, you can dictate exactly how your inventory is displayed, hiding clutter based on specific criteria like rarity, item type, or stat rolls, while simultaneously highlighting the gear you're actually hunting. This cuts down visual noise dramatically and makes stash management a breeze.

  Complete Class Skill Tree Overhaul

  The expansion coincides with a comprehensive rework of every class's skill tree. Passive stat nodes are being removed entirely, replaced by a broader system of upgrades through a 12-point investment scheme, which significantly loosens the previous tier restrictions. Filler skills that existed solely to progress down the tree have been excised. Furthermore, the character level cap is being raised from 60 to 70. These changes will utterly transform how you approach character building.

  The excellence of Lord of Hatred is undeniable. More importantly, exclusive features like War Plans and Horadric Cube almost single-handedly reshape Diablo IV into an entirely different, more refined game. Whether you're stepping into Sanctuary for the first time or you're a seasoned veteran, this expansion comes with a strong recommendation. It's also worth noting that Standard Edition of Lord of Hatred actually includes the full Vessel of Hatred expansion if you haven't obtained it yet. If you've been away for a while, Lord of Hatred is absolutely the reason to jump back in and experience this refreshingly overhauled version of the game.

• Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred New Endgame Talisman System Will Add Crazy Power | One Seal might be worth more than a Unique

  Diablo 4 will introduce a Talisman system with the release of Lord of Hatred on April 28. These talismans function similarly to set items, but they do not occupy your equipment slots, nor do they directly grant large amounts of raw stats.

  It is almost certain that Talisman system will enable a further surge in character output, yet the specifics revealed by the team so far have remained sparse. However, a recent endgame preview contained a few intriguing details. Let's use that information to take an early look at the system.

  

  How to Unlock Talisman System?

  Talisman system is a new feature arriving with the expansion, meaning players will need to own Lord of Hatred to access it. It is expected to unlock at a certain point during the campaign, much like how Runes system becomes available in Vessel of Hatred. In other words, you will need to complete the new storyline at least once and finish the associated quests; after that, any new characters you create should inherit the feature automatically. This is my personal expectation.

  Talisman System

  Unlike the charm system in Diablo 2, these talismans do not consume inventory space. They provide additional attributes and effects while residing in a clean, self-contained interface.

  The layout consists of two main components: a central core and an outer ring. At the very center sits a Seal, which acts as the hub of the entire system. Surrounding Seal are 6 Charm sockets. The Seal determines how many Charms you can slot and comes with its own set of bonus effects.

  The preview shown by the developers featured a Horadric Seal of Honor. Its description states that it unlocks 5 Charm sockets, caps the total number of sockets at five, but allows you to equip two Unique Charms.

  The effects of Unique Charms were not disclosed, but they will likely carry unique-item-style powers rather than raw stat bonuses. Even with just that potential, they could double your character's damage output.

  The numerical tuning of these effects remains to be seen. This is expected to be a relatively endgame feature, so the bonuses could be quite potent. On the other hand, because Charms do not directly compete with existing gear slots, their values could also be designed more conservatively. They will primarily compete with Unique Charms - and potentially Legendary Charms in the future. Even with more modest base stats, Charms will still provide meaningful contributions.

  How Many Sets Will There Be?

  Another consideration: in Diablo 3, each class had several predefined sets, and each one essentially locked you into a specific playstyle and build. That “one set, one build" approach may not translate smoothly into D4 unless the team releases a massive number of sets.

  D4 offers far greater build diversity than D3, and with the new skill trees coming in the expansion, each class gains roughly 20 additional viable skill choices, resulting in an enormous number of possible combinations. For that reason, set designs cannot be tailored to only a single archetype.

  There may be some versatile sets that work across multiple builds, and perhaps one or two highly specific sets that enable entirely new playstyles. At a minimum, Diablo 4 will require enough broadly applicable sets to cover a wide range of builds; otherwise, the value of this new content would be greatly diminished.

