Diablo 4 will let you transform into its most fearsome demon, the Butcher, in an experimental mini season before Lord of Hatred drops is currently attracting attention in the technology world.
Experts believe this development may influence how digital platforms evolve
over the coming years.
The topic has already sparked discussions among developers, analysts,
and industry observers who are closely monitoring how the situation unfolds.
The Season of Slaughter is also bringing back killstreaks from Diablo 3.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most significant stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you’re going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O’clock experts.
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what’s on the horizon.
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo’s new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered.
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
With a little over a month before Diablo 4’s second expansion, Lord of Hatred, comes out, Blizzard seems to be experimenting a little with the game’s usual seasonal format. The next season, which starts on March 11, will focus on slaying hundreds of demons in a row and eventually becoming a demon yourself.
You won’t become just any demon though. Kill enough monsters quickly enough and you’ll transform into the Butcher, Mr. Fresh Meat himself, with a whole new set of abilities. The Season of Slaughter will introduce a unique open world event where killing monsters will drop a currency you can cash in to become the Butcher.
Diablo 4 may have changed a lot over the years, but it still has the most absurdly grotesque names you can think of, so you won’t be surprised to learn that monsters drop “Meaty Offerings” that need to be turned into a “Shrine of Slaughter” to enter Butcher mode. Blizzard hasn’t said what kind of skills you’ll get to play with when you’re a Butcher, but there’s no way it won’t involve hooking enemies into you and chopping them up with your cleavers.
The Butcher event will only show up in regions taken over by the enhanced Helltide monsters. Unfortunately, this means you won’t be able to fight the Butcher as the Butcher because he can only ambush you inside dungeons. It will be possible to fight against another player who has turned into a Butcher in the PvP areas. A unique version of the event where repeated kills turn you into the Butcher will spawn in them, giving you an actual reason to visit these normally empty zones.
Playing as the Butcher will presumably make it much easier to mow through enemies and activate the season’s unique powers by maintaining a killstreak. For the duration of the season, you’ll build up a killstreak as you slay monsters and activate unique buffs on special “Bloodied” items. These can give you things like movement speed, cooldown reduction, and a higher chance to drop specific items.
With the Lord of Hatred expansion coming out so soon, I was ready to put Diablo 4 on hold for a bit, but the amount of bizarre stuff Blizzard has packed into this season has me excited to at least try it out. I feel like it’s intentionally playing with some ideas that might show up again looking ahead, like the new “Bloodied Sigils” that essentially increase the difficulty of dungeons and bosses higher than you can normally go. It’s a great time to experiment with some new ideas before the expansion drops on April 28.
The Season of Slaughter begins on March 11 and will kick off with a week-long event where you can play a paladin for free without having Lord of Hatred pre-ordered.
Keep up to date with the most significant stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Tyler has covered videogames and PC hardware for 15 years. He regularly spends time playing and reporting on games like Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Overwatch 2, and Final Fantasy 14. While his specialty is in action RPGs and MMOs, he’s driven to cover all sorts of games whether they’re broken, beautiful, or bizarre.
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Why This Matters
This development highlights the rapid pace of innovation in the technology sector.
Companies are constantly pushing boundaries in order to stay competitive.
Analysts suggest that such changes could influence future product design,
user expectations, and industry standards.
Looking Ahead
As technology continues to evolve, developments like this may shape the next
generation of digital services and consumer experiences.
Industry watchers will continue to monitor how this story develops and what
impact it may have on the broader technology landscape.