Acolyte of Chayula

Barbarian

Druid

Necromancer

Rogue

Sorcerer

Spiritborn

<p><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo IV</a> <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim</a> begins tomorrow, July 1, bringing new mechanics, challenges, and rewards for players in both the seasonal and eternal realms. It is finally time for you to explore a new story, defeat hardcore challenges, and grind for the best gear possible! One thing is sure, this update has a lot of new stuff you can do.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Diablo 4 Season 9 Release Times</h2>



<p>As always, depending on your region, the update might not be live at the exact same time. So here is when Season 9 launches in your timezone:</p>



<ul>
<li>10 a.m. PDT &#8211; West Coast US</li>



<li>1 p.m. EDT &#8211; East Coast US</li>



<li>2 p.m. BRT &#8211; Brazil</li>



<li>18:00 BST &#8211; UK</li>



<li>19:00 CEST &#8211; Western Europe (Paris, Berlin)</li>



<li>2 a.m. JST (July 2) &#8211; Japan</li>



<li>3 a.m. AEST (July 2) &#8211; Australia (East Coast)</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is New in Season 9?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Horadric-spells.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image 78901" /></figure>



<p>Sins of the Horadrim brings a bunch of new content such as:</p>



<ul>
<li><strong>Horadrim Seasonal Quest</strong>: a short new story quest which goes deeper into the secrets of the Horadrim.</li>



<li><strong><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/horadric-spells-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Horadric Spellcraft</a></strong>: create your own spell with unique abilities to support your main skill.</li>



<li><strong><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/horadric-strongrooms/#horadric_jewels" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Horadric Jewels</a></strong>: new seasonal jewels to socket in your rings and amulet, which will support your Horadric Spell.</li>



<li><strong><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/nightmare-dungeon-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Escalating Nightmares</a> and <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/astaroth-boss-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astaroth</a></strong>: run through 3 dungeons which scale in difficulty and beat the end boss, Astaroth.</li>



<li><strong><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/horadric-strongrooms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Horadric Strongrooms</a></strong>: New mini-dungeon, which can be found inside Nightmare Dungeons.</li>
</ul>



<p>For more details, you can check out each in-depth guide, or head to our Seasonal Guide page:</p>




        <a target="_blank" class="custom-button" href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/">
            <span>Season 9 Guide</span>
        </a>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Else Can You Expect?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/scapegoat-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image 80217" /></figure>



<p>Of course, this season also comes with a ton of other features, adjustments, and additions, such as:</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/new-unique-items-and-aspects-ranked-diablo-4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Uniques</a> for each class</li>



<li>New Nightmare Dungeon Affixes</li>



<li>Season 9 <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/reliquaries-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reliquaries</a></li>



<li>And more!</li>
</ul>



<p>On top of that, several aspects, items, skills, and passives have received some balance adjustments, which may shake up the meta! If you want to know where your favorite class ranks for season 9, check out our Tier Lists:</p>




        <a target="_blank" class="custom-button" href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/tier-lists/">
            <span>Diablo 4 Season 9 Tier Lists</span>
        </a>




<p>And if you are new, and you don&#8217;t know where to start, head to our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-new-season-checklist/#during_season" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Season Checklist</a>!</p>

Diablo 4 Season 9 Release Time – When & What to Expect


<p>A curious <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo 4</a> player on Reddit recently put in the grind and saved up 137 Seasonal Caches, opening them all at once to test what kind of loot these boxes really give, and the results might surprise you. </p>



<p>You can take a look at the original post here:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-reddit wp-block-embed-reddit"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" style="height:500px" ><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/1lnn3kc/137_seasonal_caches_how_many_mythicga2/">137 Seasonal Caches: How many Mythic/GA2&#43; legendary/unique items will drop?</a><br> by<a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/prodowntime/">u/prodowntime</a> in<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/">diablo4</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.reddit.com/widgets.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>The player shared the drop data after opening 100 of the caches (with more remaining, but the sample was already telling). Here is a small breakdown!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is Inside a Seasonal Cache?</h2>