  Seal Stats

  

  Seal shown in the preview is clearly not the only type. Future Seals might offer six Charm sockets but disallow Unique Charms, or provide fewer sockets while permitting more Unique Charms to be equipped.

  Seals also carry specific stat bonuses. Taking Horadric Seal of Honor as an example once more, it grants 45% increased Armor. In the current game environment, 45% extra Armor translates to roughly 10% to 15% damage reduction - a substantial impact.

  Seals also feature bonuses tailored to specific set bonuses, such as “Increased damage dealt while moving" and “Reduced damage taken while moving." This suggests that Seal affixes may be randomly generated, including random stat enhancements and random bonuses that complement specific set configurations. You could hunt for the ideal Seal to match your chosen set, or even a combination of two three-piece sets worn together.

  Charm Stats

  Charms also carry attributes, and these appear to be randomly generated as well. In all Charms shown by the developers, you can see affixes that directly raise skill ranks. These may boost a specific skill or enhance an entire skill category - for instance, granting +1 to all Agility skills.

  Even more noteworthy are the secondary attributes. In the preview, secondary stats included resistances, bonuses to drop rates of Diablo 4 items, and XP bonuses. A single Charm could provide around 47% increased experience, and stacking that across six Charms would yield nearly 300% bonus XP - pushing leveling speed to unprecedented levels.

  Perhaps this is intentional: a way for players in the late game to assemble perfectly rolled Charms that dramatically improve farming efficiency while crafting ideal gear in Horadric Cube.

  More likely, however, these drop rate and experience bonuses are additive with the multipliers already granted by your current difficulty tier. If Torment XII carries a native 1,400% XP bonus, an extra 50% from a Charm would represent only about a little relative increase. Still meaningful, but far from doubling - and far more reasonable.

  That said, it introduces competition between combat power and farming efficiency. Players often struggle when forced to choose between gearing for raw strength and gearing for improved drops or experience.

  If powerful combat stats like cooldown reduction or critical strike chance appear on Charms in the future, players will face a difficult dilemma: wear the strongest combat setup to tackle the toughest bosses, or swap to an experience-farming loadout to clear lower difficulties efficiently? This kind of trade-off is generally viewed as an unhealthy gameplay dynamic.

  Therefore, the magnitude of these reward-oriented bonuses should remain relatively modest. If they truly are additive with difficulty multipliers, the concern is minor. But another awkward scenario arises: you rapidly climb to Paragon 300 using XP-stacked Charms, and the moment you hit the level cap, those experience bonuses become completely obsolete. Charms you worked hard to obtain would instantly cease to be optimal.

  In summary, the final form of this system is still taking shape. Nevertheless, the details surrounding Seals and Charms are undeniably intriguing, and they will profoundly influence how players approach character building in the expansion.

• Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred War Plans System Unveiled: Mastering it to Revolutionize your Endgame loop! No more Menu Hopping!

  Ladies and gentlemen, we're about to welcome the brand-new Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred expansion, along with the biggest endgame content update since the game's release: War Plans system. Now, you can create your own personalized endgame progression plan, choosing your favorite activities and applying various modifiers to achieve the rewards you've always dreamed of.

  Let's take a closer look at this new endgame content and discuss how War Plans mechanic allows, how we customize rewards and activities, and how it will impact existing gameplay.

  

  War Plans Explained

  First, what are War Plans? It actually consists of two parts.

  On one hand, it's similar to a list of activities. You can choose the activities you want to do and complete them in the order listed. Adjusting this as the game progresses ultimately yields high-value rewards, creating your own personalized endgame progression path.

  On the other hand, it's the actual meta-progression system for the skill tree. War Plans allow players to create up to five endgame events from Diablo 4's endgame content. There are seven main events, each with its own independent skill tree: Helltides, Whispers, Lair Bosses, Nightmare Dungeons, Infernal Hordes, Pit of Artificers, and Kurast Undercity.

  Once an event is completed, players will have the opportunity to progressively upgrade their unique skill tree, shaping their own endgame experience. This skill tree allows players to customize rewards and enemies and integrate features from different endgame events into other events.

