The Butcher is one of the most iconic enemies in Diablo, and in Diablo IV‘s latest season — aptly named the Season of Slaughter — will let you play as this monstrosity. Blizzard Entertainment dropped a whole Developer Update livestream today, with plenty of information on the new Warlock class, along with exciting announcements about what’s coming to Diablo IV in the next couple months.
First, you can check out the livestream for yourself down below:
Here are the highlights:
A DEEPER LOOK AT THE WARLOCK: After its reveal at Diablo’s 30th Anniversary Spotlight, the second new class arriving with Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred (April 28) steps out of the shadows today. The Warlock is a dark caster who rips demons straight out of Hell and bends them to their will.
- Choose from four Soul Shards and three Fragments, each binding a unique demon and fundamentally reshaping your playstyle. Create, control, and combo your demonic creations across Sanctuary.
PALADIN FREE TRIAL: Fight as the Paladin for free from March 11 through March 18. Players on Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox can trial the Diablo IV base game and play the Paladin class for the first time (up to level 25).
- This is the first time players can experience the Paladin without a pre-purchase. Those who do pre-purchase the expansion can continue their crusade in Sanctuary and permanently unlock the Paladin with progress carrying over.
SEASON OF SLAUGHTER: For the first time in Diablo history, players can transform into The Butcher for Season of Slaughter, launching March 11. Activate Shrines of Slaughter in Helltide, compete in the Ceremony of Slaughter in Fields of Hatred, or go full Butcher fantasy in the new Slaughterhouses activity.
- Season of Slaughter also introduces Killstreaks; a five-tier system that rewards rapid kills with Experience and Seasonal Reputation when the streak timer runs out.
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Collab: Tear through Sanctuary with cosmetics inspired by the legendary demon slayer, launching March 11 with Season of Slaughter. Earn the Shield Saw skin, the Slayer’s Flail, the Head of the Cyberdemon back trophy, and more through the most expansive free Reliquary yet. Additional DOOM-themed cosmetics will be available via the in-game Shop.
MORE MONSTERS: Lord of Hatred brings double the amount of monsters from Diablo IV’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. Experience sea monsters and abominations, chimeric creatures, and returning monsters from previous Diablo games like the grotesque Rat King, gargantuan Beasts, and abyssal Merfolk.
The exciting bit here, of course, is the Paladin free trial that’s coming up on March 11. Previously, you had to pre-order the Lord of Hatred expansion in order to access the new job, but now, all players can check it out up to level 25 before deciding if they want to pull the trigger.
Blizzard is also taking this opportunity to introduce more quality-of-life updates, along with new additions that should make the game even more enjoyable. For starters, Lord of Hatred will introduce the new War Plans mode, which basically lets you create your own playlist of endgame activities you want to tackle, based on what resources you need. There’s also going to be a skill tree overhaul for all players, which is supposed to give players more control over crafting their builds.
Diablo IV is now available on PC and consoles. Lord of Hatred will be available on April 28, while Season of Slaughter starts on March 11.
