Time: 2025-08-11
New bonds are forged as old enemies arise, reborn and hellbent on untold destruction. On July 1, Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim lets you wield powerful Horadric Spellcraft and unearth the secrets of the past in a new Seasonal Questline. Unearth and cleanse Blood Relics infused with Astaroth’s corruption to staunch his malevolent return to Sanctuary. This update also brings permanent updates to Nightmare Dungeons for both Seasonal and Eternal Realms, including new Horadric Strongroom micro-dungeons, endgame Escalating Nightmares, and new Nightmare Dungeon affixes.
All bonds that hold strong are eternally subject to the entropy of the universe; they crack and fragment, eventually unleashing whatever horrors lay within. Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim takes you to Cerrigar, where you’ll meet the Druid Bryona. Bryona must contend with decisions made by Donan—the Horadric Mage responsible for sealing away Astaroth upon his defeat—that now threaten to once again endanger her home and her people.
It’s your task to discover and purge the blood relics influenced with Astaroth’s blood before they fall into demonic hands.
To begin the The Embers Yet Smolder questline, find Bryona in Cerrigar, northwest of the Waypoint. You must have also completed Diablo IV’s base game campaign and created a new character on the Seasonal Realm.
During the Seasonal Questline, you’ll discover the secret to unlocking Horadric Strongrooms and delve further into these archives of this once sacred order. You’ll also gain access to the Horadric Focus in Cerrigar. This powerful device of the Horadrim is where you can check your Seasonal Reputation (Horadric Knowledge) and earn rewards from the Seasonal Reputation Track.
Horadric Knowledge can be earned on the Seasonal Realm by slaying Mummified Horadrim in Strongrooms, Elite Enemies and Bosses. Note that Lair Bosses also grant Horadric Knowlege, but you must unlock their respective Hoard upon their defeat to claim it.
Horadric Phials can be earned in Nightmare Dungeons, Nightmare Escalations, Horadric Strongrooms, and Lair Boss Horde Chests. These Phials can be used in exchange for Horadric Knowledge at the Lapidary, and to craft Horadric Jewels.
This Questline also grants you access to the Horadric Wayfinder, which allows you to find Horadric Strongrooms hidden within Nightmare Dungeons.
The secrets of the Horadrim are buried throughout the world, laid plain for those who know not only how to look, but how to see as well. Unearthing secrets which have long since been locked away may reveal ghastly horrors, but can also grant untold power to those bold enough to seek them.
Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim introduces a new way to interact with your powers, granting access to powerful Spellcrafting abilities to create incredible new combinations. Through three key pillars, Horadric Spells provides novel ways to customize and build power at your fingertips. Link them to your abilities and unleash devastating double attacks tailored to your playstyle.
Three different potent elements combine to create these intense spells: Catalysts, Infusions, and Arcana.
There are numerous possibilities through the different combinations of Catalysts, Infusions and Arcana. To build your Horadric Spell, you can equip a main Catalyst, an Infusion to support, and three Arcana to augment and build your spell. Each element contributes to your overall spell, allowing you to tinker and discover incredible results. This is your chance to really experiment and wield Horadric magic with untold potential.
Completing your arsenal of Horadric Spellcraft is done in a couple different ways. Gain access to Catalysts and Infusions through the Seasonal Questline, while Arcana will be found as a reward from completing Horadric Strongrooms.
The main source of power for your Horadric spell.
Celestial Surge
Astral Magic
Disintegrate
Arcane Magic
Propulsion
Arcane Magic
Cosmic Anomaly
Astral Magic
Astral Pillar
Astral Magic
These incantations imbue your Catalyst with power and magic.
Smoldering Ember
Your Spell Catalyst now deals Fire and or Burning damage.
Nebulous Extract
Your Spell Catalyst now deals Shadow and or Corrupting damage.
Glacial Nimbus
Your Spell Catalyst now deals Cold and or Frostbiting damage.
Corrosive Vapor
Your Spell Catalyst now deals Poison and or Poisoning damage.
Thunderous Particle
Your Spell Catalyst now deals Lightning and or Sparking damage.
Equip up to three different Arcana to modify your Catalyst in many ways.
Magic
Tendrilous Bundle
Tranquil Stone
Shifting Powder
Luminous Gem
Murky Essence
Invigorating Helix
Bottled Wind
Jagged Bramble
Reactive Ooze
Volatile Crystal
Rare
Gleaming Conduit
Fractured Core
Sapping Crux
Potent Alloy
Sharpening Gizmo
Legendary
Floaty Bobble
Nightmare Orb
Frigid Heart
Pressurized Steam
Bloody Charm
Known for their incredible ability as Mages, the Horadrim possess the ability to refine stone into powerful artifacts to aid them in their quest.