  If you've played Path of Exile 2, this mechanic should be very familiar. Atlas system in PoE 2 also allowed players to customize these event mechanics using points unlocked over time. However, compared to the potentially bewildering Atlas system in PoE 2, War Plans should be simpler in design.

  In short, War Plans' biggest feature is its ability to combine various activities, creating numerous opportunities for improvisational gameplay, breaking the monotony, keeping you alert, and allowing you to more effectively and strategically acquire specific rewards. Ultimately, we can focus on the activities we truly want to do, at least a few, while ignoring those that might not suit our character build or that we don't particularly enjoy.

  How to progress in War Plans?

  Next, let's look at War Plans' leveling system. Specifically, as you progress through War Plans, you'll gain levels, these levels apply not only to War Plans themselves, increasing rewards from various activities, but also to the associated skill trees.

  For example, when you complete The Pit once, progress information will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. You'll gain 25 XP, which will then accumulate in the experience bar at the top of the screen. If you complete The Pit six times consecutively, your level will increase from 1 to 2.

  Of course, as your level increases, the required experience threshold will also rise. Therefore, later on, you might need to complete The Pit dungeon on high difficulty dozens or even more times to finally accumulate all the XP.

  It's also worth mentioning that these skill trees present themselves differently each time. You'll always have two options to choose from, but these two options will eventually converge on the same node. So, from the beginning, you can roughly see the entire process. What options are available, and which specific activities are you able to participate in?

  In fact, there's likely a New Plan button in War Plans. Using this function will probably cost Diablo 4 gold or some other specific currency. This design is to prevent players from simply sitting and endlessly re-rolling until they get their five desired activities.

  However, if you don't like the current combination of activities, you can indeed choose to generate a new War Plan.

  Once you've locked in all the options, you can officially start the War Plan. The game interface will display a task list, guiding you to complete these activities in a specific order. This task list will be displayed on the screen whenever you open the world map. This way, the system can constantly remind you what to do next. At the same time, you can view all the corresponding rewards at any time.

  Also Read: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred - Everything Players Love, Hate, and Can't Agree on

  Can this really change Diablo 4's existing disadvantages?

  After a deep dive into War Plans, we think it's time to look at it from a different angle. Many people say this system will save Diablo 4's endgame content. But upon closer analysis, War Plans doesn't actually offer anything new. Imagine: you log into the game, enter Helltides, then run Nightmare Dungeons, maybe do a Pit run, and finally challenge the boss. There's nothing new in itself.

  The only difference is that War Plans integrates all these activities into a structured system. Essentially, it's like a bootstrapping loop that schedules your next activity without requiring you to think about it.

  This alone solves one of Diablo 4's biggest long-standing problems: many players don't know what to do after logging into the game, especially after reaching the level cap. War Plans system completely solves this problem.

  Now, after starting the game, once you complete one activity, you can immediately move on to the next. No searching, no menu switching, no hesitation, just continuous action. This makes your entire gaming experience smoother, faster, and more satisfying. But that's only part of it.

  As you delve deeper into the system, you'll discover the essence of strategy. Each activity has its own skill tree, and it's here that your decisions begin to take effect. You're no longer passively completing tasks; you're shaping the tasks themselves. You can focus on specific rewards, increase the probability of certain drops, or even turn seemingly meaningless activities into worthwhile challenges.

  This is why many players consider War Plans system excellent. It's clearly structured, more efficient, and provides clearer direction. You no longer wander aimlessly but follow a carefully designed cycle, making your time more valuable.

  However, there's another side to the story. You'll find that you're still playing the same content: Helltides, Lair Bosses, Nightmare Dungeons, Infernal Hordes, and Kurast Undercity, they haven't changed, only the organization has. Therefore, if these activities don't truly engage you from the start, the War Plan won't suddenly change that.

  This leads to a bigger issue: Diablo 4 needs more than just a better system; it needs entirely new endgame content. Something truly fresh, something that can transform the gameplay experience, not just a repetitive cycle of existing content.

