Blizzard Quote [source]
The battle for Sanctuary just got an influx of new players since the Nintendo Switch got its own version of Diablo III that is why some questions need to be answered for the newcomers.
For console and PC players, there is a wealth of game knowledge at their disposal, which is great. So, on top of posting helpful tips on social media, the Diablo III team will be blogging as well to share helpful information to connect these groups of people.
Useful tips from seasoned pros from the Diablo community will be featured on a weekly basis. Drop a comment on Twitter or share your views in the comments section below if you have something helpful new players should know. New topics will be covered every week, so if you can't contribute to the current topic, don't worry about it.
If you have any additions, now is your chance for the community to see them.!
Tip #1: Set, Legendary, Rare, Magic and Common are the five types of items in Diablo III. The mostThe most powerful items on the list are Set and Legendary, which need identification before use.
Question: What do new players need to know about hunting?
Question: What are some useful item hunting tips for new players?
Tip #2: Don't forget you can customise specific gear pieces using Artisans you find in each town hub.
Question: What are your crafting tips for new players?
Blizzard Quote [source]
Announcement: Diablo III Patch 2.6.4 Update Now Available in the USA
A fix for the 2.6.4 Patch is now available for players in the Americas. Next time you login, you'll be prompted to download the patch and install.
Quality of Live Changes
In this version of the patch there are some important Quality of Live changes that have been added by popular request. Most of these updates have centered around clearer signals for Primal Legendary drops.
There are now 10 additional Armory tabs, 5 more than previously.
Legendary Potions are now indicated in the action bar and can be activated by right-clicking on the icon, whereas previously they were stored in the player inventory.
Great Rift Keystones are now kept in the Materials tab. Any existing Keystones have been automatically been moved from your inventory and stash for you.
Primal Legendaries are now more clearly marked, flagged by a red beam when they drop. They are now shown by a red pentagram icon on the mini-map and they also have a red border and updated background on their icons.
Greater Rifts Philosophy
The feedback Blizzard received was that the play during the course of a Greater Rift, where you had to micro-manage Paragon points, wasn't really engaging gameplay. At the same time, it wasn't really consistent with the other requirements for entering the Greater Rift.
Also, the following changes to matchmaking are aimed as making it easier for players to locate groups for Greater Rifts as previously the window between Greater Rifts is usually too small;
Paragon Points can't be swapped when a Greater Rift is active
Players can now be aligned with public games when a Greater Rift is open
Players who join this way won't be allowed to enter the Active Rift, but players already inside it will be allowed to continue with no additional difficulty scaling until the run is over.
Season of Grandeur
The Buff for the Season of Grandeur has been put into place
The Buff gives Seasonal players the legendary power from the Ring of Royal Grandeur and doesn't stack with an additional Ring of Royal Grandeur (whether or equipped or in Kanai's Cube).
Unlike prior Seasonal Buffs, this one won't apply to Non-Seasonal players.
When you finish a Greater Rift level 70 solo for the 1st time in a Season, a Primal Legendary is guaranteed to drop from the Rift Guardian
Class Set Changes Philosophy
If we were to sum up this fix, Blizzard are fine-tuning all class sets to improve diversity at higher level (70 and above) rifts.
Most of these parameters have been adjusted based on your feedback and our own observations.
Keep the feedback coming!!!!