<p>To give you a small reminder of what can technically drop from those seasonal caches, here is a recap of the type of content you can obtain:</p>



<ul>
<li>2x non-Greater Affix legendaries</li>



<li>1x Greater Affix (GA1+) legendary</li>



<li>1x Greater Affix 1+ unique</li>



<li>Roughly 3-4 million gold (after selling unwanted loot)</li>
</ul>



<p>No other items dropped, no gems, no runes, no tributes, making these caches very predictable, but also revealing in terms of higher-tier affix chances.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Drop Rate Results</h2>



<p>The player opened a total of 100 caches from the 137 he had originally in stock. This gave him a total of 400 items. Here are the different types of items he got:</p>



<ul>
<li>200 non-Greater Affix legendaries</li>



<li>186 Greater Affix 1 legendaries</li>



<li>12 Greater Affix 2 items (6 legendaries, 6 uniques)</li>



<li>2 Greater Affix 3 items (1 legendary, 1 unique)</li>



<li>0 Greater Affix 4</li>



<li>0 Mythics</li>
</ul>



<p>Other players were rather surprised at the lack of 4 greater affixes after that many caches. No Mythics or Greater Affixes 4 dropped in the entire sample. And Greater Affix 2+ drop rate was around 14% of the guaranteed Greater Affix 1+ items.</p>



<p>Here is a breakdown of those Greater Affixes 1+ drops:</p>



<ul>
<li>93% Greater Affix 1</li>



<li>6% Greater Affix 2</li>



<li>1% Greater Affix 3</li>



<li>0% Greater Affix 4</li>
</ul>



<p>The best item from the entire batch seemed to a 3 Greater Affix <a class="icy-gtnbrg-link" href="#"><span class="icy-gtnbrg-tooltip"><img decoding="async" class="icy-gtnbrg-tooltip-img" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/static/d4/latest/images/icons/2DInventory_Offhand_e001_7.webp" alt="Strike of Stormhorn"><span class="tooltip-spell-name" data-item-type="Focus" data-item-quality="unique">Strike of Stormhorn</span></span></a>, which is not bad, but far from a jackpot.</p>



<p>While this is not an official data set, it gives you a real idea of what to expect when hoarding Seasonal Caches. The drop rates for top-tier affixes (GA3 and GA4), and especially Mythics, appear to be extremely low or outright excluded from these caches. </p>



<p>If you are farming Mythics or GA4 Uniques, Seasonal Caches might not be the place to look. Still, they are a reliable source of gold at least!</p>


137 Diablo 4 Seasonal Caches Later – Are They Actually Worth It?


<p>Discover the best class and build tier lists for Diablo 4&#8217;s <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/">Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim</a>!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Note on Rankings</h2>



<p>These tier lists are still a work in progress as the Season 9 meta continues to evolve. We’re keeping this page updated with the latest shifts — so check back often for the freshest picks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Leveling Builds for Season 9</h2>



<p>If you&#8217;re blasting through early campaign and side content, a new Barbarian build is zooming past the pack!</p>



<p>Some of last season’s favorites are still hanging on, but we’re already seeing surprising performance from specs that were mid-tier before.</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/double-swing-barbarian-leveling-build/">Double-Swing Barbarian</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/summoner-necromancer-leveling-build/">Minion Summoner Necromancer</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/dance-of-knives-rogue-leveling-build/">Dance of Knives Rogue</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/incinerate-sorcerer-leveling-build/">Incinerate Sorcerer</a> (S-Tier)</li>
</ul>



<p>You will find the remaining top leveling builds in <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/leveling-tier-list/">our tier list</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Speed Farming Builds for Season 9</h2>