Upon reaching Torment I, Horadric Tomes can appear as rewards from completed Strongrooms. Horadric Tomes are consumable items that give you the ability to craft socketable Horadric Jewels at the Horadric Lapidary. These powerful gems grant a variety of alluring powers and effects, from empowering your Horadric Spell, making enemies explode with elemental damage, and more.
Head to the Horadric Lapdiary in Cerrigar to craft Horadric Jewels once you’ve learned the secrets to their making through Horadric Tomes. The first Horadric Tome can be earned from the Horadric Knowledge Seasonal Reputation board.
Horadric Jewels can be crafted using Horadric Phials, Gem Fragments, and can be socketed in Amulets and both Ring slots.
Following the PTR, we have added an entirely new Horadric Jewel to earn:
Willbreaker
Physical damage you deal shatters enemies' spirits, causing them to take 40%[x] more Physical damage for 6 seconds. This effect applies when first damaging a Boss or Elite, or when they are affected by Crowd Control.
Developer’s Note: As this season offers extensive options for elemental character builds, we wanted to introduce this new Horadric Jewel so physical builds have something to chase as well.
The following Horadric Jewels are available:
Seal of Control
While you have two or more Arcana from the School of Control equipped, gain 45%[+] Control Duration and 30%[+] Lucky Hit Chance.
Seal of Power
While you have two or more Arcana from the School of Power equipped, gain 25%[+] Movement Speed and 15%[+] Critical Strike Chance.
Seal of Denial
While you have two or more Arcana from the School of Denial equipped, gain 30%[x] more Barrier, Fortify and Thorns.
Horadric Crest
For each Arcana from a unique School you have equipped, gain 5%[+] Damage Reduction and 1%[+] Maximum Resistance to All Elements.
Reverie Horn
Reverie Horn
After you injure or kill an enemy, your Summons are empowered, growing larger and dealing 50%[x] 30%[x] more damage for 4 seconds.
Scornful Light
You deal 20%[x] and take 10%[x] more Elemental damage.
Tyrant Bane
After you deal damage over time to an enemy, they take 0.33%[x] more damage over time from you forever.
Liminal Echo
If you would take fatal damage, instead prevent that damage, invoke Propulsion, and become Invulnerable for 3 seconds. This can only occur once every 75 seconds.
Note: This Horadric Jewel no longer drops when playing in Hardcore.
Developer’s Note: It’s important to us as Developers to maintain the integrity and spirit of Hardcore. We welcome any feedback regarding what that means to the community!
Idol From Below
You gain 6%[x] primary stat, 6%[x] 8%[x] maximum life and you are always Unhindered. However, you will be hunted in Sanctuary's darkest places by Jewel Guardians who were entombed to protect this relic. Jewel Guardians generated by Idol from Below can no longer appear in Training Grounds or after a Dungeon’s objective has been completed. They now also spawn at specific intervals as opposed to two random times.
Myriad Stone
After you cast your Catalytic Skill, if it is an Ultimate, gain 30%[+] Attack Speed for 10 seconds.
Spark of Creation
After you cast your Catalytic Skill, gain 5 10 Primary Resource.
Luminate Eye
Your Catalytic Skill gains 25%[+] Cooldown Reduction.
Brilliant Sigil
Your Infusions are 150%[x] more potent.
Elemental Brand
Your Catalytic Skill deals 33% damage of your Infusion's element over 3 seconds. Lucky Hit: Dealing damage of your Infusion's element has up to a 33% chance to trigger its secondary effect.
The Starflux
Your Catalysts deal 100%[x] more damage. However, you lose control over Horadric Spellcraft, causing your Catalysts to inherit Infusions randomly.
Hidden deep within Nightmare Dungeons, members of this once revered order left obscured Horadric Relics powered by the blood of a great enemy far away from the unworthy. Such Horadric Relics are protected within Strongrooms, revealed to only those who have the wisdom and courage to unveil their awesome potential.
Found within Nightmare Dungeons, Horadric Strongrooms are potent micro-dungeons that hold powerful rewards and new fearsome mummified enemies, delve into these rare Horadric tombs and fight your way out. Slay demons and satiate Horadric Pillars within to bolster your ability to earn Horadric Attunement, which is used in exchange for illustrious rewards upon emerging triumphant.
Obtained through the Seasonal Questline, use your Horadric Wayfinder to isolate these repositories of Horadric knowledge. But beware, for there are unyielding mummified entities that will attempt to take your life in exchange for disturbing their unending sleep. Once the Strongroom is unsealed, there will only be a limited amount of time to complete the Strongroom before the Horadric Relics are sealed away again forever.
There are a couple of ways to improve your chances of finding Horadric Strongrooms within Nightmare Dungeons. The first is by increasing your difficulty level or Torment Tier. The second, and more potent method, is to find and use a Nightmare Dungeon Sigil with an affix that guarantees a Horadric Strongroom will appear.