Here are the details of the changes;
All Classes
Legacy of Nightmares
The (2) Set bonus has been increased from 100% to 750%
Barbarian
The Legacy of Raekor
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 2800% to 5500%
Immortal King's Call
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 1500% to 4000%
Might of the Earth
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 5600% to 20000%
Wrath of the Wastes
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 3000% to 10000%
Crusader
Thorns of the Invoker
The (2) Set bonus has been increased from 140% to 350%
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 5400% to 15000%
Roland's Legacy
The (4) Set bonus has been increased from 3300% to 13000%
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 50% increased Attack Speed to 75%
Seeker of the Light
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 2000% Blessed Hammer damage to 12000%
Demon Hunter
Embodiment of the Maruader
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 3000% to 12000%
Unhallowed Essence
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 100% to 350%
Natalya's Vengeance
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 3500% to 14000%
The Shadow's Mantle
The (2) Set bonus has been increased from 1200% to 6000%
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 50000% to 75000%
Monk
Uliana's Strategem
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 2100% to 9000%
Inna's Mantra
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 150% to 750%
Monkey King's Garb
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 1000% to 1500%
Raiment of a Thousand Storms
The (2) Set bonus has been increased from 100% to 400%
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 13000% Dashing Strike damage to 60000%
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 1300% Spirit Generator damage to 6000%
Necromancer
Trag'Oul's Avatar
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 3300% to 3800%
Witch Doctor
Spirit of Arachyr
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 4500% to 9000%
Helltooth Harness
The (2) Set bonus has been increased from 1500% to 3000%
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 4400% to 9000%
Raiment of the Jade Harvester
The (2) Set bonus has been increased from 560 seconds to 3500 seconds
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 1650 seconds to 10000 seconds
Zunimassa's Haunt
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 5500% to 15000%
Wizard
Tal Rasha's Elements
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 750% to 2000%
Delsere's Magnum Opus
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 3800% to 8500%
Vyr's Amazing Arcana
The (6) Set bonus has been increased from 50% bonus damage to 100%
Blizzard Quote [source]
The battle for Sanctuary just got a whole batch of new warriors, thanks to the launch of Diablo III Eternal Collection for the Nintendo Switch. There is an abundance of adventure, exploration and loot waiting for Switch players, whether they are gaming while on the move or in the comfort of their own homes. But the hunt cannot be a true hunt if there are no glorious riches to be gained at the end. Enter the amiibo Loot Goblins, which are a bunch of cute and treasure-filled demons that roam around in The Vault, and they are ready to take over your home and heart.
How Does the Goblin Work?
Want to search for an amiibo? You need to first get to an amiibo portal and open it. Your stash will be automatically gifted with an amiibo Portal item the will help. When the item is activated in your inventory, a Rainbow Portal will open.
You will be transported to The Vault when you scan the amiibo Loot Goblin, which causes the Rainbow Portal to become a shiny golden portal. The Vault is the realm were these treasure-laden goblins live, along with Greed, their mysterious Baroness.
You can scan for amiibos in the outskirts of town as well, which will reveal the Champion pack of foes, a tough bunch of demons with better treasure and special powers.
You can scan for each amiibo once a day, meaning you must take advantage of portal to The Vault, the extra challenges and loot very frequently!
Wondering Where You Can Get One?
You can only find the amiibo Treasure Goblin on GameStop. You can purchase it by going to a store near you or logging onto their website and placing an order.
Blizzard Quote [source]
The Darkening of Tristram Returns January 3!
On top of the upcoming event, the Darkening of Tristram, the anniversary of Diablo is almost upon us! The Blizzard team is going to bring back the days when Diablo was a fresh face in the gaming world and pay it is a nice homage. So it doesn't matter if you are a seasoned veteran looking for a dose of nostalgia or a newbie who wants to know how it all started - everyone will have a blast!
If you want more details, keep reading to find out more about the unique rewards you can unlock in the new and exciting anniversary dungeon.
Thwart the Cultists' Plans
A mysterious cult is wreaking havoc in Sanctuary, and the adventure will begin with you hot on their trail. Eventually, as you take down them down bit by bit and unlock clues, you will come across a time portal that will transport you to Tristram's past. It is a past where you will come face to face with a darkness that has enslaved the town for so long. . . .
Discover What Lies Within the Cathedral
As you unlock more clues, you will come across a cathedral in the RetroVision&tm; realm that seems too familiar. In the cathedral, there are legendary items to collect and familiar foes to vanquish, which have all been resurrected by the engine that powers Diablo III. If you dare venture into the catacombs, you will run into the Dark Lord reincarnated, as he waits to do battle with the bravest of adventurers. . . .
Find Valuable Loot
It wouldn't be a Diablo game if there was no new loot to covert for yourself. You can unlock pets, portraits, achievements, transmogrification effects and other anniversary-specific loot by completing various activities.
If you want to get the best of the best, you will have to explore every nook and cranny - don't worry, some loot it easier to get than others. Will you be able to collect all of it? Well, you will get to find out!
The Journey Has Begun
There are challenging foes and exclusive awards waiting for you, and they won't be for long! Since 4 PM PST on the 31st of December, the cultist have been showing up all over, and on the same hour on the 3rd of January, 2019, the portal was opened. Each event will end at 4 PM PST on the 31st of January, 2019.
Can you survive the evil within the dungeon while collecting precious loot or will you succumb to the forces of darkness and disappear forever? It's time to find out!
Blizzard Quote [source]
Season 16: The Season of Grandeur Begins
Today January 18th 2019 marks the start of Season 16 - the season of Grandeur
Season 16 marks the release of the latest Diablo III Patch (patch 2.6.4)and starts January 18 and accompanies our latest Diablo III patch. Here we've highlighted key features in this patch to get you off to the best possible start.
