Diablo IV Season of Slaughter launches March 11; early download March 9

Players who want to be The Butcher will be able to transform when Diablo IV’s Season of Slaughter goes live March 11 at 10:00 AM PT, Blizzard says, and Patch 2.6.0 will be available for early download on March 9 at 10:00 AM PT on Battle.net, Xbox, and PlayStation. Blizzard’s season marketing frames the hook in stark terms: "A twisted experiment awakens irresistible dark urges, along with the lingering, putrid odor of Fresh Meat. The Season of Slaughter arrives March 11 at 10 a.m. PST, granting you the power to transform into The Butcher, a force only partially under your control. Feed your hunger with Kill Streaks as you rampage through activities to claim Uniques and Bloodied Items that push your power to brutal new heights."

The season’s headline mechanic pairs with a new Killstreak system that rewards clearing groups of monsters in a single uninterrupted run. PCGamesN’s breakdown lists five named tiers—Killstreak, Carnage, Devastation, Bloodbath, and Massacre—and notes that a streak begins to deplete as soon as it starts, that you must maintain uptime to maximize benefits, and that dying ends the streak and voids its rewards. When a streak ends normally, players receive experience and season reputation scaled to monsters slain, with a final-tier bonus for the largest streaks.

Season of Slaughter brings Bloodied Items and fresh Uniques, and a seasonal questline titled "A Taste of Power" begins on the Seasonal Realm at Gea Kul to walk players into the Butcher transformation. The season also includes Reliquary reward tracks, Season Rank rewards, and Twitch Drops, with the IGN guide calling out new Reliquaries tied to event currency and cosmetics.

A high-profile DOOM collaboration, DOOM: The Dark Ages, runs starting March 11 at 10:00 AM. Defeating Elites and Champion monsters will drop Dark Ages Currency redeemable in the DOOM Reliquary, and collecting all Reliquary rewards automatically unlocks the Forsaken Gates Town Portal. Lair Bosses have a chance to drop DOOM chests that can contain existing Uniques with DOOM Crucible transmogs. Cosmetic highlights include the Shield Saw, Slayer’s Flail, Head of the Cyberdemon back trophy, and larger bundles such as Doom Slayer armor, Dragon Serrat cat mount skin, and the Cacodemon pet. Doom Slayer armor, the Dragon Serrat mount skin, and the Cacodemon pet become purchasable in the in-game store on March 12 at 12:00 PM PT, and the shop will also hand out some free emblems.

Blizzard’s patch notes for 2.6.0 accompany broader system work: a "most comprehensive" Monster Combat overhaul, Item Journey reworks, and system updates to Defense, Health, and Renown including new stats like Toughness and Physical Damage Resistance and potions and Fortify reworks. The studio thanked PTR participants, writing, "Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2.6.0 Public Test Realm (PTR). We’ve included feedback from the PTR throughout this article. Additional changes made since the PTR’s conclusion are highlighted in blue." Full 2.6.0 notes are available from Blizzard for the technical specifics.

PCGamesN had earlier framed a possible March 10 start based on Season 11 ending March 10 and Diablo IV’s usual cadence, but Blizzard’s official timing is March 11 at 10:00 AM PT. Players on Battle.net, Xbox, PlayStation and Steam should grab the March 9, 10:00 AM PT early download if they want to be ready for the season opener and the Paladin free trial that runs March 11 to March 18 up to Level 25.