Blizzard has just revealed the changes coming in the next Diablo 4 PTR. This is the chance for the community to test the changes coming to Season 14 and give feedback. The PTR opens on June 2nd and runs through June 9th. Players will be previewing Season 14’s biggest changes before they go live: a new seasonal activity loop, a seasonal rework of the Mythic Uniques system, permanent improvements to War Plans and the Horadric Cube, and a feature players have been requesting since launch. Here is a quick rundown of what to expect.
Solo Self-Found Mode
Solo Self-Found, or SSF, has been one of the most consistently requested features in Diablo 4, with players asking for it from virtually day one. The mode is a staple of the ARPG genre, and its absence has been a sticking point for a vocal portion of the community throughout every season. It is finally arriving in Season 14.
SSF is a permanent character state chosen during character creation. Once opted in, you will not be able to party up or trade for the rest of the season on that character. SSF characters share a stash with other SSF characters on your account, and dedicated SSF Tower Leaderboard tracks are being added so players can compete on an even playing field. At season end, all SSF characters convert back to standard Eternal characters with all restrictions lifted.
This is the largest change players will be able to test in the upcoming Diablo 4 PTR. Community feedback will make or break the initial introduction of this long-awaited gamemode.
Pandemonium Ruptures and the Seasonal Loop
Season 14’s core activity revolves around Pandemonium Ruptures. These arcane rifts will tear open across the overworld and Helltides in three tiers: standard Ruptures, Surging Ruptures (which replace Helltide events), and Colossal Ruptures found exclusively in the Fields of Desecration. Keeping a Rupture open longer increases rewards, and completing the higher-tier variants can spawn a Realmwalker. This returning mob type opens a portal to the new Deathtoll Chamber mini-dungeon. This arena is the best source of Greater Lair Boss Keys for the season. Lastly, a new monster family, the Risen, also debuts here. Intercepting the orbs dropped by Gravehounds before the Risen Exarch absorbs them claims their power for yourself.
Corrupted Reaper, a new Seasonal Lair Boss
A new Lair Boss, the Corrupted Reaper, will await players at the Pandemonium Threshold in Zarbinzet. During the PTR, it will be accessible at Torment 1 and above. After the season launches, it will unlock through the Season Campaign. Blizzard is positioning it as the single best source for both Mythic Unique drops and the new Mythic Upgrade currency.
Mythic Uniques 3.0, Every Unique Can Be Mythic
At least for this season, “Mythic” will no longer be a separate item rarity. It is becoming an item quality modifier that can be applied to any Unique. Players will earn Pandemonium Fragments, a new season currency, through Reputation, Resplendent Caches, and the Corrupted Reaper Lair Boss. This currency can be used to upgrade Uniques via the Horadric Cube. In addition to crafting, Mythic Uniques will also have a rare chance to drop from any Ancestral Unique source, and a class-specific one will be earnable through Season Rank. Keep in mind, only one crafted Mythic can be equipped at a time. Additional Mythic Uniques obtained through drops can still be worn freely.
Tower and Leaderboard Rewards
Tower and Leaderboards will be exiting their beta testing phase in Season 14 with a new weekly reward structure. Now, players will earn Halo cosmetics, Prestige Titles, and Gear Caches based on their best rank each week, from simply playing the Tower up through Top 1 finishes. At the start of the following season, a permanent Emblem will be granted reflecting your highest rank from the previous season.
War Plans, Horadric Cube, and Other Updates
War Plans will gain full party syncing in Season 14. Any member can initiate a board re-roll for the whole group at the cost of 2 
Marks of El’Druin, provided everyone is in Temis and votes to accept. The Horadric Cube is gaining the ability to change affixes on Unique items via Focused and Chaotic Rerolls. In addition to this, the Unique Power Reroll recipe will be extended to Charms and non-Ancestral Uniques.
For a full breakdown of class balance changes, Talisman updates, bug fixes, and more, see the official Diablo 4 PTR Patchnotes below.
