Summary
- The Season of the Infernal Hordes will pave the way for the Vessel of Hatred expansion, involving exciting new content and challenges.
- Season 5 will feature a new game mode centered on battling Mephisto's minions, offering special rewards for players who survive the waves.
- While the season's short length may limit the focus on this important storyline, the questline will still be available after the season ends.
After a successful Season 4 that put the game in the best position it's been in since launch, Diablo 4 is gearing up for Season 5. Known as the Season of the Infernal Hordes, Diablo 4 Season 5 is set to begin on August 6 and last until the Vessel of Hatred expansion ushers in Season 6 on October 8. Despite the shorter-than-average season length, there appears to be a lot for Diablo 4 fans to get excited about in Season 5, even being sandwiched between the exceptional Season 4 and the exciting Vessel of Hatred expansion.
The Season of the Infernal Hordes looks to prepare players for the new story content coming in Vessel of Hatred by introducing a new game mode centered on fighting back against the minions of Mephisto, Lord of Hatred. With Mephisto set to play a key role in the Vessel of Hatred storyline, Diablo 4 players will want to check out this season to prepare themselves for the upcoming expansion. However, the nature of Season 5's shortened length could make this important turning point in the fight against the forces of Hell a bit underutilized.
Diablo 4 Spiritborn Class Preview: King of the Jungle
The Best War Games spends a few hours with Diablo 4's Spiritborn class, which will likely take build crafting to new heights come release.
Diablo 4's Season of the Infernal Hordes is the Perfect Precursor to Vessel of Hatred
After Season 4, Season of the Infernal Horde's Larger Questline is More than Welcome
Diablo 4 Season 4 was widely praised by players, as changes to itemization and an overhauled Helltide helped the game to feel its best. However, the season was lacking in the quest department, with what is considered the seasonal questline mainly focusing on battling through Helltides to earn a reputation with the Iron Wolves. Season 5 seems like it will do a great job of making up for this lackluster seasonal quest while also preparing the world of Sanctuary for the Vessel of Hatred's arrival.
The primary focus of Diablo 4 Season 5 will be the titular Infernal Hordes, legions of demons loyal to Mephisto that have started to flood Sanctuary in preparation for their master's return in Vessel of Hatred. Players will get to experience a brand new game mode where they face off against waves of the Infernal Horde as they try to survive long enough to earn special rewards. The new seasonal quest surrounding this Infernal Horde mode will be expanded in the Seasonal Realm to usher players through lower World Tiers before they begin the primary Infernal Horde quest only accessible at World Tier 3.
Diablo 4 players will be able to access the main Infernal Horde questline in the Eternal Realm as well once they've reached World Tier 3.
Diablo 4 Season 5 Being So Short is a Disservice to its Theme
Having a season dedicated to a new game mode that also serves as an interlude to the Vessel of Hatred expansion is a great move for Diablo 4 to make. However, this shortened season length may not be able to give this pivotal season the focus it deserves. While this season should serve as a great way to reacquaint players who might be jumping back in for Vessel of Hatred with Diablo 4's latest updates, it runs the risk of being overshadowed by the expansion with such a short timeline compared to previous seasons.
It would be a shame for such an important seasonal theme to be overlooked by players waiting for Vessel of Hatred before jumping back in. Luckily, the Infernal Horde mode and its questline will be available on the Eternal Realm even after the season ends, meaning players can still check it out once Vessel of Hatred launches. While this accessibility should help preserve the game's overarching narrative in the lead-up to the expansion, the hype around a seasonal theme, while it is still ongoing, might get lost in the crowd of players anticipating the more substantial Vessel of Hatred expansion.
Diablo 4
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