  Even if the new system feels smooth and efficient, the sense of repetition won't disappear. Once that feeling sets in, it's hard to ignore, and no amount of structural or reward enhancements can completely mask it.

  Final Thoughts

  Yes, War Plan system isn't a groundbreaking innovation, but it still has the potential to be the key to giving Diablo 4 a more complete endgame loop experience. Of course, it could also ultimately become one-off content that players quickly figure out, optimize, and then discard. We'll have to wait and see.

  However, one thing is certain: this system will profoundly reshape the future gameplay experience of Diablo 4. The real test will begin once we experience it firsthand.

• Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred Livestream Date and Details Revealed | Get ready for build chaos

  The arrival of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred also marks the beginning of Season 13. However, in order to keep new content under wraps, the developers did not open a PTR for Season 13. Fortunately, the wait for fresh information won't be much longer.

  The team has confirmed that a comprehensive developer update livestream will take place on April 23, offering a detailed look at Lord of Hatred expansion and the overhauled skill system. Here's what viewers can expect from the broadcast.

  

  Date

  The developer livestream begins at 11:00 a.m. PT on April 23. During the show, the development team will share final details about the expansion's launch and dive deep into the skill trees of the new class.

  Players can tune in via official channels on Twitch, YouTube, X, and TikTok. While watching any stream under Diablo 4 category during the developer update, viewers who log at least 30 minutes will earn Twitch Drop rewards: Decaying Corona Staff Cosmetic and Double Trouble Sword Cosmetic. The redemption window remains open until the end of the day following the livestream.

  Global Launch Timing

  Regarding the most anticipated question - Lord of Hatred expansion's release time - while the official announcement only confirms the release date, the specific time has not yet been released. It's highly likely that a detailed global launch time map will be shared either during or immediately after the stream. Due to time zone differences, the local clock times will vary, but the moment itself will be simultaneous worldwide.

  

  Skill Tree Overhaul

  One of the update's biggest highlights is a fundamental rework of skill trees across all classes.

  So far, we've only seen the full skill tree for the new Warlock class. But preview snippets of Necromancer skill tree from a press kit suggest that every class will receive a rework of equal scope. Compared to the previous version, the new skill trees promise greater depth and complexity, with nearly every skill featuring transformative keystone nodes.

  It has also become clear that passive skills have not been removed; rather, they have been relocated out of the skill tree. These passives will now appear on gear affixes, Paragon Board, or Legendary Aspects. The skill tree itself will focus more tightly on customizing active skills rather than stacking passive attributes.

  Perhaps most excitingly, players will now be able to invest up to 15 skill points into a single skill. This opens the door to a wider variety of builds and could thoroughly shuffle Season 12 meta - some Tier D builds might vault all the way to Tier S.

  It remains uncertain whether the livestream will reveal every class's full skill tree at once, but viewers can at least expect a comprehensive preview. The community can then use this information to plot out fresh leveling strategies. Developers have also reassured players that beloved existing playstyles are not going away; they will simply be assembled in new ways.

  Talisman System

  Another major focus of the stream will be the brand-new Talisman System. Although there has been chatter about the return of Sets, this iteration moves away from traditional set items. Instead, a central Talisman triggers set-like bonuses based on the charms placed around it.

  The system revolves around two components: Talisman itself and an arrangement of Set Charms encircling it. Footage and materials shown previously indicate that Set Charms come in various rarities, and the central Talisman serves as the key to activating their combined effects.

  Through Talisman System, players can gain conventional set bonuses as well as unique supplementary effects that depend on the specific charm combination equipped - for instance, damage reduction or increased damage while moving. Additionally, Talisman features different socket types, allowing players to further tailor attributes by slotting gems.

  This system can deliver bonuses to core skill ranks, improved chances for obtaining crafting materials, and even wild affixes that grant extra experience. It promises a substantial power boost for every class and will be a tremendous asset for anyone pushing toward Paragon Level 300.