Season 16 offers some unique features that may never be repeated. Throughout Season of 16 all players will benefit from the legendary power of the Rings of Royal Grandeur. It doesn't matter if they are fitted directly on your character or via the Jewelry Slot in Kanai's Cube, you don't need to hunt for, or kit out the item to gain the benefit from it Set bonus-enabling potential.
For newbies amongst you, during Season 16, many classes will have the choice of being able to fuse different Class set bonuses in novel ways or cram another Legendary power into their favorite builds.
Season 16 will be unique also because it will empower Theorycrafter to tinker and optimise their favorite build to push it to the max.
New Cosmetic Rewards
The Season Grandeur will also see the introduction of new cosmetic rewards, that you can achieve and you move through the season Journey.
Players will be able to gain a brand-new set of p0rtrait frames that are based on a theme on the call of Adventure, as well as the helm and Shoulder slots of the exclusive Conqueror Set. As you can see in the image, this patch offers a set of wings fit ofr a King or Queen. Drawing inspiration from some of the noblest creatures in Sanctuary, the Wings of Lempo are as beautiful as any you will see.
Season 16 Rewards
If you've reached the level of Conqueror over the last few seasons, you've no doubt gained some extra stash tabs already. In Season 16 though, players who haven't yet earned four stash tabs will still be able to free an extra tab by completing the following tasks at the Conqueror level;
- Guardian of Sanctuary: Complete a level 70 Nephalem Rift on Torment XIII within 5 minutes
- Gem of My Life: Level 3 Legendary Gems to level 55
- All I Do IS Win: Finish 2 Conquests this Season
- In for The Kill: Kill Azmodan at level 70 in under 30 seconds on Torment XIII difficulty
- Money Ain't a Thang: Slay Greed on Torment XIII difficulty
- Take U There: Reach Greater Rift level 60 Solo
- Power Amplification: Use Kanai's Cube to augment an Ancient Legendary item with a level 50+ gem
- Cubic Reconfiguration: Use Kanai's Cube to reforge a Legendary item
Seasonal Conquests
The Seasonal Conquest rot/ation doesn't stop in Season 16. For the blitz quick amongst you, Speed Demon/need for Speed require the quickest nephalem to finish a Nephalem Rift at level 70 on Torment X or above in less than 2 mins. On a Good Day? I Can't Stop helps you to progress with your Legendary Gem; with level III Legendary Gems to 65 to succeed in this challenge. For the most ferocious demon killers , Boss Mode/World's Apart is a speed challenge where you'll have to vanquish the following bosses at level 70 and Torment X in less than 20 mins: The Skeleton King The Butcher Zoltun Kulle Ghom Cydaea Rakanoth Diablo Adria Queen Araneae Maghda Belial Siegebreaker Assault Beast Azmodan Izual Urzael Malthael That's a tough challenge! For Curses!/Stars Align, pick any Cursed Chest event that requires killing monsters and defeat over 350 or more at level 70 on Torment X or higher. Finally, Years of War/Dynasty demonstrates your mastery of multiple classes by clearing a Greater Rift level 55 solo with the full bonuses of any 6 full Class sets.
Haedrig's Gift
Also in Season 16 we rotated the Class Sets you can win for completing key chapters courtesy of Haedrig's Gift (see below). For people who are new to the concept of Seasons, we have the following guide:
Finishing Chapters 2 3 & 4 of the Season Journey will earn you 3 of Haedrig's Gifts. Each of these Gifts has a few pieces from one of your Class Sets. Players will only be able to unlock one Class Set in this way in a Season across Hardcore and Non-Hardcore so be sure to pick wisely. Thse are the sets that will be gifted by Haedrig's Gift in the Season of Grandeur:
Barbarian - Immortal King's Call
Crusader - Seeker of the Light
Demon Hunter - Natalya's Vengeance
Monk - Uliana's Stratagem
Necromancer - Trag;Oul's Avatar
Witch Doctor - Spirit of Arachyr
Wizard - Vyr's Amazing Arcana
Quality of Life Updates
Blizzard have listened to feedback from players and have worked on two popular requeststo help improve the Diablo III experience. They've made small changes, such as deleting Legendary potions from player inventories to save space.
Blizzard have also made more substantial changes to celebrating end-game loot in Primal Legendaries.
Blizzard have added specially colored beams and a special mini-map icon to highlight when they drop as well as brightening the tooltip and border colorations to make them more noticeable;
Get ready for Season 16 and be sure to let us know if you have any questions or comments.