Diablo 4 lets you become the Butcher in an experimental mini-season

With a little over a month before Diablo 4's second expansion, Lord of Hatred, arrives on April 28, Blizzard is testing changes to the game's seasonal format. The Season of Slaughter begins on March 11 and centers on racking up long killstreaks and, ultimately, transforming into a demon.

Killing monsters in the open world will drop a currency you can cash in to become the Butcher, unlocking a new set of abilities. Playing as the Butcher should make it easier to clear enemies and sustain the season's powers by maintaining killstreaks. The season also introduces mechanics that alter difficulty and rewards.

Players build killstreaks to activate buffs on special "Bloodied" items—boosts such as movement speed, cooldown reduction, and higher chances for specific drops—and new "Bloodied Sigils" raise dungeon and boss difficulty above the usual limits. Season of Slaughter kicks off with a week-long event that lets players try a paladin for free without pre-ordering Lord of Hatred.

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