One of the biggest additions to Diablo III in patch 2.1.0 is a competitive system we're calling Seasons. An entirely new gameplay mode, Seasons encourage you to roll a new hero and race against others to complete new challenges, acquire new and exclusive loot, and experience once more the feeling of starting fresh.

Seasons — How Do They Work?

So, you've logged in and you're ready to create your very first Seasonal hero. Where do you begin?

Just like any new character, your first Seasonal hero will start their journey in the hero creation menu. Select your hero class, gender, and name as usual, then select the "Seasons" checkbox on the lower left of the screen, and BAM! You'll have a brand new level one nephalem ready for Seasonal action!

You'll be able to create both Hardcore and Normal Seasonal heroes—just check the "Hardcore" box in addition to the Season box if it strikes your fancy.

Seasonal heroes are completely separate from your existing ones. This means they start from scratch, without access to your existing gold, blood shards, shared stash, Paragon levels, Artisan levels, crafting patterns, or items. Just as your Normal and Hardcore mode heroes have separately tracked progression, Seasons stand entirely on their own.

Seasonal Activities:

As fun as ladders are to climb, there's much more to Seasons than reaching max level or pressing onward into the upper echelons of the Paragon system.

While the first goal you should set is leveling up to 70 and getting some gear in order, there are three distinct ways to compete with other players in Seasons: 1) completing Conquests, which are Season-exclusive Achievements; 2) acquiring as many Achievement points as possible; and3) reaching the highest tiers in Greater Rifts. We'll be covering Greater Rifts in more detail with a future blog, so keep an eye on the main page for details!

Leaderboards:

You can track your progress against other players for the activities above on the Leaderboards and compete with others for the highest rankings. Want to be the first Hardcore player in the new Season to reach Level 70? Complete that Achievement and you'll be immortalized on the Conquest leaderboard. Aiming to tackle the most Achievements? Compare your total Achievement points earned to your peers on the Achievement Point leaderboard. Are Greater Rifts more your style? See how you measure up to other adventurers and check your fastest times on the Seasonal Greater Rift leaderboard.

Seasons offer a great variety in gameplay challenges, and you'll be able to compare your successes to your friends, other members of your class, your clan mates, or players in the same region. Leaderboards will be available both in-game and right here on our community site, so whether you're checking your progress on the web or in Sanctuary, you'll always be just a few clicks away from seeing your Seasonal ranking!

Conquests:

Achievements are accomplishments that showcase your skill or dedication to a particular task. In Seasons, we've taken the concept of Achievements to the next level by introducing Conquests. Consisting of difficult tasks that can only be completed by a Seasonal hero, all Conquests come in two flavors: Hardcore and Normal. If you want to conquer every Conquest, be prepared to tackle them with both Hardcore and Normal Seasonal heroes!

So what makes a Conquest different from a regular Achievement? Conquests are generally more challenging to complete than a standard Achievement and, as a result, they come with a special perk. If you're one of the first 1,000 players to complete a Conquest, your name will be immortalized on the Conquest Leaderboard for the rest of the Season. These slots are first come, first served, so be prepared to hit the ground running if you want that place at the top of the charts! Conquests will also remain rewarding throughout the Season and, even if you don't place on a Leaderboard, you'll still earn points toward your Seasonal achievement point total by completing Conquests.

Want a head start on the competition? Take a look at some of the Conquests that you'll encounter, and start planning your strategy:

Seasonal Rewards:

Climbing Leaderboards might not be your thing, so you may find yourself asking "What's in it for me?" There are incentives for everyone to try their hand in Seasons, including getting first crack at brand new Legendaries and a shiny new Transmogrification set that is exclusive to Season participants.

With Season 1, we're introducing 10 new Legendaries. These items will initially only be available to Seasonal players until the end of the Season, at which point they'll be rolled into the regular loot pool for all game modes. In addition, even more handfuls of exclusive Legendaries will be introduced each Season, and will only be available to Season participants until that Season ends.

A few of Season 1's new Legendaries.

We’ve also put together a badass new Transmogrification Set that is completely exclusive to Seasonal players. Each Season, you'll earn a new piece of this excellent armor. What do you need to do to get it? Just hit maximum level during the course of a Season, and your Transmogrification pattern will automagically unlock at the Mystic in all game modes.

A new helm awaits Season 1 challengers!

Pretty sweet, right?

Wrapping Up the Season:

We're only just starting the very first Season, but it's important to know what happens to your progress at the end. When a Season concludes, your current Seasonal heroes will become non-Seasonal. This means that if you were playing a Seasonal Hardcore hero, they'll instead become a regular Hardcore hero.

Your heroes keep all their gear, crafting materials, gold, blood shards, Paragon experience, and any new recipes they may have earned during the course of a Season. This also includes any new Stash tabs purchased or Artisan levels earned (if higher than your non-Seasonal profile). Finally, if you’ve managed to earn achievements during a Season that you've never conquered before, you'll earn them in the corresponding non-Seasonal mode.

While you'll be starting from scratch when a new Season begins, your non-Seasonal heroes will reap the rewards with new items, experience and achievements!

Join the Race!

We're excited to jump into Seasons, and we hope you've enjoyed this overview of what's to come. Are you prepared to get started when Season 1 launches? Which classes will you focus on first? Will you tackle Conquests first or focus on Greater Rifts instead? We want to know how you plan to play in Seasons, so let us know in the comments!

Prepare yourselves, nephalem! Challenge and reward awaits you!