  Horadric Cube

  The stream will also delve into Horadric Cube. Several recipes have already been glimpsed in preview footage, and players have largely deduced their intended functions. Nevertheless, many questions remain about material rarity and specific outcomes.

  For example, Sanctification mechanic will be folded into Horadric Cube. The goal is to make this potent customization tool more controllable and logical, moving away from the extreme randomness and highstakes gambles associated with chasing doubledamage Mythic Uniques.

  Alongside changes to the gear system, new materials like Enhanced Primordial Dust and Raw Primordial Dust are being introduced. Developers have made clear that these crucial crafting components will be readily available through standard endgame loops, so there's no need to break down rare Unique items on purpose just to obtain them.

  Endgame Systems and War Plans

  Regarding endgame expansion, the livestream will spotlight two key features:

  Echoing Hatreds

  This is an extreme challenge dungeon that appears only in specific seasonal modes and requires a rare key to enter. While the exact rewards remain a mystery, this is likely the most difficult boss encounter currently in the game.

  War Plans

  War Plans represents an endgame framework previously introduced by the team. Comparable to Path of Exile's Atlas system, it lets players use War Plans resources to unlock and upgrade talent trees for endgame activities such as Infernal Hordes and The Pit. These trees grant powerful bonuses.

  This system gives players the ability to tailor specific activities, influencing the types of Diablo 4 items dropped or the enemies encountered. Each activity features seven tiers to unlock, which should make Diablo 4's endgame considerably more engaging.

  Lord of Hatred is set to reshape the game. Whether it ends up resembling Path of Exile or carves out a distinct identity all its own, we'll just have to wait and see.

• Diablo 4 Season 12 Gems Farming Guide | Getting Grand Ruby or Emerald to maximize your gear and character!

  With only two weeks remaining until Diablo 4 Season 13, you might be tempted to look ahead to the new season and its upcoming expansion, foregoing the completion of Season 12.

  However, building a powerful Season 12 character, and doing so without any regrets, is a rewarding endeavor in its own right.

  To achieve this, continuously upgrading your gear is paramount. Once you reach the maximum level, gear, alongside your Paragon Board configuration, becomes the core factor determining your character's overall strength.

  Diablo 4 offers numerous methods for enhancing your gear; among them, socketing gems into your equipment stands out as a relatively low-difficulty option that yields excellent returns.

  In this guide, we will introduce you to the specific functions of these gems and the most effective ways to farm them.

  

  What are Diablo 4 gems?

  While gems are a common feature in the item systems of many ARPGs, in Diablo 4, they function specifically as magical artifacts that can be socketed directly into your gear.

  There are seven distinct types of Diablo 4 gems, each type is further subdivided into five different tiers. Naturally, the higher the tier, the greater the statistical bonuses provided.

  Each type of gem provides specific bonus effects depending on whether it is socketed into a weapon, armor, or jewelry slot:

  (Chipped/Base/Flawless/Royal/Grand) Amethyst:

  • Weapon: + Damage Over Time
  • Armor: + Barrier Generation
  • Jewelry: + Shadow Resistance

  (Chipped/Base/Flawless/Royal/Grand) Diamond:

  • Weapon: + Ultimate Damage
  • Armor: + All Stats
  • Jewelry: + Resistance to All Elements

  (Chipped/Base/Flawless/Royal/Grand) Emerald:

  • Weapon: + Critical Strike Damage
  • Armor: + Dexterity
  • Jewelry: + Poison Resistance

  (Chipped/Base/Flawless/Royal/Grand) Ruby:

  • Weapon: + Overpower Damage
  • Armor: + Strength
  • Jewelry: + Fire Resistance

  (Chipped/Base/Flawless/Royal/Grand) Sapphire:

  • Weapon: + Vulnerable Damage
  • Armor: + Willpower
  • Jewelry: + Cold Resistance

  (Chipped/Base/Flawless/Royal/Grand) Topaz:

  • Weapon: + Basic Damage
  • Armor: + Intelligence
  • Jewelry: + Lightning Resistance

  (Chipped/Base/Flawless/Royal/Grand) Skull:

  • Weapon: + Life on Kill
  • Armor: + Healing Received
  • Jewelry: + Armor

  How to obtain gems?

