The end date for Diablo 3 Season 24 has been and gone, ethereal weapons are no longer a thing and the latest Diablo 3 Update has been moved from PTR to the live servers. It's very nearly time to start Diablo 3 Season 25.
Fans of Blizzard's hack-and-slash action RPG might have enjoyed (or not) the brief jaunt with Diablo 2 Resurrected, but until such a time that Diablo 4 is released, or Blizzard releases Ladder Season 1 for D2R, it's time to turn out attention back to Diablo 3. It may not be perfect, but nearly 10 years after launch, it's very much still going strong.
To help pool all the important details together into one place, we've pulled together this guide to help not only count down to the launch of Season 25, but also explain everything coming when the new season gets underway. Without further ado, read on for everything you need to know ahead of the Diablo 3 Season 25 start date.
Read More: Diablo 3 Tier List - The best builds you should be using
Latest News
10 December 2021
Diablo 3 Season 25 Start Time Countddown.
7 December 2021
Following thorough testing Diablo 3 Patch 2.7.2 is now live on all platforms ahead of launch later this week. Follow the link above to take a look at all the relevant new details, changes and confirmed patch notes.
3 December 2021
Blizzard has at long last confirmed all the details about Diablo 3 Season 25, dubbed 'The Lords of Hell'. This page has now been updated with all the relevant info you need to bring you up to speed on the new season.
22 November 2021
Blizzard has finally confirmed that Diablo 3 Season 24 end date has been set for 5 December 2021. Given the way Blizzard normally likes to end and start seasons (always ending on a Sunday, always starting on a Friday) we would anticipate Diablo 3 Season 25 starting on Friday, 10 December 2021.
With any luck, we'll get more info later this week on plenty more details, such as the Season 25 Haedrig's Gift Class Sets, Seasonal Cosmetic Rewards and more.
19 November 2021
Diablo 3 Season 25 PTR 2.7.2 testing has ended.
18 November 2021
Right so hopefully we should get some news today on what's happening with Diablo 3 Season 25. The PTR testing should come to an end. All we will say is that it's possible the team delay any grand news whilst everything is going on with Activision Blizzard walkouts following a Wall Street Journal report that CEO Bobby Kotick knew about sexual misconduct claims. Either way, we'll keep you updated.
16 November 2021
Blizzard's two-week PTR testing period for the Diablo 2 Season 25 Patch went live on November 4. It means the testing period should come to an end this week on Thursday 18 November. Stay tuned for plenty of news on the end of Season 25 and hopefully a Season 15 Start Date.
10 November 2021 -
If you're still curious about Diablo 3's new Soul Shards, then maybe have a watch of the below video from Rhykker.
It's a pretty long video at 20 minutes, but then again, the Diablo 3 expert has to run the rule over all 7 of these new Soul Shards, which themselves have 3 different ranks which offer improved abilities and stats with each level you obtain. So yeh, a lot of info, but well worth a watch. Especially whilst we wait for Season 24 to end as it's still going. Enjoy!
4 November 2021 -
Patch 2.7.2 is now available on the Diablo 3 PTR (Public Test Realm), along with the new Soul Shards feature.
click to enlarge
+ 61 November 2021 -
FINALLY! Blizzard has announced that Diablo 3 Season 25 will be unleashed on the PTR on November 4. Once it's live on the PTR there's no guarantee how long it may take to complete testing, but typically we see the PTR testing period take a minimum of two weeks. With that in mind, we suspect the new Season could arrive somewhere between November 19 and December 10. For the time being though, you may as well read up on the latest Diablo 3 Patch Notes ahead of the update coming to the PTR.
When Does Diablo 3 Season 25 Start?
At the time of writing, there is no confirmed release date for Diablo 3 Season 25. However, the launch of new Diablo 3 seasons usually follow the same rough formula. Typically each Season of Diablo has lasted (on average) around 12 weeks minimum. It's also pretty routine that a Season will end on a Sunday, with new seasons always starting on a Friday.
We know that Season 24 started on 23 July, so we suspect we'll see Season 24 end twelve weeks after that date, meaning we could see Season 24 end on October 17 at the very earliest.
In fact if you want to get really technical, here is the potential end times we're predicting based on your location in the world:
- North America – October 17 at 5PM PDT/ 8PM EST
- Europe – October 17 at 4PM BST/ 5PM CEST
- Asia – October 17 at 5PM KST
click to enlarge + 6Historically Blizzard has then waited a customary two weeks before kicking off the new season as they begin testing the new season on the games PTR. Although, this isn't set in stone and there have been instances when the devs have waited a little bit longer. In some cases to fine-tune the existing update on the PTR.
