Will Diablo 4 Reset With Season 1? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer is no, Diablo 4 will not fully reset with Season 1. Your existing progress isn’t wiped out, but rather, it transitions to a new gameplay space, and a new seasonal character journey begins. This can be a little confusing, so let’s unpack what this means for you as a Diablo 4 player. Understanding what carries over, what is reset, and the implications for your characters is crucial as Season 1 approaches.
Understanding the Eternal Realm and Seasonal Realms
Diablo 4 operates on two distinct realms: the Eternal Realm and the Seasonal Realm.
The Eternal Realm
Think of the Eternal Realm as the home for your pre-season characters. All the progress you made before Season 1, including your characters, items, and various achievements, will reside here. Nothing will be lost or changed about these characters. You can continue playing them exactly as you have been, and they will even receive any new legendary or unique items that are introduced in the seasonal updates.
The Seasonal Realm
The Seasonal Realm is where the main action for the new season takes place. This is where you’ll create a new seasonal character to experience the fresh content, seasonal mechanics, and challenges. This realm is temporary, designed for each unique season. Once a season ends, any character on that realm will transition to the Eternal Realm.
What Does Carry Over From Pre-Season?
While your characters don’t carry over to the Seasonal Realm, certain key progress elements do:
- Altars of Lilith: Any stats boosts you gained by discovering Altars of Lilith will be retained across your entire account, meaning your new seasonal character benefits from these permanent bonuses.
- World Map Exploration: The areas of the map that you have unveiled, which reveals waypoints, and are tracked account-wide, remain revealed in your seasonal realm.
- Town Waypoints: While you will still need to activate them within the season, the game will acknowledge which waypoints you have already discovered, saving time on your travels.
- Renown Levels: Only the renown that you gain from the map exploration and Lilith Altars will be available across characters, not all tiers.
What Doesn’t Carry Over and What Resets?
Here’s what you will need to redo for the new seasonal experience:
- Characters: Your pre-season characters stay on the Eternal Realm and cannot be used in the Season. You must create a new seasonal character to participate in the season.
- Character Level and Gear: Your character level, gear, and inventory on the Eternal Realm are not transferred to seasonal characters. Every seasonal character starts at level 1.
- Paragon Points: Paragon points and the associated Paragon Board are specific to each character and do not carry over. These will need to be re-earned on your new seasonal character.
- All Renown Except Map Reveal and Altars: Only the renown from revealing the map and collecting Altars will carry over. All other renown progress will need to be re-earned in the new season.
Why Start a New Character in the Season?
You might be wondering why you have to create a new character for the season, rather than using your existing powerful one. There are several reasons for this:
- Seasonal Mechanics: Seasons introduce a new mechanic that dramatically alters gameplay. These mechanics aren’t applied to the Eternal Realm, making a new character essential to experiencing it.
- Fresh Start: Creating a new character creates an even playing field for all players, allowing everyone to compete in the seasonal challenges.
- New Items and Content: Seasonal content, including new legendary items and uniques, is designed to be enjoyed with a new character, encouraging exploration and progression.
Preparing For Diablo 4 Season 1
To ensure your progress carries over correctly, you need to log into Diablo 4 with your most progressed character before the season begins. This step allows the game to accurately save your account-wide progression.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do I have to make a new character in Diablo 4 season 1?
Yes, to fully enjoy the Season 1 content, including the battle pass, you must create a new seasonal character.
2. What happens to my pre-season character when Season 1 starts?
Your pre-season characters are transferred to the Eternal Realm, where they remain playable. Nothing changes about them.
3. Can I play my seasonal character after the season ends?
Yes, after a season ends, your seasonal character is transferred to the Eternal Realm, along with all their items.
4. Do Paragon levels carry over to new seasonal characters?
No, Paragon levels do not carry over between characters. They are unique to each character.
5. Does renown reset in Diablo 4 season 1?
Most of your renown does reset. The only renown that carries over is that gained from uncovering the world map and collecting Altars of Lilith.
6. Will my Altars of Lilith progress be reset in Diablo 4 season 1?
No, the progress from Altars of Lilith is account-wide and will not be reset.
7. Do waypoints reset in Diablo 4 season 1?
No, you will be able to see the waypoints you have unlocked, but will still need to manually unlock them in the new season, saving you some travel time.
8. What happens to my gear after a season ends?
Your gear goes with your seasonal character to the Eternal Realm after the season ends.
9. Can I play with my friends who are not playing the season?
No, Seasonal characters cannot play with Eternal Realm characters, and vice versa. If you want to play together, you all must be on the same realm.
10. What is the point of seasons in Diablo 4?
Seasons are designed to provide a fresh and unique gameplay experience, featuring new seasonal mechanics, challenges, and content. You can experience these aspects leveling a new character.
11. Do I have to log into Diablo 4 before Season 1 to carry over progress?
Yes, to carry over map progress and altars of Lilith discovered, you need to log into Diablo 4 with the character that has the most progression before Season 1 starts.
12. Is it possible to reset progress in Diablo 4?
No, you cannot fully reset your progress within the same account. If you want a fresh start with no previously earned map exploration, altars and renown, you would need a new Battle.net account.
13. Should I skip the campaign in Diablo 4 Season 1?
If you are more interested in reaching the end-game and accessing the seasonal content as quickly as possible, you should absolutely skip the campaign in Season 1 if you have already completed it.
14. What is the best class to play in Diablo 4 Season 1?
The best class is subjective, but the Rogue is often considered one of the strongest due to its versatility, while the Sorcerer remains very popular, and the Barbarian, though harder to play, is viable. The ‘best’ class often depends on the player’s playstyle preference.
15. How does season character progression work in the long term?
Seasonal characters level, gear, and complete all objectives within the season. Once the season ends, their progress and items are transferred to the Eternal Realm, and they are available for play there, but are not eligible for seasonal content until a new season begins.
Conclusion
While Diablo 4’s Season 1 doesn’t involve a full reset, it’s important to understand what carries over and what doesn’t. By understanding the Eternal and Seasonal Realms, the need for a new seasonal character, and the importance of logging in before Season 1 starts, you can prepare for a smooth and enjoyable transition into the new seasonal content. Happy hunting in Sanctuary!