A chill descends from the frozen depths of the mountains in Midwinter Blight, giving the Diablo IV team the chance to get into the holiday spirit… and try something new.
From December 12 to January 2, cull savage Blightfiends and defend yourself from the Red-Cloaked Horror as your try to preserve any semblance of hope for the denizens of the Fractured Peaks. Midwinter Blight is our first limited-time event in Diablo IV, bringing something special to Sanctuary.
Chance to Experiment
In Diablo IV, players can enter Sanctuary through either the Seasonal or the Eternal realm. The Eternal realm is where evergreen challenges and core gameplay endures in Sanctuary. Many sweeping changes to the game affect and influence this world state.
Our Seasonal realm is where we introduce new Seasonal content, such as Midwinter Blight. The Seasonal realm gives us a chance to tinker and introduce new and exciting types of gameplay. Since the majority of seasonal specific gameplay doesn’t persist once the season is over—save for mechanics we may re-introduce in interesting ways—it gives us a broader reign to try new things without affecting the Eternal realm.
And now introducing: limited-time events. Similar to the Seasonal realm, these Events typically only affect a specific region for a much shorter duration of time relative to Seasons. This gives us even more free room to tinker and try new things.
The Magic of the Holidays in Midwinter Blight
Midwinter Blight introduces Gileon the bard, sadistic Blightfiends, macabre Frigid Husks, and the diabolical monstrous Goat fiend known as the Red-Cloaked Horror. These colorful and frightening aspects of Sanctuary only persist until the end of Midwinter Blight.
A Midwinter Blight gameplay-specific wrinkle lies in the Aspect of Dawn. This offensive Aspect is exclusive to the limited-time event; it increases your attack and movement speed for 12 seconds, and when empowered by the Midwinter Ward, reduces its cooldown by 1 second for every demon slain.
Additionally, the special Gileon’s Brew Elixir provides an additional XP boost (10% more than typical Elixirs) and works across Sanctuary, not just in the Fractured Peaks. These unique elements provide an extra boon to players…perhaps even a little magic of the Holidays?
Despite Gileon’s Brew and the Aspect of Dawn persisting past Midwinter Blight’s end, they have specific mechanics that rely on the location and gameplay elements in this limited-time event.
Demons Just Want to Have Fun
While content like Abattoir of Zir is directed at the most intense of Diablo IV fans, limited-time events are available for players looking to explore Sanctuary for the first time and try something new. The overall gameplay loop is tighter, you can come away with some sweet cosmetics, and it’s not meant to be nearly as trying as a Level 100 Nightmare Dungeon.
Midwinter Blight arrives at a time in Season of Blood where players may be chasing after Uber Uniques or trying their hand at the Echo of Lilith. By scouring the land for Frigid Husks to dismantle and Blightfiends to slay, chasing after some holiday exclusives should be a great way to enjoy the season.
The Holidays are meant to be enjoyed, and what better way to do it than restoring the Hibernal Square in Kyovashad. We’ll share a flagon of Gileon’s Brew in Midwinter Square soon. Happy slaying!