The 3.1 PTR: What You Need to Know
The purpose of the PTR is to test updates and features before the launch of the next season, where we’ll be focusing on Solo Self Found, new seasonal features, Mythic Uniques 3.0, and rewards coming to the Tower & Leaderboards as we come out of Beta.
Using your feedback, we’ll make adjustments before the next season goes live. This helps us to fine-tune balance changes, eliminate bugs, and create the best experience possible while testing new systems. Thank you for playing through the PTR and sharing your thoughts with the team.
Here is what the 3.1 PTR will preview ahead of next season.
Codex
Pandemonium Ruptures
During Season 14, the division between Sanctuary and Pandemonium is ripped asunder by arcane rifts called Pandemonium Ruptures. These rifts call a new family of monsters to slay, the chance to summon a familiar boss, and new opportunities for loot by conquering the Deathtoll Chamber.
You will encounter three types of Pandemonium Ruptures. Kill the guardians around Death’s Head Idols, creating an open Rupture and casting a ritual ring. The longer you keep the Rupture open, the more rewards you’ll earn. Killing monsters and closing Tears will help keep it open. Rupture Goblins can also appear anywhere, opening additional Ruptures.
- Ruptures (Normal): Small Ruptures can spawn in the throughout the overworld of Sanctuary but are especially prevalent in Helltides.
- Surging Ruptures: Medium ruptures can spawn in place of any local event within a Helltide.
- Colossal Ruptures: Large ruptures appear only in the Fields of Desecration, the World Boss Arena southeast of Zarbinzet.
Realmwalker 2.0
Realmwalkers have reappeared across Sanctuary, summoned to challenge those brave (or foolhardy) enough to tackle the most difficult Pandemonium Ruptures. Completing different types of Pandemonium Ruptures can give the following chances to summon a Realmwalker:
- Ruptures (Normal): Cannot summon Realmwalkers.
- Surging Ruptures: Gives a chance to spawn a Realmwalker when Surging Rupture events are completed with Mastery within the time allotted.
- Colossal Ruptures: Guarantees a Realmwalker spawn when completed.
Conquering the Realmwalker opens a Portal to the Deathtoll Chamber.
Deathtoll Chamber
The Deathtoll Chamber is a one-room mini-dungeon accessible either by defeating the Realmwalker or inside a Nightmare Dungeon with the Rupture affix after closing enough Tears within Ruptures. Once inside, complete a special Rupture activity for even more rewards.
The Deathtoll Chamber will be the best source for Greater Lair Boss Keys, which are required to open the Seasonal Lair Boss’s Hoard in Torment I+.
New Monster Family: The Risen
Gravehounds, members of the new Risen monster family, now appear out of Ruptures and inside the Deathtoll Chamber. When killed, Gravehounds drop orbs that empower the Exarch, a special Risen that absorbs any Orbs that float toward it. Intercept them before they arrive to claim the power yourself.
Seasonal Lair Boss
A new boss enters the fray to terrorize the denizens of Sanctuary. Strike them down with fury.
Find a Corrupted Reaper Lair Boss in Pandemonium Threshold’s entrance in Zarbinzet. During the PTR, you will be able to face this boss once you have reached Torment I+. After Season 14 launches, the seasonal Lair Boss will become available through the Season Campaign.
This boss requires a Greater Lair Boss key to open the rewards cache. It will also give the best direct drop chances for both Mythic Uniques and Mythic Unique Upgrade currency than any other activity.
Mythic Uniques 3.0
In Season 14, every Unique can be Mythic. Strap in, folks.
Mythic, instead of being an item Rarity, is now a modifiable Item Quality. You’ll have the ability to make any Unique item into a game-altering Mythic through Item Quality modifiers.