<p>Hydra Sorcerers are back in business, shredding mobs with zero downtime. But they&#8217;re not alone. A surprise Druid build is tearing through <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/helltide-guide/">Helltides</a> with ease, and Rogues are running triple-deep with 3 different specs making the S-Tier cut.</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/whirlwind-barbarian-build/">Whirlwind Barbarian</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/fleshrender-druid-build/">Fleshrender Druid</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/dance-of-knives-rogue-build/">Dance of Knives Rogue</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/hydra-sorcerer-build/">Hydra Sorcerer</a> (S-Tier)</li>
</ul>



<p>For the full list of speed farming builds, check out our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/speed-farming-tier-list/">speed farming build tier list</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Endgame Builds for Season 9</h2>



<p>If you&#8217;re pushing deep into the <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/the-pit-of-the-artificers-guide/">Pit</a>, Season 9 has some standout performers, and a few curveballs&#8230;</p>



<p>Barbs are back in bruiser mode with not one but two viable core builds, while Druids are proving they&#8217;re not just <span class="icy-gtnbrg-tooltip"><a class="icy-gtnbrg-link" href="#"><img decoding="async" data-tooltip-name="Pulverize" class="icy-gtnbrg-tooltip-img" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/static/d4/latest/images/icons/2DUI_Skills_Druid_51.webp" alt="Pulverize"><span class="tooltip-spell-name d4-text">Pulverize</span></a></span> bots anymore.</p>



<p>Necros? Let&#8217;s just say if you&#8217;re into skeletons or rot, this is your season! Spiritborn fans will be thrilled too, one thorny build is finally living up to its expectations!</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/flay-barbarian-build/">Flay Barbarian</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/fleshrender-druid-build/">Fleshrender Druid</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/blood-wave-necromancer-build/">Blood Wave Necromancer</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/mendeln-summoner-necromancer-build/">Naz Mendeln Summoner Necromancer</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/poison-thorns-spiritborn-build-for-diablo-4/">Poison Thorns Spiritborn</a> (S-Tier)</li>
</ul>



<p>Head over to our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/endgame-tier-list/">top performing end-game builds</a> to learn more about other classes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Boss Farming Builds for Season 9</h2>



<p>Season 9&#8217;s <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/lair-boss-system-guide/">Boss Ladder</a> is already shaking out some clear winners, and this time, it&#8217;s not just the usual suspects.</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/bash-barbarian-build/">Basic Cleave Barbarian</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/fleshrender-druid-build/">Fleshrender Druid</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/blood-wave-necromancer-build/">Blood Wave Necromancer</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/hydra-sorcerer-build/">Hydra Sorcerer</a> (S-Tier)</li>



<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/poison-thorns-spiritborn-build-for-diablo-4/">Poison Thorns Spiritborn</a> (S-Tier)</li>
</ul>



<p>Explore our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/boss-killer-tier-list/">boss killer tier list</a> for the full list of builds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class Tier List for Season 9</h2>



<p>Next up, the Season 9 class rankings. Who&#8217;s best for leveling, farming, and pushing? </p>



<p>We&#8217;re spotlighting only the S-Tier picks in each category. For the complete list, please visit our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/class-tier-list/">Class Tier List for Season 9</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Classes for Leveling in Season 9</h2>



<p>Find out which classes level the fastest in Season 9!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Tier</th><th>Class</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>S-Tier</td><td>Necromancer, Sorcerer, Rogue</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Classes for Speed Farming in Season 8</h2>



<p>These classes are the best for quick and efficient farming in Season 9.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Tier</th><th>Class</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>S-Tier</td><td>Spiritborn, Sorcerer</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Classes for Endgame Pushing in Season 9</h2>



<p>Check out the best classes for tackling high-end content in Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Tier</th><th>Class</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>S-Tier</td><td>Spiritborn, Sorcerer</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>


