Unlocking the Secrets of Diablo 4's Stellar Season: How to Take Full Advantage

Now, three weeks into Season 4, Diablo 4 is tearing up the charts and setting records. At its peak, the concurrent player count on Steam for Diablo 4 was an all-time high of 38,981 players. It’s not just that Diablo is back – it’s on top. Where’s the magic? What’s driving people back to their screens, over three weeks into a season where most people usually logged off? One at a time, we’re going to run through an all-star team of secrets and strategies that can help you run the show in the gloomy depths.

The Phenomenon: Diablo 4's Unprecedented Surge

A Tidal Wave of Enthusiasm

Diablo 4’s numbers for launch were solid, but they’ve surged again. There’s been an uptick in players that appears to be driven by the introduction of the Loot Reborn patch alongside an entirely new playtype – Helltide events – as well as a sweeping redesign of the Codex. The gambler’s quest for loot and the link that it creates between veteran players and newcomers is a powerful and motivating force A lot of people have stuck around, many have returned, and a lot of new people have joined in on the action. But what about you? The veteran player? The newcomer? How can you use this?

Season 4: More than Just a Phase

Season 4 is not just adding some refreshing greenery. It’s bringing a revolution. The formula for levelling that has been made simpler and easier. The Helltide – a feature that helps to quickly get to grips with the game – is available to new players. The Codex has been improved, making it better suited to be used as a companion for a multi-class, multi-spec build. In short, the playing field has never been so level, and that’s your first advantage: There has never been a better time to start, or to pick up your slacking, especially with Season 4.

Seizing the Opportunity: How to Gain the Upper Hand

Diving into Season of the Alts

We’ve also unofficially nicknamed this season the Season of the Alts. The new game mechanics make levelling an alt fluid and full of fabulous loot. Playing enough alts isn’t just a healthy addiction: it allows you to experiment with new classes and builds. And, having levelled that many characters, you’ll be reaping the benefits of having seen the whole metagame under every class.

Leveraging the Anniversary Buffs

Even a year after the release of Diablo 4, the game sees numerous players returning, not just for a bit of nostalgia but also to capitalise on events that provide substantial XP and gold bonuses such as last month’s March of the Goblins. Being able to pay attention to these and make the most of them can get you ahead, so that you’re ready when the hard times roll around.

Shopping Smart: Anniversary Sale

The best way to prove that though is through the anniversary sale on Steam. Anyone who starts their Sanctuary venture this way will be in a position to quickly and cheaply bolster their playthrough with a neat advantage, facilitated greatly by the guides and wisdom available. The world of these disenfranchised barbarians and righteous angels has welcomed many, but the future of the game remains uncertain.

Going Beyond the Basics

Mastering End-Game Content

After you get through the early gauntlet and start basking in the game’s bountiful seasonal harvest, it’s time to cut your teeth on the end-game. This is where knowledge is power. Having the know-how that allows you to Temper, Masterwork and perfectly employ your assets in boss runs will put you at the top of the leaderboard. If the definition of a nerd is someone with encyclopaedic knowledge that affords them power over their environment, then Destiny players are nothing if not equal opportunity nerds.

Community and Collaboration

Never underestimate the power of community – playing with other people, communicating and helping each other, crowdsourcing ideas and strategies, posting videos to speedrun.org – can transform the game into something far more than just a series of solitary minmaxing experiences. Helltide runs for example are a lot easier when you have everyone get the same buffs; if you’re doing a boss ladder, you can choose moves that complement everyone else.

The Ultimate Advantage

Understanding 'Advantage' in Diablo 4

But while in Diablo 4 the term ‘advantage’ describes a suite of activities that includes a knowledge of game mechanics, a seasonal calculus, a smart deployment of events, and a community of like-minded adventure gamers, it also describes being smart about the ‘give’ and ‘take’ of the Diablo dynamic. What finally marks the player who triumphs is the ability to evolve, to learn and accomplish within a complex terrain of distractions, hazards and opportunities.

In short, the longer Diablo 4 grows, the longer your strategies should grow – and the longer your head should grow as well, keeping up with the game, playing through it, reading up on it, and learning from its community. You’ll equip yourself with the most valuable advantage of all: a sense of how the world of Sanctuary works – how it should be explored and played and enjoyed, so that you, too, can go off on a new grand adventure and discover some part of its immense world for yourself. Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, be it a Barbarian or a Necromancer, Diablo 4 is an adventure waiting to happen. Go forth and devastate.