This season, any Unique can now drop as a Mythic Unique or be upgraded into a Mythic Unique using the Horadric Cube. You’ll be craft or earn Mythic Uniques in a few different ways:
- Acquire Seasonal currency (Pandemonium Fragments) by progressing through the Seasonal Reputation board or defeating the new Lair Boss. This Seasonal Currency is a component in upgrading Uniques to Mythic Uniques using the Horadric Cube.
- This Seasonal currency can also be earned from the Season Reputation board, Resplendent Caches, and from killing the Seasonal Lair Boss.
- A chance to earn a Mythic Unique by defeating the Season Lair Boss, Corrupted Reaper.
- Progress through the Season Rank to earn a class-specific Mythic Unique.
- On both Seasonal and Eternal Realms, you’ll have a very rare chance to find a Mythic Unique whenever an Ancestral Unique would drop.
Note: You can only equip one crafted Mythic. If you find multiple Mythics the typical way through rare drops in-game, you’ll be able to still equip multiple with your one crafted Mythic unique.
Tower & Leaderboards Beta Rewards
With Tower & Leaderboards coming out of Beta in Season 14, we’re adding new cosmetics for Leaderboard completion.
- You’ll be able to earn rewards at the end of each Leaderboard reset each Leaderboard reset, and at the end of each season.
- Weekly rewards are granted to you the next time you log in after the previous weekly reset has ended.
The following ranks get rewards each week:
- Progression:
- Played the Tower this week
- Reacher Tower Tier 100 or Higher
- Ranks:
- Top 1,000 on any leaderboard
- Top 500 on any leaderboard
- Top 100 on any leaderboard
- Top 10 on any leaderboard
- Top 1 on any leaderboard
- Each week, you’ll earn the following rewards based off your best rank:
- A Halo Cosmetic
- A Prestige Title
- Gear Cache
- Higher ranks reward more items and a higher chance of Uniques
You’ll keep Seasonal Leaderboard Titles and Halos throughout the Season, until they reset on the next Season.
- At the start of the next Season, you’ll be rewarded with an Emblem that shows the highest rank you achieved on any weekly leaderboard in the previous season. These will be granted on first log-in to the new season.
War Plans Updates
We are making changes to War Plans so that you can seamlessly play with your most steadfast allies when playing in a Party.
As of 3.1 PTR, you’ll be able to sync your War Plans board with your party. This feature generates a board that generates a new War Plan for your whole party.
You’ll need to do the following to sync your Plans:
- Your party must all be in Temis.
- The prompt New Plan will only appear if you are in a party.
If you select New Plan For Party:
- It costs 2 Marks of El’Druin.
- When selected, the party will see that a member of their party has initiated the vote to re-roll all War Plan boards and sync them.
- If all players accept, the person who initiated the vote resets their board and that exact one is then pushed down to the other players.
Note: Plans are synced regardless of War Plan Level or other States (Torment Level, Campaign Completion etc.)
Horadric Cube Updates
The Horadric Cube will have the following updates in the Season 14 PTR:
- Unique items can now use Focused Reroll and Chaotic Reroll.
- Unique Charms and Non-Ancestral Uniques will be able to use Unique Power Reroll.
- Chromatic Tuning Prisms will have a small chance to provide All Resist.
Solo Self Found Mode
Solo Self Found (SSF) is a character state that allows you to take the role of the solo wanderer carving their fortune alone across Sanctuary, giving more options to challenge yourself the way you want. When you choose SSF as a character state, you accept on the following challenges:
- SSF characters must be Seasonal only. They can also be either Normal or Hardcore.
- SSF characters cannot join parties or trade with other players.
- SSF share their own stash, currency, Paragon, and more only with other SSF characters on their account.
- Free Trial, Couch Co-Op, and Dark Citadel are unavailable for SSF characters.
- Selecting SSF for that character is permanent for the duration of the season and cannot be changed. At the end of the season, SSF characters will revert to Eternal characters with the ability to group and trade again as normal.