That means we could see Season 25 start as early as November 5. We will, of course, be sure to update this page should anything change or if Blizzard shares official confirmation.
What are Soul Shards in Diablo 3 - The New Season Theme
Though the Black Soulstone has been destroyed, lingering fragments of The Lords of Hell once contained therein still persist in Sanctuary. These Soul Shards hold immense power—power that once belonged to the Prime and Lesser Evils. Cunning Nephalem who find and wield these Soul Stones must exercise caution. Power can be alluring, and the road to the Burning Hells is paved with good intentions...
We know that with every new season Blizzard likes to mix things up a bit. In Season 23 there was a huge revamp to the follower system. In Season 24, Blizzard added Ethereal weapons. For Season 25 we get Soul Shards.
In the developers own words, they wanted to explore "the darker side of the Nephalem's past" and to do that, they're allowing our characters to embrace evil by infusing themselves with the essences of The Lords of Hell.
click to enlarge + 6Soul Shards will take the form of socketable items within the game, with up to seven different shards available, intended to represent some of the games main bosses. There's three 'Prime Evil Soul Shards' (representing Baal, Diablo, and Mephisto) as well as four 'Lesser Prime Evil Soul Shards' (representing Andariel, Azmodan, Belial and Duriel).
We've got a full Diablo 3 Soul Shards guide for those wishing to learn more, in particular How to get them, the stats for each soul shard and much more. Just follow the link for everything you need to know.
What happens to Ethereal Items in Season 25
Every new season normally makes one significant change to keep things fresh. In Season 24 Blizzard added Ethereals, a new weapon type as a nod to Ethereal items used in Diablo 2.
However, Ethereals only drop in Seasonal play so will not transfer to your non-seasonal character when the season ends.
Collecting all 21 Ethereals during Season 24 will reward players with the Feat of Strength, Ethereal Recollection. Players who accomplish this will have all Ethereal transmogrify options available for future seasonal and non-seasonal play.
click to enlarge + 6What Are The Diablo 3 Season 25 Class Sets
Just like every season fans can expect to see another rotation for the games class set rewards.
Players completing certain chapters from the Season Journey will be rewarded with three sets as part of Haedrigs Gift.
In Season 25, Diablo 3 fans can earn the following Class Sets:
- Barbarian – Might of the Earth
- Crusader – Thorns of the Invoker
- Demon Hunter – The Shadow’s Mantle
- Monk – Monkey King’s Garb
- Necromancer – Grace of Inarius
- Witch Doctor – Raiment of the Jade Harvester
- Wizard – Firebird’s Finery
click to enlarge + 6Diablo 3 Season 25 Seasonal Cosmetic Rewards
Like Haedrig’s Gift, there are also all-new Season Journey Rewards for players in Season 25.
You'll find a complete breakdown of the Diablo 3 Season 25 Rewards on the link. But for a quick tease, here's a look at the new rewards on offer for anyone who completes the Season 25 Guardian Journey, which includes the Pane of Tristram Portrait and The Dark Lordling Pet (seen below).
click to enlarge + 6Season 25 Seasonal Conquests
Just like every new season, there are once again new seasonal conquests on rotation. Here's a look at the new Seasonal Conquests in Season 25.
| SEASONAL CONQUEST | CHALLENGE |
|---|---|
| Sprinter | Complete Acts 1 Through V at max level in under 1 hour |
| Speed Racer (Hardcore Mode) | Complete Acts 1 Through V at max level in under 1 hour in Hardcore mode |
| Divinity | Reach Greater Rift Level 75 Solo |
| Lionhearted (Hardcore Mode) | Reach Greater Rift Level 75 Solo in Hardcore mode |
| The Thrill | Reach Greater Rift Level 45 Solo withou any Set items equipped |
| Super Human (Hardcore Mode) | Reach Greater Rift Level 45 Solo withou any Set items equipped in Hardcore mode |
| Curses! | Kill 350 or more monsters in a Cursed Chest event at level 70 on Torment X difficulty or higher |
| Stars Align (Hardcore Mode) | Kill 350 or more monsters in a Cursed Chest event at level 70 on Torment X difficulty or higher in Hardcore mode |
| Masters of the Universe | Master 8 of the following Set Dungeons |
| Masters of Sets (Hardcore Mode) | Master 8 of the following Set Dungeons in Hardcore mode |
Season 25 Best Builds
As with every new season we always make sure to cover the Best Diablo 3 Builds that players should be aiming to use for solo greater rift pushing.
We have set pages for all classes, although do note we're still in the process of updating these ahead of the season starting Friday.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Diablo 3 and Gaming News page.