Diablo 4 Season 11 release date, and all known features

Diablo 4 Season 11 is on the way later this year, and while we’ve known this thanks to the D4 Roadmap, we now know exactly what day it will all begin. Thanks to a recent Blizzard post, we also have a great idea on exactly what you can expect from this season, and while not all of it are changes that the fanbase will see as positive, it should, if nothing else, be an interesting litmus test to see how far the game has come.

We have some major changes coming though, in D4 Season 11. Defensive changes like updates to Tempering/Masterworking, a new World Boss, a Leaderboard, and Capstone dungeons, so tons of things will be new again. Here’s what you can expect when Diablo 4 Season 11 begins on December 9, 2025.

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Diablo 4 Season 11 release date and new Borrowed Power mechanic

Diablo 4 Season 11’s release date is December 9, 2025, likely later in the afternoon. We don’t have a specific time, but typically, the season kicks off in the afternoon PDT, so we’ll just have to wait and see on that front. With every season, we also receive a Borrowed Power mechanic to take part in, and this time, it’s Divine Gifts. As with all seasonal bonuses, we equip these Divine Gifts, to gain access to their power.

It will be interesting to see how these powers work in Season 11 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Each Divine Gift has a trio of components: Reward, Corrupted Gift, and Purified Gift. The Reward is the bonus for equipping that power. Corrupted Gifts make activities harder, but still give you the Divine Gift bonus.

Purified Gifts remove that negative aspect, give you a positive bonus, and then double your Reward gained. Corrupted Gift slots are automatically unlocked, and by grinding through the Seasonal Reputation, you unlock the Purified Gift slots for the various powers we receive.

Killing a Lesser Evil for the first time drops their Corrupted Essence, and giving it to Hadriel will unlock a pair of Divine Gifts as a result. Killing Lesser Evils, and their minions will give you experience towards leveling up related Divine Gifts. It sounds like a slightly different system than what we’re used to. It will be interesting to see if it’s incredibly grindy, or something a bit more manageable.

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Diablo 4 Season 11 will be shaking up equipment and enemy AI at the same time

This is the part of Diablo 4 Season 11 that is really going to upset a chunk of the playerbase: changes to Tempering and Masterworking. Perhaps the biggest change is that Tempering will be limited to one Tempering Affix. Instead of choosing from a set of them, players can choose the specific Tempering Affix, so at least there’s that. Reducing it from 2 to 1 just means players will have to be pickier about what they slot into their gear. However, Affixes no longer increase by 5% when Masterworking, and that’s probably one of the parts that players will not appreciate.

Then there’s Masterworking. In Diablo 4 Season 10, Masterworking will now increase a new Quality stat, and increasing that will add to the gear’s Armor (Armor), Resistances (Jewelry), or Base Damage (Weapons). There are 20 levels of Quality, and once you reach the end, you’ll be able to get the Capstone Bonus for that piece, which upgrades a random non-greater affix into a Greater Affix. A lot of the fun of working on gear sounds like it might have been nullified.

At the same time, they’ll also be improving Monster Behavior. Enemies will be smarter, and group up less, so it will be harder to shred through huge packs. Monster groups will be smarter overall, their affixes will be deadlier, and Champion enemy rarity has also been reworked to instead form Champion packs of enemies.

These are permanent changes to the game, as well. You can expect more than 20 new monster affixes, and when an Elite spawns, their group inherits some of their traits. It sounds like they want the game to be harder, which makes sense, but the equipment changes might make it feel too hard.

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World Event boss shakeup is taking place during Diablo 4 Season 11 with Lesser Evil Invasion

Diablo’s Lesser Evils will invade the game in Season 11, and each one will show up in a different game mode:

Diablo's lieutenants are going to show up in some interesting new areas (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

• Duriel shows up in Helltides instead of the Blood Maiden
• Belial shows up in The Pit
• Andariel will show up in the Kurast Undercity
• Azmodan will be a new World Boss in a variety of locations

You can also summon Azmodan at any time, by going to an altar south of Zarbinzet. Here, you’ll find a trio of altars to interact with, and each will give Azmodan powers from the other Lesser Evils. However, you can use this to unlock the Corrupted Essence for him in the seasonal powers. This should be a fun change for Diablo 4, shaking up what we already know about the various game modes.

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Capstone Dungeons return to push players and challenge them

Capstone Dungeons used to be a thing in Diablo 4, where you’d want to complete one before moving on to the next difficulty. It was a great way to see if you were ready to move on. Coming in D4 Season 11, there will be five Capstone Dungeons at specific points in the game:

• Torrid Menagerie (Suggested level 30, Normal difficulty)
• Hellish Descent (Suggested level 50, Expert difficulty)
• Unseen Awakening (Suggested level 60, Torment I difficulty)
• Tempest Oasis (Suggested level 60, Torment II difficulty)
• Sins of the Many (Suggested level 60, Torment III difficulty)

However, these dungeons do not scale with your current level. What that means is that while you can fight them earlier than intended, that doesn’t mean the game will adjust to your current power. It will just be a greater challenge.

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Season Rank is a new feature for Diablo 4 Season 11

Instead of grinding Renown in D4 Season 11, we’ll have Season Rank instead. To progress in the Seasonal Rank system, you’ll need to complete those Capstone Dungeons. Renown is going away, and players will also have optional objectives in this new system to gain Skill Points, Smoldering Ashes, and Cosmetics. Renown will stand permanently in the Eternal Realm, though.

• You will gain additional benefits with the former Renown system, based on your progress in the new Season Rank system
• You’ll gain more Skill Points at Ranks 1, 2, and 3 of Season Rank.
• Season Rank will give Paragon Points for Ranks 3, 4, 5, and 6.
• Extra Potion capacity has been removed from this system, and something else will replace it.
• Altars of Lilith and Tenets of Akarat will grant Exp and minor rewards, instead of the permanent stats they used to give.

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The Leaderboard is finally here, alongside the Tower (in Beta form)

Leaderboards will finally be here in D4! (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The Tower and Leaderboard will show up in a Beta form in Diablo 4 Season 11, but it’s going to feel kind of familiar. You’ll unlock it in Cerrigar from the Obelisk. This is the same place where you take part in The Pit. Like The Pit, the Tower levels are connected to The Pit levels, as well.

You will have a limited time to take part (10 minutes), killing your way through several floors, with randomized tilesets and monster families. You’ll collect Orbs by killing enemies, and when you make enough progress, you’ll fight a random Tower boss. Defeating them will complete your run. If it sounds like The Pit, you’d probably be right. However, this also has a Leaderboard attached, for the following choices:

• Solo Barbarian
• Solo Necromancer
• Solo Sorcerer
• Solo Rogue
• Solo Druid
• Solo Spiritborn
• Party of 2
• Party of 3
• Party of 4

You will also see a players Rank, Player Name, Tier Completed, Time, and Date on the Leaderboard. Only the best of the best will be able to make their way to the top, especially with the changes to equipment, and monster AI.

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Check out our other Diablo 4 guides and features

• Diablo 4’s next expansion is at least six more months away, developer confirms
• Diablo 4 Season 10 review
• Diablo 4: Bartuc Lord of Chaos walkthrough (Season 10)

Edited by Jason Parker