Season of Hell’s Legacy Launches in Diablo IV with Free Steam Trial and New Splinter Mechanics

What changed

Season of Hell’s Legacy is now active in Diablo IV. The update introduces a seasonal questline that tasks players with tracking down echoes of Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto in reimagined locations such as Tristram Cathedral, Arreat Summit, and the Durance of Hate. Defeating these echoes yields three Splinters of Evil, each tied to a Prime Evil. Equipping a splinter grants an Iconic Power that erupts during combat—fire for Diablo, cold for Baal, physical for Mephisto—while also increasing vulnerability to that same evil. Players can earn reputation through specific activities tied to each splinter, unlocking up to eight activity modifiers and six upgrades to the Iconic Power via War Plans. The splinter can be swapped by obtaining another from the largest Waking Nightmares.

Waking Nightmares themselves come in three flavors: multi‑level capstone dungeons that replay historic Prime Evil showdowns and can be run on Torment levels, fixed‑location standard dungeons that revisit classics like the Den of Evil, and spontaneous one‑room open‑world encounters featuring bosses such as Queen Araneae or waves of Flayers.

In addition, the season adds eight new Soul Splinters tied to other demons and artifacts—Anguish (Andariel), Sin (Azmodan), Lies (Belial), Black Soulstone, Pain (Duriel), Mother (Lilith), Hellfire (Na‑Krul), and Damnation (Skarn). These can be slotted into jewelry (up to three at a time) and upgraded via the Horadric Cube’s Amalgamation function, moving from Magic to Rare, Legendary, or Unique tiers.

Finally, War Plans reputation is now shared across eligible alternate characters on the same account. Points earned by one character count toward alts that match in the Eternal/Seasonal, Hardcore/Non‑Hardcore, and Normal/Solo‑Self Found partitions, while each character retains its own allocation planner. Progress from Season 14 carries over to the Eternal realm when the season ends.

Why it matters

The seasonal questline gives both newcomers and veterans a structured way to experience iconic Diablo moments refreshed for Diablo IV’s engine, with tangible rewards like class‑specific gear and anniversary cosmetics marking the franchise’s 30th year. The free Steam trial until September 21 at 10 a.m. PT lets new players test the full game up to level 30 without purchase, lowering the barrier to entry. Splinter mechanics add meaningful risk‑reward choices: gaining powerful periodic damage bursts comes with a corresponding weakness, encouraging players to adapt their builds and switch splinters as they progress. The shared War Plans system addresses a long‑standing request for cross‑character progression, making it easier to experiment with different classes or playstyles while retaining earned reputation. Finally, the variety of Waking Nightmares ensures that players can engage with familiar content at multiple difficulty levels, from quick open‑world surprises to high‑torment capstone challenges, keeping endgame activity fresh.

What to do next

If you haven’t already, launch Diablo IV on Steam and take advantage of the free trial window to create a character and explore the base game up to level 30. Jump into the seasonal questline from the map marker to begin collecting the three Prime Evil splinters and start building reputation in the associated War Plans tracks. Experiment with each splinter’s Iconic Power in combat to see which damage type fits your playstyle, and remember to swap splinters by revisiting the largest Waking Nightmares when you want to change focus. For those interested in the additional Soul Splinters, hunt for drops in the open world or dungeons and use the Horadric Cube’s Amalgamation to upgrade them. Lastly, check your alt characters to confirm they share War Plans points where eligible, and plan your point allocations to try out new builds without losing progress.