Summary

  • Diablo 4's Season of Blood has increased the drop rates for Living Steel.
  • The community views Season of Blood as an overall upgrade from the previous season, with the addition of new bosses and the opportunity to farm Duriel for an Uber Unique.
  • The upcoming Abattoir of Zir in Patch 1.2.3 is anticipated to bring back Greater Rifts as a permanent fixture in Diablo 4's endgame, while the future expansion Vessel of Hatred hints at improved itemization and a sixth class.

Diablo 4 continues to prioritize convenience in Season of Blood, as the developers have recently upped the drop rates for Living Steel. While the controversy of Diablo 4's inaugural season still looms in the air, the community has been cautiously optimistic about the changes that Blizzard introduced in Season of Blood. Patch 1.2 attempted to fix several design issues that have plagued the game since launch, such as elemental resistance and gems, while rebalancing the main offensive stats, such as Vulnerable and Overpower, from top-to-bottom.

Season of Blood also added new bosses to Diablo 4's endgame, and though it still lacks the satisfying gameplay loop of Diablo 3, the community considers it to be an overall upgrade from Season of the Malignant. In addition to Helltides and Nightmare Dungeons, being able to farm Duriel for a chance at getting an Uber Unique has also given Diablo 4 players a worthwhile carrot to chase.

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However, the latest Diablo 4 hotfix has also introduced a long-requested buff to Helltides. Namely, a major increase in Living Steel drop rates. Players such as XhandsanitizerX flocked to social media sites such as Reddit to give credit to the developers for making the change, as it brought newfound excitement to running Helltides in Diablo 4, which has been in an awkward spot as an endgame activity ever since Blizzard nerfed the Uber Unique drop rates in Patch 1.0.4.

In addition to the changes that Diablo 4's Season of Blood introduced thus far, Greater Rifts are also slated to return as an endgame activity when Abattoir of Zir launches with Patch 1.2.3 in December. Though Abattoir of Zir is billed as a pinnacle dungeon that will serve as the culmination of the Season of Blood, many players are hoping that it becomes a permanent fixture in Diablo 4's endgame going forward.

As far as the future of the game is concerned, the announcement of Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred at BlizzCon 2023 may not necessarily have revealed much about the first expansion, but the team has strongly hinted that they were looking into Diablo 4's itemization. Whereas Diablo 4's third season is rumored to revolve around Zoltun Kulle and the Horadrim, Vessel of Hatred is set to introduce a sixth class to the campfire of Diablo 4. Though it remains to be seen if Blizzard will stick the landing in the upcoming Diablo 4 seasons, changes such as increasing Living Steel drop rates are certainly a step in the right direction.

Diablo 4 Hotfix 3 for Patch 1.2.2 Notes:

  • Living Steel Chest in World Tier 3: Increased from 1 to 2.
    • There is an additional chance for 1-2 extra Living Steels to drop.

  • Living Steel Chest in World Tier 4: Increased from 3 to 5.
    • There is an additional chance for 5 extra Living Steels to drop.

  • All other Helltide chests will additionally grant 1 Living Steel in World Tier 4.
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9 /10

Diablo 4
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Action RPG
Hack and Slash
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
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Released
June 5, 2023
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
All platforms
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
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Franchise
Diablo
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash