Diablo 4: Season of the Construct Revealed

Season of the Construct: Blizzard Unveils Diablo 4’s Latest Update

With the Season of Blood concluded, a new, subterranean threat is awakening in Sanctuary. The Season of the Construct, set to launch on January 23, will see players confront Zoltun Kulle’s creations as they delve into the depths of Kehjistan to thwart the demon Malphas’ plan to corrupt the constructs for his own evil purposes. This season introduces a host of new features, mechanics, and quality-of-life improvements that will significantly impact the Diablo 4 experience.

The Seneschal Companion

Players will be gifted a customizable mechanized ally known as the Seneschal Companion. This companion serves as a powerful aid, featuring its own unique set of abilities and Governing/Tuning Stone slots that can be customized to synergize with the player’s build. As players progress through the Vaults, more powerful stones can be discovered, enhancing the Seneschal Companion’s capabilities.

• Governing Stones determine the Seneschal Companion’s attack patterns.
• Tuning Stones provide bonus effects to those attacks, adding additional layers of customization and strategic depth.

New Town Hub and Dungeon

Season of the Construct centers around the town of Gatehall, a new hub connected to the Vaults, a brand new dungeon built by the Horadrim Zoltan Kulle. Players will embark on a journey into the Vaults, navigating through elemental traps and confronting corrupted constructs. These constructs are a new enemy type, each with its own elemental variant, posing a fresh challenge to players.

Players can earn Pearls of Warding, a currency used to increase the rewards after completing a Vault. Additionally, the new open-world event, Arcane Tremors, features constructs emerging from the ground, requiring players to work with their Seneschal Companions to defeat them within a time limit. Completing this event rewards Pearls of Warding, enhancing future Vault runs. Nightmare variant Vaults will also be introduced for players seeking greater rewards in World Tier 3 and 4.

Weekly Leaderboard Challenges

Season of the Construct introduces a new activity known as The Gauntlet. Each week, a fixed dungeon will be selected for players to compete in, vying for the fastest completion time. The top scorers will be forever enshrined in the Hall of the Ancients, showcasing their prowess. More details about The Gauntlet will be revealed by Blizzard soon, so stay tuned for updates.

Governing Stone Functions

Here’s a breakdown of the available Governing Stones and their attack patterns, allowing players to plan their build strategies in advance:

• Autodefense: The Seneschal Construct activates an anti-material field, shooting down enemy projectiles (except Boss or Player projectiles).
• Bushwhack: Quickly ambushes targets, dealing damage. May strike the same target multiple times.
• Firefly: Deploys a small construct that explodes 3 times, dealing damage to the target.
• Focus Fire: Channels a ray of fire onto targets, dealing damage over time.
• Gyrate: Whirls its legs, dealing damage to all surrounding enemies.
• Impale: Launches a line attack to all enemies in front, dealing damage.
• Lightning Bolt: Launches a bolt of Lightning, dealing damage to the target and arcing to other targets for a portion of the original damage.
• Protect: Materializes a protective barrier on the player, granting a portion of their Maximum Life.
• Reconstruct: Channels a reconstruction beam, healing the player for a portion of their Maximum Life over time.
• Slash: Pummels enemies in front of the Seneschal Construct, dealing damage.
• Tempest: Electrically charges an enemy, causing damage to itself and additional enemies over time. Tempest spreads to another enemy if the enemy is killed, gaining additional time and bonus damage. These bonuses are also applied if Tempest is reapplied to the same enemy.
• Flash of Adrenaline: Grants bonus damage for a duration.

Tuning Stone Functions

Tuning Stones are designed to enhance the Seneschal Companion’s abilities by modifying the properties of the Governing Stones. This system, similar to the support gem system in Path of Exile, allows players to create complex synergies, such as debuffing enemies and setting them up for their own burst damage. Here is a list of the Tuning Stone functions:

• Voluminous Support: Increases the effect size of the supported skill.
• Swift Support: Grants an Attack Speed bonus to the supported skill.
• Breaking Support: Damage from the supported skill instantly destroys enemy Barrier effects and has a chance to make enemies Vulnerable.
• Tactical Support: Decreases the cooldown of the supported skill.
• Efficiency Support: Grants Critical Strike Chance to targets hit by the supported skill.
• Devastation Support: Grants a Critical Strike Damage bonus to the supported skill.
• Safeguard Support: Grants Damage Reduction to the player when the supported skill is used.
• Frigid Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Cold damage over time and applies Chill.
• Burning Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage is applied as Burning damage over time, causing Burning enemies to take bonus Critical Strike Damage from the Seneschal Construct.
• Electrocution Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Lightning damage over time, with a chance to Stun enemies.
• Bleeding Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Bleeding damage over time. Enemies take bonus Bleeding damage from all sources while moving.
• Poison Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Poison damage over time, with a chance each second to spread all Poison damage to an additional enemy.
• Dusk Support: A portion of the supported skill’s damage dealt is applied as Shadow damage over time. Afflicted enemies who attack have a chance to be interrupted. Does not interrupt Bosses.
• Duration Support: Increases the durations of supported skills.
• Fortify Support: Grants Fortify to the player when the Seneschal Construct uses the supported skill. Skills with slower attack speeds or skills with cooldowns increase the amount of Fortify granted.
• Resource Support: Grants Primary Resource to the player when the supported skill first deals damage.
• Initiative Support: Causes the Seneschal Construct to teleport to the target if out of range. It can only occur once every so often seconds.
• Arcing Support: Allows the supported skill to hit additional enemies.
• Multishot Support: Launches additional projectiles from the supported Projectile skill.
• Piercing Support: Makes the supported Projectile skill pierce multiple enemies.
• Gripping Support: Damage and effects done by the supporting skill to Distant enemies pull them towards the Seneschal Construct. It can only occur once every so often per enemy.
• Registered Damage Support: Any damage caused by the supported skill is registered. The registered damage explodes at effectiveness when the target dies as Fire damage.
• Seeking Support: Makes the supported Projectile skill track enemies for a limited duration.
• Slowing Support: Damage from the supported skill Slows enemy movement speed for a limited duration. The closer the enemy is to the Seneschal Construct, the greater the Slow amount. Enemies may be slowed up to a maximum amount.
• Mockery Support: Damage done by the supporting Skill Taunts enemies hit for a limited duration of time. This can only occur once every so often per enemy. Does not work on bosses.

Quality of Life Changes

Season of the Construct will usher in several quality-of-life improvements, enhancing the Diablo 4 experience for players. These changes include:

• WASD Key Movements: Players will soon have the option to utilize WASD keys for more precise control during combat.
• Additional Stash Tabs: More stash tabs can be purchased using gold, providing additional storage space for seasonal loot and gear.
• Skill Tree Respec Improvements: The skill tree will be easier to respec, allowing players to experiment with builds more freely.
• Gold Trading UI Enhancements: UI improvements for gold trading will streamline the process.

Season of the Construct promises to be a significant update to Diablo 4, introducing exciting new mechanics, challenges, and quality-of-life improvements. As players prepare to confront the subterranean threat and the corrupted constructs, they will have access to a wealth of new options and customizations to enhance their gameplay experience. With the launch date approaching, players are eagerly anticipating the new challenges and rewards that await in the depths of Kehjistan.