Dominate Diablo 4 Season 9: Top Builds and Tier Lists


<p><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo 4</a> players are not too happy right now. Why? Because the <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/druid/builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Druid class</a> just arrived in Diablo Immortal, and it looks and plays way better than the one in Diablo 4. But how exactly is it different, and why do players think the Diablo Immortal version is so much better?</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s go over a few points from a Reddit thread where players discussed the various issues. You can take a look at the original post here:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-reddit wp-block-embed-reddit"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" style="height:316px" ><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/1ll37un/diablo_immortal_gets_a_way_better_looking_druid/">Diablo Immortal gets a way better looking Druid design than D4. Why is the difference between the two games so significant?</a><br> by<a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Lemonicetea00/">u/Lemonicetea00</a> in<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/">diablo4</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.reddit.com/widgets.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Diablo 4 Druid vs. Diablo Immortal Druid</h2>



<p>The new Druid in Immortal has not only a cool design, but also rather unique spells like fire tornadoes, ice wolves, and even stag morphs. There is a gameplay trailer showing all of it, and players were quick to notice how much more exciting it looks.</p>



<p>You can watch the trailer here:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Diablo Immortal | Announce Cinematic | Druid" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kfMy-a_zkt8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>Meanwhile, Diablo 4&#8217;s Druid has been one of the least popular classes in the game. It is getting some changes in the upcoming Season 9, but players say the real problem is the lack of style and limited customization. The skills are not really attractive, and the only transformations you have access to are wolf and bear, which can quickly be boring.</p>



<p>On Reddit and social media, many players are asking why a mobile game gets a cooler version of the same class. They also ask Blizzard to add more body types, and more various transformations and skill options in Diablo 4.</p>



<p>Not everyone agrees, though. Some say Diablo Immortal&#8217;s Druid is a bit too similar to the usual Druid representations, compared to the Diablo 4 Druid that is slightly different.</p>



<p>For now, the Diablo 4 Druid will remain the way it is. However, with the latest announcements of big changes coming to the game, it may not be impossible that skills are being worked on, and Druid may get some cooler abilities in the future!</p>



<p>In the meantime, you can also check out what&#8217;s new in <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Season 9 for Diablo 4</a>!</p>


Diablo 4 Players Jealous of Diablo Immortal’s Cool New Druid


<p><span style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px">Diablo 4&#8217;s 9th season, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/massive-season-9-sins-of-the-horardrim-patch-notes/">Sins of the Horadrim</a>, brings a new endgame mode in the form of <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/how-to-escalate-nightmares-face-astaroth-in-diablo-4-season-9/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Escalating Nightmares</a>, which focuses on improving and adding to the overall quality of life for Nightmare Dungeons.</span> One of the many new additions to <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/nightmare-dungeon-tier-list/">Nightmare Dungeons</a> is bringing in new affixes to help keep your runs interesting and rewarding.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">New Nightmare Dungeon Affixes</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Diablo4-Nightmare-Horadric-Reserves-Affix.png" alt="" class="wp-image 79640"/></figure>



<p>While there are both harmful and beneficial Nightmare Dungeon Affixes, season 9 is surprisingly only adding beneficial ones. Here is what to expect:</p>



<ul>
<li><strong>Horadric Reserves</strong>
<ul>
<li>Spawns in loot chests with specialized rewards.</li>



<li>Rewards: Gem Fragments, Gold, Obols, Seasonal Currency, and Resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><strong>Equipment Delve</strong>
<ul>
<li>Spawns collectible items that upgrade a cache of equipment when acquired.</li>



<li>Rewards: Weapons, Jewelry, and Armor.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><strong>Power Shrines</strong>
<ul>
<li>Spawns in additional shrines of the specified type:<br>Artillery, Blast Wave, Channeling, Lethal, and Protection Shrines.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><strong>Miscellaneous</strong>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/horadric-strongrooms/">Horadric Strongroom</a>: Guaranteed Horadric Strongroom.</li>



<li>Treasure Breach: Treasure Goblins will invade the dungeon.</li>



<li>Forgotten Wisdom: Experience will have a chance to spawn on kill, and an experience well will spawn somewhere in the dungeon.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<p>Most new Diablo 4 seasons add some new mechanics, powers, or seasonal items. Out of the bunch of new things added, there are always a few that stick around permanently, and all of the previously listed Nightmare Dungeon Affixes will be permanent additions to both Seasonal and Eternal Realms.</p>


