As of February 3, the Diablo IV Season 12 Public Test Realm (PTR) is officially live. Players can now begin testing the first wave of Season 12 features ahead of the season’s full launch.
It is important to note that this PTR does not represent the complete Season 12 experience. Blizzard has confirmed that additional content will be revealed closer to release, with a major Diablo franchise showcase scheduled immediately after the PTR concludes.
PTR Schedule and Key Dates
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PTR Duration: February 3 – February 10
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Diablo Franchise Showcase: February 11
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Blizzard 35th Anniversary
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Diablo 30th Anniversary
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The close timing between the PTR’s end and the anniversary showcase suggests that further Season 12 announcements may be imminent.
Season 12 Core Feature: Killstreak System
The defining mechanic of Season 12 is a new Killstreak system designed to reward fast, uninterrupted combat across all activities.
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Killstreaks begin by defeating enemies in quick succession
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A visible UI tracks kill count and remaining time
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The timer can be refreshed through:
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Enemy kills
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Direct damage
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Initial applications of damage-over-time effects
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Killstreaks progress through five tiers:
Killstreak → Carnage → Devastation → Bloodbath → Massacre
Rewards are granted when a killstreak ends and scale based on total kills and the highest tier reached. Dying immediately ends the streak with no rewards.
Bloodied Items: New Equipment Modifier
Season 12 introduces Bloodied items, a new item modifier that interacts directly with killstreak progression.
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Bloodied is an additional item tag, not a replacement
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Items can be both Bloodied and Ancestral
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Any item type can roll as Bloodied
Bloodied affixes fall into three categories:
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Rampage (Armor): Scales with killstreak tier
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Feast (Weapons): Scales with total kills during a streak
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Hunger (Jewelry): Improves reward drops based on killstreak tier
This system strongly incentivizes speed, mobility, and sustained combat.
Bloodied Sigils and Enhanced Endgame Difficulty
PTR testing also includes Bloodied Sigils, which apply powerful modifiers to endgame activities:
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Nightmare Dungeons
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Infernal Hordes
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Lair Boss encounters (first-time implementation)
Bloodied Sigil content is expected to be approximately one Torment tier higher in difficulty than standard activities and guarantees Bloodied item rewards upon completion.
New Unique Items Available on the PTR
Season 12 PTR testing introduces a new set of Diablo IV Unique items, designed to support aggressive, high-tempo gameplay and synergize with Killstreak-based systems. These Uniques emphasize momentum, survivability, and scaling power during extended combat.
Blood-Mad Idol
Usable by: All Classes
Permanently grants Berserking, but causes the player to take 200% increased damage as Burning over 8 seconds. While Burning, Berserking grants an additional 75–125% increased damage, creating a high-risk, high-reward playstyle.
Wendigo Brand
Usable by: All Classes
Every 15 kills within the last 30–60 seconds increases damage dealt by 2% and Maximum Health by 1%, directly rewarding sustained kill chains.
Rustbitten Dirk
Usable by: Sorcerer, Druid, Rogue, Necromancer
Deals 50–100% increased damage to isolated enemies, making it especially effective for fast-moving builds that prioritize elite targets.
Wyrdskin
Usable by: All Classes
Attacks apply Vulnerable to Distant enemies and Weakened to Close enemies, while increasing damage dealt to enemies affected by both debuffs.
Thousand-Eye Reaver
Usable by: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Paladin
Moving grants Ferocity, with Maximum Ferocity increased by 1–3. Ferocity also increases Movement Speed by 4–8% per stack, further reinforcing speed-focused gameplay.
Together, these Unique items expand cross-class mechanics and reinforce Season 12’s emphasis on mobility and sustained aggression.
What Remains Unconfirmed
At this time, Blizzard has not confirmed whether the following systems will remain beyond Season 12:
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Killstreak system
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Bloodied items
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Bloodied Sigils
Further clarification is expected during or after the upcoming Diablo franchise showcase.
As Blizzard has stated that additional Season 12 content will be revealed closer to launch, the current PTR should be viewed as an early look rather than a complete preview. More details regarding long-term system permanence and additional features are expected in the coming days. We will continue to update our Diablo IV news section with further Season 12 PTR coverage as more information becomes available.