The fearless souls adopting this mode will enjoy exclusive SSF-only Tower Leaderboards to show off their true solo prowess.
Additionally, with the addition of Solo Self Found, the following Filters have been added to Leaderboards:
- Solo Self Found
- Hardcore Solo Self Found
General and Systems Updates
The following updates will also appear in the S14 PTR:
General
- Obols are now capped at 25,000.
- Added missing minimap icons to Nightmare Dungeon and Pit objects.
- Added missing Boss Trophy items for Astaroth and Bartoc and combined recipes for them in the Horadric Cube.
War Plans
- Increased all War Plan Activity XP scaling to Torment VIII+.
- Increased base activity XP of Infernal Hordes.
- Helltide War Plan progress has been changed from opening chests to collecting 75 Cinders in Normal through Penitent and 300 Cinders in Torment 1+.
- Added new War Plan quests and nodes for Long Helltide/Escalation Sigils.
Features Offered for Testing
We will have servers for PTR in the following regions: North America, Europe, Korea and Japan, South America, and Australia. Use the PTR Boost NPC in major cities to aid you in the Public Test Realm.
PTR Boost
Similar to our previous Public Test Realms, the trusty PTR Vendor Mrak will be available through the duration of the PTR. You can find our hot-footed friend next to the main Waypoint in major cities. Mrak has received some substantial upgrades, including new boosts to Lord of Hatred systems.
The following items are available through the PTR Boosts. Anything highlighted in blue has been updated since the last PTR:
Crafting & Materials
- Grant Gold
- Grant Obols
- Grant All Materials
- Unlock Masterworking
- Grant All Temper Manuals
- Grant Lair Keys
- Grant Tributes
- Grant Infernal Compasses
- Grant Nightmare Escalation Sigils
Equipment
- Grant All Runes
- Max All Aspects
- Grant Random Legendaries*
- Grant All Uniques*
- Grant Talisman Items
Note: To receive Helms and Amulets from the PTR Boost, you must be at least Level 7 and Level 15 respectively. Please level past this point to receive these specific items.*
Paragon
- Grant All Glyphs
- Max All Glyphs
Progression
- Complete Campaign & All Strongholds (Unlocks Whispers and the Artificer’s Obelisk)
- Set Level to 70
- Unlock All Waypoints & Reveal Map
- Grant Skill and Paragon Point Rewards
- Unlock and Max War Plans
- Unlock All Torment Tiers
- Set Paragon to Level 200
Seasonal
- Grant Seasonal Items (Pandemonium Fragments)
How to Provide Feedback
Your feedback on the changes you will see and experience in the PTR is important to us and is vital in ensuring that Season 14 is the best it can be when it goes live in Diablo IV. If you participate in the PTR, please let us know what you think!
You can provide feedback through the in-game feedback tool of the Diablo IV PTR forums. Pressing the ESC key in the in-game menu will bring up the Report a Bug menu. You can select the dropdown filter and select the in-game feedback tool to provide feedback without leaving the game.
How to Install the PTR
Here are the steps to join the PTR:
- Open the Blizzard Battle.net App and select Diablo IV from your Games list.
- In the selector above the Play button, there is a game version drop down menu.
- Select the Public Test Realm option
- Click Install to Install the PTR client. This becomes a Play button when ready.
- Click Play to log in to the PTR, and select any of the available Test Servers.
- Create a new test character.
- Note: Create a Seasonal Character for any testing related to the Seasonal themes.
- Enter the game and test the 3.1.0 PTR!
If you’re a PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate user, you’ll be able to access the PTR through the same flow as other Battle.net users. Access the Battle.net client through the Xbox App, then continue to access the PTR through Battle.net.
3.1.0 PTR Patch Notes
Beware the loss of a great power in the world. What comes to fill the void may be worse.
—The Diablo IV Team
As Season 13 winds down, and preperation for Season 14 begins, visit our Diablo 4 news hub to stay up-to-date.
