I’ve been trying to figure out how the whole seasonal system in Diablo 4 works, but I’m a bit lost. When I start the game or create a character, it talks about playing in the current “season” and mentions seasonal content. I read on Blizzard’s FAQ that at the end of a season, character progression transfers to the “eternal realm,” but certain seasonal features disappear. So I’m confused: does that mean I have to start over with a new character every season? Or can I keep playing my current character and finish the main story? Also, do I lose all the cool cosmetics or items I grind for during the season? What exactly is the eternal realm? Is it like an offline archive or a separate server? Finally, when does the current season end, and is it even worth chasing the seasonal rewards if they might become unusable? This is all pretty new to me since I usually prefer solo offline games and enjoyed Diablo 3 that way.
5 Answers
Seasons usually last 2-3 months and come with their own stories, battle passes, and unique content. When a season ends, some content might become permanent (like certain enemies or loot), but seasonal characters and gear move to the eternal realm, which is basically just the standard game with no seasonal changes. New seasons mean starting fresh, but your eternal characters stick around until you decide to delete them. So your seasonal progress isn’t lost, it’s just moved over to a different, non-seasonal mode.
So the eternal realm is basically the normal, non-seasonal part of the game that never resets. Seasonal play is like a fresh experience where you start new characters each season, and there are special items, mechanics, and a smaller contained storyline just for that season. When a season ends, your seasonal characters and their gear get moved over to the eternal realm, which means you keep them but lose access to seasonal-only features and powers. Eternal realm characters don’t get seasonal stuff, but you can keep playing them indefinitely until you delete them. Also, you can only access seasonal content after finishing or skipping the main campaign, so don’t worry about mixing those up while playing the story.
Your seasonal characters do move over to the eternal realm once the season wraps up. The eternal realm is where all non-seasonal or past-season characters live until you delete them. This current season runs until the 29th, so that’s how long you have to unlock seasonal outfits like the dark masquerade set. After that, the seasonal campaign and special season powers (like witchcraft skills and gems) disappear, but anything you’ve earned can still be used on your characters right away once unlocked, even your new seasonal ones. The main game campaigns and expansions remain available forever, just the seasonal stuff resets. It can be a bit annoying if you like the seasonal powers, but it also means every season brings fresh new stuff to try out.
You won’t lose any cosmetics you’ve unlocked. They’ll always be available at the customization spot in town. The current season ends around April 28th. The eternal realm is just the regular game without any seasonal content, so witchcraft powers, occult gems, and other season-specific stuff won’t be there. If you start a seasonal character but don’t finish the campaign during the season, you’ll have to redo the campaign next season unless they’ve added the skip feature for you. Basically, after the season ends, your seasonal chars get ported to the eternal realm, where they hang out until you delete them (there’s a character cap that forces deletions eventually). It can feel rough hitting the reset every few months, but it also keeps things fresh and challenging. Just make sure to finish the campaign this season if you want to keep progress there.
Thanks for explaining all that! I think I’m realizing this style of game just isn’t my thing. I prefer games like No Man’s Sky, where progress and items stay with my one main character permanently. I like feeling the payoff from long-term play rather than resets and limited-time stuff. I’ll finish the campaign this season and probably take a break from Diablo 4 after that.
Blizzard’s explanation isn’t the clearest, but here’s the gist: Eternal is a separate online server where characters and gear that aren’t season-only get moved after a season ends. Your seasonal characters don’t get deleted immediately; you can keep playing the campaign and using them in the eternal realm without the seasonal stuff. When a new season starts, everyone starts fresh with new seasonal characters. Cosmetics and unlocks stay with your account forever, so you don’t lose those. Also, once you’ve beaten the campaign, new characters can skip it if you want to jump straight into seasonal or eternal endgame stuff. Basically, the eternal realm is an ongoing, separate mode without seasonal content, but still online and populated.
Yeah, that part bums me out. I was really into the witch powers and wanted to collect them all, but now it sounds like I have to rush through or lose out. Wish they’d keep seasonal rewards persistent like in No Man’s Sky, where you can permanently add expedition rewards to your main save.