Once you’ve entered a Nightmare Dungeon, follow the distinct flash emanating from your Horadric Wayfinder that will lead you to a Horadric Gateway. Once you locate the Gateway, activating it will trigger monsters to ambush your location. Defeat them, and a Horadric Portal will materialize to teleport you into the safeguarded Strongroom.
Once you’ve stepped into the musty, iron-tinged confines of the Strongroom, you’ll have a few decisions to make.
Initiate the Horadric Artifact Pillar and slay the enemies to complete the initial ritual. Once completed, you’ll be presented with a selection of Horadric Statues that augment the Strongroom. Some of these Statues have held the bonds of their original intent, while others have been corrupted by Astaroth’s influence and pose significant danger with vastly increased rewards.
You’ll need to invoke these Horadric Statues to influence your Strongroom, so choose wisely. The number of Statues you need to select and have available to choose from will increase once you reach Torment Tiers.
Within the Strongroom, you’ll have 100 seconds to ramp up the carnage and earn as much Horadric Attunement possible. Stay near the Pillars to satisfy their base needs, and keep in mind the specific Horadric Pillars selected prior to the run to maximize your Horadric Attunement. These Pillar Rituals can be completed in any order, and these Rituals now complete more quickly with a larger radius to kill within.
Upon Completing each Pillar Ritual, all monster kills will grant +2 increased Horadric Attunement for 15 seconds. Tread carefully, for any deaths will remove time from your Strongroom run.
Locate Sacrifice Shrines within the Strongroom to aid your fight, which spawns an ambush on your location. When the time runs out in the Strongroom, you’ll need to fight one of the several potential bosses that can spawn to leave the Strongroom with your Attunement in-hand. If you manage to max out your Horadric Attunement during your run, you’ll go directly to the boss.
On defeating the final boss, you’ll have the option to select a Grand Horadric cache which scales its rewards based off the amount of Horadric Attunement earned within the Strongroom, earning you powerful rewards such as Obducite. On leaving the Strongroom, you’ll also be given one of the following buffs for completing the Strongroom, which will last until the end of your Nightmare Dungeon. Check to see which one you’ve earned by checking the active buffs above your Action bar.
Experience
You gain increased Experience from Monster Kills.
Reputation
You gain increased Horadric Favor from Monster Kills.
Obducite
You gain increased Obducite from Monster Kills in this dungeon.
Gold
You find 25% more gold.
Horadric Phials
Monsters in this dungeon can drop Horadric Phials.
Nightmares have a way of seeping into the marrow of your mind, sinking you deeper into the gaping despair of their hold. In Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim, a new endgame challenge beckons you to descend further into the depths of agony for the ultimate test.
Escalating Nightmares are a new endgame activity that throws you into a chain of three Nightmare dungeons. The nightmares escalate as you go through each Dungeon, as each Nightmare Dungeons affix stacks onto the next Dungeons as you continue through in Torment Tiers. As the difficulty increases, so do the rewards. Manage to fight your way through all three in Torment Tiers, and waiting for you at the end is a date with the Exalted version of Astaroth himself.
To start an Escalating Nightmare, you’ll first need an Escalation Sigil which can be obtained as a reward from the Horadric Knowledge Seasonal Reputation track, or through Horadric caches granted from Strongrooms starting in Torment I. Activating this dungeon sigil grants you access to the first Nightmare Dungeon in the chain.
On completion of the first Nightmare Dungeon in the Escalation, a Horadric Portal will spawn which displays the affix information for the next dungeon. In Pre-Torment difficulty tiers, completing the last dungeon will finish the Nightmare Escalation.
The heat becomes far more intense if you dare to enter an Escalating Nightmare in Torment Tiers. When you enter through each Nightmare Dungeon the monster difficulty scales, increasing the difficulty the further you slay through. Additionally, the affixes of the previously completed Nightmare Dungeons stack, leading you to a final Nightmare Dungeon that contains the affixes of all previous Nightmare Dungeons.
If you start the Escalating Nightmare in Torment I or above, on completion of the third sequential Nightmare Dungeon you’ll finally be transported to Exalted Astaroth’s Lair.
“He called out for you…wept until his tears became fire.” – Astaroth, Diablo IV, Act II
A familiar face awaits you at the end of your Nightmare Escalation.
Face Astaroth and the monstrous Amalgam with a new, challenging twist. As the battle unfolds, Astaroth will shed his mount, splitting into two terrifying bosses. Maneuver and learn their new deadly combos to defeat Astaroth. This Astaroth Boss fight can be potentially modified through certain Nightmare Dungeon affixes, which dial up the heat on his attacks.
If you slay the Amalgam before Astaroth, the hound of Hell goes into a resurrection state but can’t be fully slayed while his Master still lives. After a brief time, the Amalgam will recover and rise to rejoin the fight. Slaying these two be a test of your mettle on the battlefield, fear this acolyte of Mephisto and the destructive power he wields.
