Diablo 4’s upcoming seasons will introduce a slew of new endgame content for dedicated fans who have completed the campaign.

However, while some information has been revealed about how these new seasons will work, especially when compared to previous Diablo games, it might not be immediately apparent to some.

Fortunately, below, we’ve detailed exactly what you can expect from Diablo 4’s seasons, including new missions, requirements, and gameplay features.

How Do Seasons Work in Diablo 4?

Seasons in Diablo 4 are quarterly events (happen every three months) that introduce new questlines, gameplay features, battle passes, Legendary items, quality of life improvements, and class balances.

The first season, titled Season of the Malignant, will be released on July 20, 2023, and will last three months until mid to late October. The following season will begin as soon as the first one ends.

Any new quests or gameplay mechanics introduced in a season will become inaccessible when the season ends.

Players can view new quests through the season Journey feature, which bundles short, achievement-style missions into Chapters. These are entirely separate from the main campaign.

Unlike previous Diablo games, these Season Journey quests can be completed in any order. You won’t need to complete all of the Season Journey quests in a Chapter to progress to the next one.

Your rewards for completing these Season Journey missions will be various crafting materials, legendary aspects for the Codex of Powex, and the new currency Favor which ranks up your Battle Pass.

It is worth noting that players must complete the entire campaign before they can access the new season. You can then opt to skip the campaign when playing through the new season.

Do You Need to Create a New Character For Each Season?

Yes, you will need to create a completely new seasonal character in order to access the new season’s questlines and gameplay mechanics.

Once you’ve completed the season with that character, it will be available to use in the Eternal Realm. When the next season begins, you’ll have to create another seasonal character.

The reason players need to create a new character per season is that seasons are locked to exclusive realms, which are removed once it ends.

These realms typically alter the entire Diablo experience, including the speed at which you level up. Therefore any characters used in that seasonal realm wouldn’t be applicable in the base game.

What Carries Over to New Seasons?

Your map and Altar of Lilith progress will be carried over to new seasons in Diablo 4. This ensures you won’t have to rediscover the entire map when starting a new season.

However, your side quest, Renown, and stronghold progress will not carry over. You will be able to do all of the side quests and strongholds again during a new season.