Season 9 Buffs Nightmare Dungeons With New Permanent Affixes


<p><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo IV</a> players had a lot to say after the latest Campfire livestream, and the devs are listening. </p>



<p>Following a wave of community disappointment over the last broadcast, Adam Fletcher (@PezRadar), Diablo IV&#8217;s community lead, took to X/Twitter to reassure everyone that big changes are in the works, even if they are not ready to show them just yet.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I live. To drop off cakes.<br><br>But really, I know I haven&#39;t been present as much. I have a lot more items behind the scenes I&#39;m managing, BUT within those are big plans.<br><br>Just know, that your warcries of wanting more change aren&#39;t going unnoticed. The team has been cooking on some… <a href="https://t.co/GtQOD8icXC">pic.twitter.com/GtQOD8icXC</a></p>&mdash; Adam Fletcher (@PezRadar) <a href="https://twitter.com/PezRadar/status/1938720086338216264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>&#8220;<em>Just know, that your warcries of wanting more change aren&#8217;t going unnoticed,&#8221;<br></em>he wrote<em>.</em>&#8220;<em>The team has been cooking on some of the biggest changes that really hit home on things people have been asking for, and more</em>.&#8221;</p>



<p>Adam also admitted he has been less present lately, due to handling a lot behind the scenes, but emphasized that within that work are important plans for Diablo IV&#8217;s future. This only hints at big things coming, most likely with next expansion!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Immunity Phases Are on the List</h2>



<p>One player in the replies asked about a long-standing frustration: the immunity phases on bosses like <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/uber-andariel-boss-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Andariel</a>, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/uber-duriel-boss-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Duriel</a>, and Mephisto&#8217;s &#8220;dog&#8221; phase.</p>



<p>&#8220;<em>Remove immunity phases… for the love of Lilith</em>,&#8221; wrote one user.<br>Adam simply replied: &#8220;<em>There are plans to fix this up</em>.&#8221;</p>



<p>It is not a full roadmap yet, but it&#8217;s a clear sign that the devs are aware of the points that are bothering players and that changes are coming! Not just minor tuning, but significant overhauls that could redefine the current gameplay.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is Next for Diablo IV?</h2>



<p>While specifics were not given, Adam&#8217;s message leaves hope that Blizzard is listening closely and making changes that go beyond seasonal updates or quick fixes. With Season 9 right around the corner, players are now waiting to see what these &#8220;biggest changes&#8221; will look like.</p>


Diablo IV Hints at Big Changes After Player Frustration


<p>A few days ago, Blizzard has released a new <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo IV</a> lore video titled &#8220;Apotheosis&#8221;, and it is one of the darkest video of the world of Sanctuary yet. Narrated by Donan himself, the video goes deep into what happened after the fall of <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/astaroth-boss-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astaroth</a>, and it raises serious concerns for the future of the Horadrim.</p>



<p>You can watch the full video here:</p>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Diablo Lore | Sins of the Horadrim | Apotheosis" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3wxbLHKgfqI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Archangel Is Gone &#8211; And So Is Unity</h2>



<p>Donan&#8217;s message opens with a clear and heavy truth: Tyrael is still missing. Once the guiding hand behind the Horadrim, his absence has left the order fractured, uncertain, and leaderless. Without his wisdom and strength, their ability to resist the forces of Hell is failing.</p>



<p>This isn&#8217;t just a small detail, it is a turning point. Without Tyrael, doubt spreads. Decisions become harder. And when evil is this close, hesitation can be deadly.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Donan&#8217;s Last Stand &#8211; Hope in the Dark</h2>



<p>Even with the Horadrim divided, Donan does not give up. After the brutal battle against Astaroth, he turns to one last hope: the forbidden research of Zoltun Kulle. Buried beneath the sands of Kehjistan, Kulle&#8217;s secret workshop hides dark knowledge, and even darker horrors.</p>



