The Diablo 4 Season 16 PTR (patch 3.3.0) opens on PC today, October 27 at 10:00 a.m. PDT (17:00 UTC), and runs until November 3 at 10:00 a.m. PST (18:00 UTC). Blizzard is using it to test the biggest shake-up to War Plans since the system arrived: a new Tactics tree, a respec currency called Marks of Wisdom, a seasonal tree named Tyrael’s Boons, plus new Horadric Items and a two-Reaper lair boss.
Season 16 itself has no launch date yet.
Table of Contents
Diablo 4 Season 16 PTR at a glance
| Detail | What Blizzard says |
|---|---|
| Patch | 3.3.0 PTR, build #74145 |
| Opens | Oct 27, 10:00 a.m. PDT (17:00 UTC) |
| Closes | Nov 3, 10:00 a.m. PST (18:00 UTC; US clocks change on Nov 1) |
| Platform | PC only (Battle.net, including PC Game Pass via the Xbox app) |
| Characters | New test characters only; make a Seasonal one to test seasonal features |
| Season 16 launch | Not announced |
How to join the Diablo 4 PTR
- Open the Battle.net app and select Diablo IV.
- In the game version drop-down above the Play button, choose Public Test Realm.
- Click Install; when it turns into Play, log in and pick any test server.
- Create a new character. Pick Seasonal if you want to try Tyrael’s Boons or the Horadric Items.
PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate members launch Battle.net from the Xbox app and follow the same steps. The PTR vendor Mrak, next to the main Waypoint in major cities, hands out boosts including level 70, Paragon 200, all Torment tiers, maxed War Plans and Tyrael’s Boons, and seasonal Horadric Items.
War Plans Tactics lets you spend points to make Greater Helltides and other activities appear more often. Image: Blizzard Entertainment
What’s new in War Plans
War Plans Tactics is a meta progression tree for both Eternal and Seasonal realms. Completing War Plans activities earns points that you spend on nodes to make preferred content appear more often. Each activity node takes up to 3 points, and putting at least 1 into Helltides or Nightmare Dungeons unlocks a choice to boost Greater Helltides or Escalation Dungeons. Reward nodes (up to 3 points each) cover Armor, Weapons, Jewelry, Obducite, Salvage, Gems, Gold, Activity Keys, Horadric Cube Materials and Talisman Items.
Marks of Wisdom are a new currency earned by turning in completed War Plans. They replace gold for respeccing nodes in Tactics and the activity trees, and are capped at 20 on the PTR.
Tyrael’s Boons: the new seasonal tree
From Season 16, each season gets its own War Plans tree. Tyrael’s Boons is open to every Seasonal player, and Blizzard says the Lord of Hatred expansion is not required. You can earn up to 132 points, enough for 4 of the 6 selections across four paths:
- Curious Addition: better Purveyor of Curiosities odds, including a pricier option with higher Ancestral chances.
- Merchant of Mystery: a new Torment-difficulty merchant selling caches for Forgotten Souls.
- Scent of Gold: more gold, experience, Cube materials, Gem Fragments and Legendary chances.
- Trash for Treasure: cheaper Alchemist transmutes, more Obducite and Scrolls of Restoration, and a new Greater Temper Cube recipe that turns a Tempered Affix into a Greater Affix for 30 Scrolls of Restoration and 1,000 Obducite.
Refunding a Boons point costs 5,000,000 gold. Seasonal Blessings stay, but become a fixed set of the same five each season.
Tyrael's Boons is the new season-specific War Plans tree, open to all Seasonal players. Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Horadric Items, the Dual Reaper boss and class changes
Horadric Items are Legendaries tied to Talisman sets. Horadric jewelry adds 1 to a set’s piece count, so a single charm can trigger a 2-piece bonus; Horadric armor and weapons add effects once you have at least a 2-piece bonus. In the lair boss rotation, the Fractured Reaper joins the Corrupted Reaper from Season of Death Awakening as a combined fight. Infernal Hordes, the Pit and Lair Boss activities are also being reworked.
The 3.3.0 PTR patch notes touch every class. Highlights:
- Druid: skills no longer pick up Nature Magic or Shapeshifting tags from upgrades, cutting down tag stacking.
- Paladin: Aura Potency now scales with Skill Ranks, with some Aura Potency sources reduced to compensate.
- Barbarian: Double Swing damage doubles from 75% to 150% per swing.
- Necromancer: Blood Orbs heal 10% of Maximum Life (down from 15%) but now also heal Minions.
- World: Helltides start on the hour in base-game zones and at the half hour in expansion zones; mounts are faster by default.
If you’re coming back for the new season, our Diablo 4 beginner’s guide, Diablo 4 class tier list and Legendary crafting guide cover the basics.
What’s next
Blizzard says some features from the Season of Hell’s Legacy will carry into Season 16 but are left out of this PTR, with details promised next week. Feedback goes through the in-game Report a Bug menu (Esc) or the PTR forums, and Blizzard will tune the season from those reports before launch.
Sources: Blizzard Entertainment, “The 3.3.0 PTR: What You Need to Know” (incl. patch notes #74145); GameSpot. Checked Oct 27, 2026, 02:50 UTC.
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Featured image: Blizzard Entertainment