  Generally speaking, gems in Diablo 4 do not drop as complete, single units. Instead, you will primarily farm gem fragments and then visit Jeweler to craft them into the final finished gems.

  However, if you don't want to consume extra time farming and would prefer to acquire the gems you desire instantly, the best option is to buy Diablo 4 gems at IGGM!

  How to farm gem fragments?

  There are many sources for gem fragments in Diablo 4; however, not all of them are equally reliable.

  Therefore, we recommend prioritizing the farming of Infernal Hordes Chests, Augment Caches, specific Whispers Caches, and Gem Caches that may be awarded from side quests.

  The specific methods for obtaining each type of chest/cache are as follows:

  • Infernal Hordes Chest: Collect a sufficient amount of Burning Aether during combat encounters to exchange for the chest.
  • Augment Cache: Unlock Bartering System at The Den by reaching Affinity Level 8 with the mercenary Aldkin, then exchange for the cache.
  • Greater Cache of Gem Fragments and Greater Collection of Materials: Complete the bounty quests issued by Tree of Whispers, then redeem them using Grim Favors you have earned.
  • Gem Cache: Complete various side quests.

  In addition to being used to craft gems, fragments can, in certain seasons, also be used to craft specific Jewelry Caches, Incense, or other consumables.

  How to craft gems?

  Once you have obtained enough fragments, and paired them with a sufficient amount of gold or Forgotten Souls, you can craft gems at Jeweler. The material requirements for crafting each tier of gem are as follows:

  • Chipped: 10 gem fragments and 1,000 Gold
  • Base: 100 gem fragments and 10,000 Gold
  • Flawless: 1,000 gem fragments and 100,000 Gold
  • Royal: 10,000 gem fragments and 1,000,000 Gold
  • Grand: 100,000 gem fragments, 30 Forgotten Souls, and 10,000,000 Gold

  Gold can be obtained from most events or dungeons in Diablo 4. As for Forgotten Souls, their drop sources include (specifically on Torment difficulty settings):

  • Salvaging Ancestral items
  • Legion Events
  • Helltides
  • Tree of Whispers
  • Infernal Hordes
  • Undercity of Kurast

  It is worth noting that, aside from standard crafting, you can also exchange 100 fragments each of three different gem types for 200 fragments of a fourth type. This is particularly useful when your inventory of gem fragments is unbalanced.

  Gems can be replaced/removed/salvaged

  Since gear sockets are limited, once you have crafted higher-tier gems, you will naturally want to use them to replace your lower-tier ones. You can do this simply by performing a direct swap; the gem being replaced will be returned to your inventory.

  If you decide you no longer wish to have any gems socketed, you can simply unsocket them from the gear slot, and the embedded gem will be removed. Furthermore, neither replacing nor removing gems requires the consumption of any additional materials.

  In the late stages of a season, once your character is sufficiently advanced, those removed or replaced lower-tier gems will probably no longer serve any purpose for you.

  At this point, you can choose to salvage them to avoid cluttering your inventory space. However, salvaging a gem will only refund the fragments you originally used to craft it; gold and Forgotten Souls are not included in the return.

  Which gems should you prioritize obtaining?

  Regardless of the type, Grand-tier gems are undoubtedly the best choice, as they provide the highest stat bonuses. And now, nearing the end of the season, you should have ample materials on hand to craft Grand gems.

  Therefore, the best strategy is to take a gradual approach: as you progress through the game, make sure to timely salvage your old gems and craft new ones to equip.

  With this in mind, Grand Ruby and Grand Emerald are particularly popular choices in Season 12, as their stat bonuses are highly effective at countering most bosses.

  The above covers all the essential information you need to know regarding gem acquisition in S12. Barring any major class-specific reworks, these guidelines are expected to remain just as valid for Season 13!

• No PTR for Diablo 4 Season 13? How to prepare based on the known content of Lord of Hatred?

  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!

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