For the past few years, I’ve been hacking, slashing, looting, and min-maxing my way through Diablo IV, and now, six seasons in, I feel like I’ve earned the right to sit back (for about five minutes) and reflect on the journey so far. The seasonal model has kept things fresh, occasionally chaotic, and sometimes outright hilarious, but overall? It’s been a bloody good time. That said, not all seasons are created equal. While I’ve enjoyed every single one, two stand head and shoulders above the rest: Season 2 and Season 6. Let’s talk about why.

Season 1: The Malignant Debut (or, ‘Why Is My Inventory Full of This Stuff?’)

Ah, Season 1. The first step into Diablo’s seasonal world. It had a lot of promise, a few teething issues, and an absolute mountain of Malignant Hearts clogging up my inventory. The core idea was solid—powerful, socketable hearts that granted unique abilities. The problem? Managing them was a logistical nightmare. Trying to figure out which heart worked with which item was like assembling IKEA furniture without instructions, except the pieces kept multiplying.

That said, combat felt pretty good, and the added power spikes from Malignant Hearts meant some absolutely ridiculous builds were possible. Sure, it was a little messy, but it set the stage for what was to come.

Now, as a first season, most of us were expecting a few blips. I don’t think you can judge a game like D4 based on the first few months. A lot of these big games nowadays take a moment to settle, for player feedback to filter through to the devs and writers. So, all in all, I enjoyed it and was excited to see how it would develop through following seasons.

Season 2: The Blood Season (or, ‘Finally, Some Damn Good Vampires’)

Now we’re talking. For me, Season of Blood was when Diablo IV really hit its stride. The theme was fantastic—vampires, blood powers, and enough crimson-soaked chaos to make even the most jaded Diablo veteran cackle with glee.

The new vampiric abilities were genuinely fun to use, adding an extra layer of strategy to builds. Unlike the Malignant Hearts of Season 1, these felt intuitive and impactful, letting players lean into powerful, blood-fueled rampages. Plus, the addition of quality-of-life improvements—like better inventory management and faster levelling—made the game feel smoother all around. It was a turning point for the game, and I found myself completely hooked.

Season 2 proved that seasonal mechanics could be both engaging and easy to grasp, setting the bar high for what was to come.

Season 3: The Arcane Construct Fiasco (or, ‘Hey, Where’s My Pet?’)

Look, I appreciate the effort to do something different, but Season of the Construct didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The idea was sound: a customisable arcane construct to fight alongside you, a little companion to tinker with and upgrade. The execution? Clunky at best.

Balancing around the construct felt odd, and instead of enhancing my character, it often felt like I was babysitting a particularly stubborn Roomba. The season wasn’t bad—no Diablo IV season is outright bad—but it lacked the punch of Season 2, and in turn, I didn’t put a lot of thought or energy into my little construct buddy.

Plus, the dungeon mechanics and new enemies were interesting, but they didn’t keep me as engaged as previous content.

Season 4: Loot Reborn (or, ‘Now We’re Talking, Finally!’)

Season 4 felt like the developers took every bit of feedback from the previous seasons and went, “Right, let’s fix all of this.” And fix it they did. Itemisation got a massive overhaul, loot became more meaningful, and reforging gear gave players a lot more agency over their builds. For the first time, grinding for the perfect item felt rewarding rather than frustrating.

This season set a new standard for Diablo IV’s endgame, making loot hunting feel truly satisfying. If Season 2 was when the game found its footing, Season 4 was when it truly refined its core systems.

Season 5: Infernal Hordes and a New Groove

The changes leading into Season 5 had me excited, and it delivered. Infernal Hordes added a fantastic new endgame activity, giving players wave-based carnage with proper rewards. By this point, Diablo IV had ironed out so many of its early wrinkles that the experience felt smoother and more dynamic than ever before.

The game’s pacing improved, builds became more flexible, and, crucially, the developers had clearly learned from past seasons. The addition of better stash organisation, improved crafting mechanics, and more diverse endgame activities meant that Season 5 set the perfect stage for what would become my favourite season so far.

Season 6: Peak Diablo (or, ‘This is the One’)

Ah, Vessel of Hatred—now that was a season. If you thought Diablo IV had already hit its peak in terms of bleak storytelling, Vessel of Hatred was here to remind you that things could always get so much worse. This was Diablo at its best—dark, desperate, and full of characters making choices that left you with a deep sense of unease.

After the events of the main campaign, we all knew Neyrelle was on borrowed time. You don’t just walk away from sealing Mephisto inside a soulstone and expect a happy ending. Vessel of Hatred leaned hard into that grim reality. This wasn’t just a story about stopping demons or saving the world—it was about watching someone unravel under the weight of an impossible burden.

Neyrelle’s arc was tragic in the best possible way. The slow erosion of her agency, the creeping influence of Mephisto whispering in her mind, the way she wanted to believe she was still in control when it was obvious to everyone else that she wasn’t. You could see it happening every step of the way, and yet, when it reached its inevitable conclusion, it still hurt.

It’s rare that a Diablo story makes me genuinely sad, but Neyrelle’s descent was just so well done. There was no easy fix, no heroic intervention—just a young woman slipping further and further away, caught in something far bigger than herself. And the worst part? She knew. She knew she was losing, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t just let Mephisto go.

And then there’s the Spiritborn, the new class that arrived with Vessel of Hatred. Diablo IV has always excelled at making each class feel distinct, but the Spiritborn? Easily one of the most unique additions yet. Drawing power from nature and spiritual forces, they weren’t just another warrior or spellcaster—they felt like something different.

Mechanically, they played beautifully but holy heck they were OP. Far too over-tuned. But I guess a new class kind of has to be, to draw in interest. Agile, primal, and deeply connected to the jungle itself, the Spiritborn brought a new rhythm to combat. Where the other classes felt rooted in the traditions of Diablo’s past, the Spiritborn felt like a breath of fresh air—both thematically and mechanically. And did I mention that it was bloody OP? Holy cow.

And let’s not forget their place in the story. While Neyrelle was succumbing to Mephisto’s influence, the Spiritborn were the counterbalance—warriors bound to the land, untouched by the corruption of the Prime Evils. But even they weren’t invulnerable to what was happening. If anything, their struggle only highlighted how deep Mephisto’s influence ran.

Season 6 is, in my opinion, the best Diablo IV has ever been. Everything feels refined, engaging, and—most importantly—fun. The seasonal mechanic adds just the right amount of complexity without overloading players with too many moving parts, and the balance changes have made build diversity the best it’s ever been.

The quality-of-life improvements from the past few seasons have finally culminated in a version of Diablo IV that feels polished, rewarding, and genuinely hard to put down. Levelling feels smoother, loot progression is excellent, and the seasonal content has been an absolute joy to explore. The cherry on top? The game just feels faster. Combat is more responsive, movement is snappier, and dungeon layouts are far less tedious. It’s the perfect blend of everything that came before, without the frustrating missteps of earlier seasons.

Looking Ahead: Season 7 and Taking a Breather

With Season 7, Witchcraft, underway I’ve decided to take a little step back. As much as I love the constant cycle of new content, the pace of a seasonal game can get a bit exhausting. After six back-to-back seasons of demon-slaying, loot-chasing, and build-refining, I needed a bit of a breather.

That doesn’t mean I’m done with Diablo IV—far from it. I’ll be watching from the sidelines, seeing how Season 7 unfolds, and most likely diving back in for Season 8, whatever that may bring. Sometimes, you’ve got to step away from the grind to really appreciate the chaos. So for now, I’ll be keeping my Hellfire at a low simmer—but trust me, I’ll be back soon enough.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a backlog of other games begging for attention.