Defeating Astaroth has a rare chance to drop a Horadric Jewel, slay the Charred Duke himself to try and earn one of these powerful tools.
The Dungeons of Sanctuary often sit idle, allowing the monstrous forces within to slowly mutate, changing slowly to provide new horrors to slay through. In Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim, we are shaking up Nightmare Dungeons in several ways that affect Sanctuary permanently beyond this Season.
To confirm what is permanent to the game on July 1, here is a breakdown.
Permanent to both Seasonal and Eternal Realms
Exclusive to Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim
You can now activate Nightmare Sigils from within Nightmare Dungeons once the dungeon is complete. You no longer need to exit the dungeon to enter a new Nightmare Dungeon. There is no escape! If you prefer.
In addition to Strongrooms and Escalating Nightmares, a new set of affixes have been added to Nightmare Dungeons to make them more rewarding. Each basic Nightmare Sigil will now include a positive affix from this refreshed and expanded pool of positive affixes.
Affix Types
Horadric Reserves
Equipment Delve
Power Shrines
Miscellaneous
New powerful Unique Items enter the fray to amplify your ability to dispatch demons at fabled speed.
Hooves of the Mountain God (Unique Boots):
Affixes:
Unique Power:
Rotting Lightbringer (Unique Two-Handed Weapon):
Affixes:
Unique Powers:
The Hand of Naz (Unique Gloves):
Affixes:
Unique Powers:
Deathmask of Nirmitruq (Unique Helm):
Affixes:
Unique Power:
You can now overexert yourself while Casting Flurry, spending 8% 10% life when you don't have enough Energy. Spending life to Cast Flurry increases its damage by 50-70% 30-50% and your Attack Speed by 50% for 5 seconds.
Ophidian Iris (Unique Amulet):
Affixes:
Unique Power:
Balazan's Maxtlatl (Unique Pants):
Affixes:
Unique Powers:
There is an increased chance to find these Unique items at the following boss locations:
The Beast in Ice
Varshan
Andariel
Duriel
Urivar
Harbinger of Hatred
This Season brings an all-new Battle Pass Reliquary and several Premium Battle Pass Reliquaries to sink your teeth into.
The Sins of the Horadrim Battle Pass Reliquary—available to all—offers resplendent rewards such as the Eventine Mount, Nightslayer’s Barding Mount Armor, and the Door of the Iron Demon Town Portal.
Purchase the Premium Battle Pass Bundle 1,000 Platinum for quick access to all 3 Premium Reliquaries which includes the Weapons, Beasts, and Armor Reliquaries. Remember, this Bundle will no longer be available if you purchase any of the Premium Reliquaries individually.
Chains that bind can also look devilishly sinister, especially as a set of wings. Purchase the Chains of the Iron Demon wings and more when you purchase the Deluxe Battle Pass for 2,800 Platinum. This bundle includes:
*Other Reliquary items must be unlocked using Favor Tokens.
As you cleanse Sanctuary’s soil with the constant flow of demon blood, you’ll earn rewards from the Season Journey.
Progress through to earn rewards befitting a defender of Sanctuary, such as a Resplendent Spark. Completing Chapter 6 of the Season Journey will reward you with Dante the Dog as a Pet to use in-game. His barks match his hellish bite, you’d do well to keep this wanderer’s best friend by your side.
Remember that you do not need to complete all objectives in each Chapter of the Season Journey to earn the rewards.
Within the Season Journey, you’ll have the ability to unlock Season Blessings and Smoldering Ashes. Smoldering Ashes can be earned as Chapter Rewards for completing objectives in the Season Journey. Once you’ve earned Ashes, they can be spent on these Seasonal Blessings:
A chill has descended on the Shop with new Equipment, Armor, Accessories, Mounts, and Mount Armor bundles that will have you slaying in style. Starting on July 1 at 12 p.m. PDT, visit Tejal to browse her wares—remember to check back often, as she’ll update her stock throughout Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim.
One such rarefied find from the far reaches of Sanctuary is the Azul Prestige Pet Bundle, which contains the Azul Pet, Azul’s Crest Mount Trophy, and His Slyness Emblem. This can be purchased from Tejal’s Shop for 2,500 Platinum.
The battle for Sanctuary accelerates, NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation Native Support coming in Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim.
DLSS Frame Generation and NVIDIA Reflex was available for Diablo IV on launch, giving you the ability to max out frame rates and reduce PC latency, for a faster, more responsive demon slaying experience. Last year, Sanctuary was updated with ray-traced effects, making your glorious adventures more dynamic and spectacular.
On July 1, 2.3.0 will add native support for the performance multiplying DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, a feature previously enabled in the NVIDIA app.
We hope you can enjoy these new visual improvements when carving through Hellspawn in Diablo IV!