Every new season of Diablo IV is a bit of a spectacle. Alongside a handful of quality-of-life improvements, gameplay mechanics, additional armor and weapon sets, cosmetics, and occasionally, we’ll also receive new abilities and powers that enhance our favorite classes tenfold. In each upcoming season, new powers embolden us to launch headfirst into all-new enemies; but before we can reach that point, there’s time to prepare.
A bit of prep goes a long way when it comes to fighting against demons, serpents, and all manner of monsters lurking in the darkness. In Diablo 4, a brand-new season means a fresh start for everyone, with almost equal ground in the beginning. But, you can set yourself up for success, starting the game with a mount, additional skill points, and more!
Activate all Altars of Lilith
Across every region of the game, you’ll find hidden statues honoring Lilith. These Altars of Lilith offer permanent buffs to your Stats, making your character more potent from the get-go. However, finding them all takes time. It can take a few real-world hours to track down every Altar; even then, you’ll likely want to source a map online pointing you in the correct direction. But trust us when we say it’s worthwhile. You’ll unlock rewards such as:
- +2 Strength
- +2 Dexterity
- +2 Intelligence
- +2 Willpower
- +5 Murming Obols Capacity
- +1 Paragon Point
Achieve max region renown
By grinding your way to the fifth and final level of renown for each region in the game, you will unlock:
- Skill Points
- Potion Capacity
- Max Obols
- Paragon Points
Upon starting a new seasonal character, these boons become immediately available. You can open the map shortly after creating your character, unlock each reward, and have a significant starting boost that puts you ahead of the curve.
Unlock your horse (if you haven’t already)
Have you seen the size of Sanctuary? The game was already massive before Blizzard added Nahantu as part of the Vessel of Hatred expansion. It took a long, long time to traverse the winding paths through the Fractured Peaks and Scosglen, especially on foot. But with a horse, those distances felt manageable.
If you’re new to the game and have yet to complete the main campaign, go ahead and run through that first. You can race through in short order, specifically looking for the quest, Donan’s Favor, which unlocks your mount in Act Four. After you complete this quest and the campaign, you can choose to skip the campaign when creating a new character, thereby unlocking your mount from the beginning. Once you spawn, head to the Stable Master to equip your desired mount, armor, and cosmetics.
Join a clan
While you can play Diablo 4 solo, tackling dungeons and public events without a party, it’s easier to grind to max level when you have a stable group to play with. Sure, a friend or two may suffice, but a clan offers much more potential. There are countless clans constantly recruiting (you can find many on Reddit) that provide a helpful and welcoming environment for new and returning players alike.
If you’re an enterprising player, you can also start a clan, customizing its name, heraldry, summary, and settings, focusing on Casual, Hardcore, PvE, PvP, Leveling, or Social. A stable group of allies goes a long way in Sanctuary!
Study up on the classes
First off, let’s get this out of the way: There is no wrong class in Diablo 4. Yes, you can follow the meta and opt for an overpowered build that pushes The Pit and PvP to the extreme. But you’ll find satisfaction in playing any class in the game; after all, we all have our favorites. I’m a Barbarian main through and through.
It’s impossible to tell what the meta will be in the upcoming season, which starts on April 25, 2025, but we can offer a guess. The new Spiritborn will likely take the lead, followed closely by Necromancer and Barbarian. Either way, its worthwhile taking the time to study the basics of each class at a minimum, with some ideas for various builds depending on how the meta shakes out when the new season kicks off.
And hey, if you find the new-school ARPGs like Diablo 4 a bit too much, it won’t be long before you can fall into a nostalgia-driven grind with the OG Diablo on Game Pass!
Diablo 4 is available now for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs.
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