- Blizzard opens the Public Test Realm (PTR) 3.2.0 from August 4 to 11 as a preview of Season 15.
- The Renaissance function allows you to convert eternal characters into seasonal characters while maintaining their name, appearance, and hours played.
- Soul Shards arrive, socketable items that grant power in exchange for penalties, and unique items from Diablo I, II, and III return.
- Changes are being introduced to Mythic items, Challenge Dungeons, Ambushes, and the Horadric Mail system.
Blizzard has launched the Diablo IV Public Test Realm (PTR) 3.2.0, a preview of what Season 15 will bring. This testing period, which runs from August 4th to 11th, allows PC players to try out the new features before their official release. The company has made it clear that this is a partial preview, as the biggest details will be revealed at BlizzCon in September, where the franchise's 30th anniversary will be celebrated.
Among the features already available for testing is Character Rebirth, one of the most requested additions from the community. Soul Shards, socketable items that offer power in exchange for sacrifices, have also been added, along with the return of classic unique items from previous installments. Everything points to Season 15 being one of the most comprehensive to date, though there are still surprises to be revealed.
Dates, Renaissance and first new features of RPP 3.2.0
The PTR 3.2.0 will be available from August 4 at 19:00 p.m. CEST until August 11 at the same time for all PC users via Battle.net, including PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Blizzard has confirmed that Season 15 will arrive on all platforms (PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S) shortly after BlizzCon, which will be held on September 12 and 13.
The star feature of this PTR is Rebirth, which allows you to convert an eternal character into a seasonal one while retaining their class, name, appearance, and status (normal or heroic). All cosmetic preferences, such as pigments, transmogrifications, mounts, pets, portals, and tombstones, are also preserved. However, items in your equipment or personal inventory are not retained: before activating Rebirth, you must transfer them to the Eternal Stash, or dismantle and salvage equipment in Diablo IV ; otherwise, they will be destroyed. Your accumulated playtime hours are preserved, allowing you to track the time you've dedicated to that hero.
The community's reaction was swift. On forums like Reddit, many players expressed their satisfaction, as Rebirth eliminates the need to create a character from scratch each season . Comments like "this is great for me" or "I've been waiting for this since Season 0" reflect the relief of those who prefer to keep their original hero. Blizzard listened to the requests, and this feature is here to stay.
Soul Splinters, ancient objects, and changes to mythical objects
Another major addition is Soul Shards, a new category of socketable items for jewelry. These gems grant powerful stat boosts in exchange for tactical penalties , such as reduced movement speed or increased damage taken. For example, the Torture Shard increases fire resistance, attack speed, and critical strike chance, but raises the primary resource cost by 30%. Players will be able to upgrade these shards and combine them to suit their playstyle.
In addition, Blizzard has brought back ten unique items from Diablo I, II, and III, adapted to the current system. These include Leoric's Crown, the Bracelets of Vengeance, the Stone of Jordan, and the Ring of Royalty , available to all classes. There are also class-specific items, such as Arioc's Spike for Barbarian, Druid, and Heir of Spirits, and the In-Geom for several melee classes. These items will be obtainable on the PTR and will be part of the Season 15 loot.
Regarding Mythic items, the developers have introduced significant changes. It's now possible to create Mythic items deterministically using the Horadric Cube , guaranteeing that the item retains its properties. You can also use the Jewelcrafter to create random Mythic items for your desired class in exchange for Dazzling Sparks and Runes. The Blacksmith, meanwhile, offers a Mythic stash that generates unique Mythic or Iconic Mythic items. These changes aim to give players more control over their high-level gear.
The PTR also includes other activities such as Challenge Dungeons, which offer open-world portals to face bosses with customizable difficulty , and Ambushes, where a demon hunter attacks the player after a 30-second warning. Additionally, the Horadric Mail system has been added, an inbox for receiving rewards and messages directly to the player's account. All of this, along with Horadric Shipments, aims to provide more variety to the game's content.
With PTR 3.2.0, Blizzard offers a first look at what Diablo IV Season 15 will be like, combining highly requested features like Rebirth with new mechanics such as Soul Shards and the return of classic items. Changes to Mythic items and the addition of Challenge Dungeons and Ambushes promise to refresh the gameplay experience. While most of the surprises are being saved for BlizzCon in September, players can try out these new features until August 11 and contribute their feedback to fine-tune the final release.