<p>Despite resistance from his peers, Donan uses what he learns to create a new Soulstone, sealing Astaroth&#8217;s evil within it. But this victory comes at a cost: Donan sacrifices himself in the process.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Greater Evil Still Waits</h2>



<p>Though Astaroth has been defeated, the war is far from over. Donan&#8217;s tale warns of a greater threat still rising: even worse demons are on the horizon.</p>



<p>His final words are a call to action, urging both the Cathedral of Light and all who still fight to prepare for what&#8217;s coming next in Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim.</p>



<p>Apotheosis sets the tone for what&#8217;s ahead in Diablo IV. A Sanctuary without Tyrael, Soulstones forged in secrecy, and a hidden evil that has yet to rise.</p>



<p>The question now is not just &#8220;Where is Tyrael?&#8221;<br>It is &#8220;Can we survive without him?&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Future of the Horadrim</h2>



<p>A big part of the next expansion might be Tyrael being missing. Perhaps focused around the high heavens or finally some more lore about the archangels, especially Tyrael. Will he come back? With a holy class rumored for next expansion, it would make sense for Tyrael to come back into the light at the same time. For now, the future of the Horadrim is still blurry, but we might get the answers soon!</p>


Tyrael Has Vanished: Who Will Lead the Horadrim Now?

Massive Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim Patch Notes: Additional Class Changes Detailed


<p>During the last Season 9 Campfire Chat, Blizzard announced a massive nerf to Overpower, as it was present in all the most powerful builds for a few seasons. The nerf was a big 80% reduction to the additive damage buff from health and Fortify amount. In today&#8217;s second Sins of the Horadrim Campfire Chat, that nerf has been increased even further! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Overpowered No More</h2>



<p>The 80% was not enough to curb the usage of Overpower, and so Blizzard have decided to remove the health and fortification factor entirely. That&#8217;s right, Overpower is now a simple 50% extra damage when it happens. Your health and Fortify amount will not affect it anymore. </p>



<p>This is definitely a big nerf to the affix, so we&#8217;ll see if it&#8217;s still present in the top builds. It&#8217;s still just extra damage if you can get it going, but don&#8217;t forget, the actual amounts of bonus Overpower damage on items were also decreased. They will be closer to the Critical Hit Damage amounts, instead of their current very high values. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Changes?</h2>



<p>The first nerf was very much for the PTR to see how it goes. However, the season starts in a few days, so it seems this one is here to stay. At least until the first seasonal patches. Here&#8217;s the final version from the patch notes:</p>



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        <ul>
<li>Removed the inherent additive damage portion of Overpower that was based on your Life and Fortify amounts.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p><strong>Developer’s Note: </strong><em>On the PTR, we tested an 80% reduction in these additive damage values, but still found Overpower based builds to be overperforming other options due in part to this inherent bonus. Overpower will now only grant up to a 50%[x] damage increase when it triggers, similar to Critical Strikes. However, Overpowers are still intended to be a rarer occurrence than Critical Strikes, relying primarily on guaranteed sources. As a result, balancing of Overpower damage sources are typically higher than similar ones for Critical Strikes.</em></p></blockquote>
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</div>



<p>Here&#8217;s the section from the Campfire Chat itself:</p>



<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://player.twitch.tv/?video=2497457157&#038;time=1h7m54s&#038;autoplay=false&#038;parent=www.icy-veins.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" height="378" width="620"></iframe>


Overpower Is Dead? Diablo 4 Just Hit It With Another Massive Nerf


<p>The latest developer live stream talks about the upcoming Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim, launching on July 1.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stream Highlights</h2>



<ul>
<li>Blizzard just showed the Season 9 infographic on stream, which covers all the features players can expect in the latest update.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/3UNRNUX4N7AA1750286727044.jpg" alt=""/></figure>



<ul>
<li>The devs are now talking about the story content in Season 9. We won&#8217;t be covering that here, as we don&#8217;t want to go into spoilers.</li>



