Diablo IV Season 11 "The Hallowing": Streamlined and Controversial

Season 11 of Diablo IV brings foundational changes aimed at accessibility and long-term health, sparking debate among players.

The core defense system is simplified: Armor now mitigates both physical and elemental damage, while Resistances also grant physical resistance. This removes the need to stack specific defensive thresholds, offering greater build flexibility, though overall toughness in the endgame is slightly reduced.

The item system sees major revisions. Legendaries now feature four random affixes and one Tempering slot. Tempering is now deterministic—players select the desired affix—and can be reset infinitely, eliminating the risk of ruining items. However, the Enchanting system no longer boosts affix values but instead improves an item's base stats (e.g., Armor, weapon damage). This significantly lowers the power ceiling compared to Season 10. A new "Ascension" mechanic allows affixes to be upgraded to powerful Primal versions, providing a smoother long-term gear progression.

The Renown system has been reset. All previous permanent stat bonuses from exploration and Altars of Lilith are removed and must be re-earned exclusively through the Season Journey. This equalizes the start for all players but requires repeating core progression. New "Capstone Dungeons" gate these rewards; their initial PTR design was criticized for being lengthy, unrewarding, and disconnected from other endgame content.

The seasonal theme, "Hallowing," initially disappointed. Hallowing an item adds a random affix or Aspect but prevents further modification, and often resulted in useless outcomes like "Indestructible." Blizzard has committed to improving the affix pool and removing negative outcomes for the live version.

In summary, Diablo IV Season 11, "The Hallowing," is unambiguously a season of subtraction and recalibration. Blizzard aims to streamline the core experience by lowering barriers, reducing frustrating randomness, and flattening the extreme power spikes of previous seasons. The vision is a more balanced, accessible, and sustainable game foundation. However, this comes at the cost of the immediate, explosive power fantasy that many seasoned players crave. The removal of permanent Renown rewards is a hard reset that will test player willingness to re-engage with core progression. The final verdict depends on official updates in early December and live server tuning, particularly for the Hallowing system and Capstone Dungeon pacing. For players, this season will undoubtedly require adapting to a new, more measured rhythm, where progression may feel slower but—Blizzard hopes—more meaningful at every step.

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