Diablo Immortal is bringing players back to the very origins of the Diablo saga–beneath the sacred Tristram Cathedral.
In the original 1996 Diablo, adventurers delved into the depths of the dungeon beneath Tristram Cathedral to confront the formidable Lord of Terror, encountering legendary adversaries such as the Butcher. The latest update for Blizzard’s mobile action role-playing game, known as Dark Rebirth, will transport players back to this iconic location–a place that has also appeared in Diablo II and Diablo III–to investigate recent disturbances.
Fresh from terrorizing players in Diablo IV, the Butcher will make his debut in Diablo Immortal with the arrival of the update on September 20, once again haunting the corridors of the dungeon beneath Tristram Cathedral. However, the Butcher will not be alone. Accompanying him will be a new breed of abominations known as the Shardborne. These creatures have been corrupted by the shattered Worldstone, transforming into zombie-like monsters that combine bloodthirsty savagery with a pulsating crimson rock. To embark on the new Tristram storyline, players must have completed the main quest of the Ancients’ Cradle and reached Hell Difficulty III.
For those seeking a more competitive experience, the update will introduce a new PvP mode called Alley of Blood. This mode draws inspiration from popular all-random-all-middle (ARAM) game modes found in various multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs). In Alley of Blood, players engage in a relentless battle down a single lane, testing their endurance against an opposing team while overcoming defensive structures like towers, ultimately aiming to destroy the enemy team’s base. Players can choose from four distinct roles and acquire new abilities to aid them in combat. For instance, those who opt for the Siege role can summon mighty siege minions and turrets to weaken enemy defenses, while those focused on eliminating the opposing team should select the Focus role, which can afflict enemy players with curses that render them more susceptible to attacks.
Alley of Blood will serve as the new format for the game’s clan vs. clan Shadow Wars. However, casual players interested in familiarizing themselves with the mode will have the opportunity to do so from September 21 to October 5, during which a 4v4 version of the mode will be available. In this limited-time version, players will be on equal footing, with Legendary gear set to level 1 and Legendary gems set to level 10. Bonuses from features like Resonance, the Helliquary, Paragon points, and other sources of player power will be disabled, granting newcomers a fair chance against seasoned veterans.
The Dark Rebirth update will also introduce a battle pass centered around the Butcher, three new Legendary gems, multiple time-limited events, new modifiers for Elder Rifts, adjustments to the level requirements for post-launch story quests and zones, and more. For a comprehensive list of changes, please refer to Blizzard’s official news article.
Diablo Immortal’s previous major update introduced the Blood Knight, marking the first new character class in the franchise in nearly a decade. In other Diablo-related news, Diablo IV will receive annual expansions, while the upcoming second season, titled Season of Blood, will empower players with vampiric abilities to gain an edge over the denizens of Sanctuary.