<li>The devs explained how <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/horadric-strongrooms/">Horadric Strongrooms</a> will work. </li>



<li>When you finish a Horadric Strongroom, you will receive an Escalation Sigil. This is going to spawna series of dungeons that you can complete one after the other.</li>



<li>There are new affixes, e.g. Forgotten Wisdom spawns XP wells across the dungeon.</li>



<li>Blizzard now explains how <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/horadric-spells-guide/">Horadric Spellcraft</a> will work in Season 9: 
<ul>
<li>Horadric Spellcraft lets you build one custom spell by combining three parts, a <strong>Catalyst</strong> (the core spell), <strong>Infusion</strong> (changes the elemental damage type and adds effects), and <strong>Arcana</strong> (up to 3 modifiers, adding buffs, cc, executes, etc.).</li>



<li>Once you slot in the Catalyst, an Infusion, and up to 3 Arcana, you can link it to a skill on your Action Bar, the Horadric effect will trigger when the bound skill is used and the spell is off cooldown.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><strong>Horadric Jewels</strong> are powerful gems to augment your Horadric Spellcraft. They are learned from Horadric Tomes found in Strongrooms. They are crafted with Horadric Phials and Gem Fragments.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PTR Learnings</h2>



<p>Now comes the most important part of the stream. Blizzard is going over what they&#8217;ve changed ahead of Season 9 based on community feedback and Season 9 PTR testing!</p>



<ul>
<li>The vast majority of improvements can be found in the <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/updated-season-9-patch-2-3-0-notes/">updated Season 9 notes</a>.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Horadric Strongrooms</h2>



<ul>
<li>Horadric Strongroom UI was not clear enough, so they&#8217;ve improved it.</li>



<li>A pit-style death penalty was added to Horadric Strongrooms.</li>



<li>Additional ambushes were added.</li>



<li>The boss will spawn right when you hit max Attunement.</li>



<li>They&#8217;ve added a buff you can carry over to the Escalating Nightmare Dungeon that follows after the Horadric Strongroom.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Escalating Nightmare Dungeons</h2>



<ul>
<li>They updated their difficulty/tuning</li>



<li>They created a bunch new negative affixes.</li>



<li>The Escalating Sigil now has a beam and its own art.</li>



<li>A pre-Torment version of the Escalating Sigil has been added. It won&#8217;t feature the Astaroth fight, though, that&#8217;s reserved for Torment difficulties.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Balance Changes</h2>



<ul>
<li>On high level, there are some broader issues that affect all classes in Season 9. As a result, they&#8217;re implementing Basic Skill Buffs, Overpower Nerfs, and changes to Key Passives.</li>



<li>Overpower has been nerfed even more based on S9 PTR testing.</li>



<li>They&#8217;ve implemented additional changes for the new Uniques introduced in Season 9.</li>



<li>We will have all the details after the stream in the updated patch notes.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Seasonal Activity Variety</h2>



<ul>
<li>Goals:
<ul>
<li>Elites and Bosses granting Seasonal reputation.</li>



<li>Lair Hoards granting Seasonal Currency.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">System Updates | Legendary Item Drop Updates</h2>



<ul>
<li>Increased quality of item drops.</li>



<li>Lair Boss Unique drop quality</li>



<li>Torment progression updates.</li>



<li>More details <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/legendary-rune-drop-rates-buffed-in-diablo-4-season-9-more-runes-from-lairs-and-undercity/">here</a>.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">System Updates | Resource Economy</h2>



<ul>
<li>They increased Legendary Rune drops.</li>



<li>Infernal Hordes gem drop quantity changed.</li>



<li>The drop rates for Scroll of Escape increased.</li>
</ul>



<p>Overall, this live stream doesn&#8217;t cover many new items. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Livestream / VoD</h2>



<p>You can watch the stream below.</p>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Diablo IV Developer Update | Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim | July 2025" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yu5PWupL1nU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>


Diablo 4 Season 9 Release Time – When & What to Expect

Diablo 4 Season 9 Release Times

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