Diablo 4's Season of Witchcraft is underway, and with the launch of this new season comes a host of new seasonal powers. After Diablo 4 Season 6 made a splash releasing alongside the Vessel of Hatred expansion, Season 7 needed a way to up the ante for players returning to Sanctuary after completing the DLC. Players who enjoyed Diablo 4 Season 2 are in luck as Season 7's new Witch Powers are very similar to the former's Vampiric Powers but with a new twist.
A Diablo 4 season lives or dies by its seasonal gimmick, and Season 2's Vampiric Powers added just the right amount of variety to become a mainstay for the game even after the season ended. While they are now available via Aspects rather than their original seasonal form, the popularity of the Season 2 mechanic shows that some deserve to stick around even after the season ends. Diablo 4 Season 7's Witch Powers could be another contender for a post-season return as they follow a similar winning formula as Season 2's Vampiric Powers.
Diablo 4: Season of Witchcraft is Checking a Major Feature Off of Fans’ Wish Lists
Diablo 4's Season of Witchcraft brings plenty of exciting content, and a long-requested quality of life feature is a game changer.
Diablo 4 Season 7's Witch Powers Echo Season 2's Vampiric Powers
Diablo 4's Vampiric Powers Laid the Foundation for Seasonal Abilities
The Vampiric Powers introduced in Diablo 4 Season 2 allowed players to augment the build of any class with abilities unique to a specific tree separate from their main skill tree. There were two forms of Vampiric Powers, minor and major, that offered players skills ranging from stat increases, to inflicting Vampiric Curses and Infection on enemies, and a lot more in between. Players could equip a total of five Vampiric Powers at a time and each one required a different combination of three Pact types—Ferocity, Divinity, and Eternity—that could be found on pieces of gear, allowing players to mix and match powers to suit their desired build.
In order to unlock these Vampiric Powers, players typically needed to spend Potent Blood obtained as drops from monsters, but some could also be acquired from seasonal quests. When spending Potent Blood, players could choose between three random Vampiric Powers to either unlock or upgrade. While this system was fairly straightforward, the randomness of it could make it difficult to reliably invest in the player's desired Vampiric Powers.
Six Vampiric Powers are now available as Aspects that can be imprinted onto Diablo 4 weapons and armor, including Aspect of Accursed Touch, Boiling Blood Aspect, Undying Aspect, Aspect of Metamorphosis, Aspect of the Moonrise, and Hectic Aspect.
Diablo 4 Season 7's Witch Powers Go Beyond What Season 2's Vampiric Powers Offered
Witch Powers are similar to Vampiric Powers in a lot of ways, but streamline the ways in which players can obtain them to make crafting a build around this seasonal mechanic more accessible. There are a total of 25 Witch Powers, but unlike Vampiric Powers, they are separated into four different schools: Eldritch, Psyche, Growth & Decay, and Lost Powers, with each school containing seven powers, except for Lost which contains four. Going a step beyond Season 2's Vampiric Powers, players can equip a total of six Witch Powers—five normal and one of four Unique Powers.
The biggest improvement Season 7's Witch Powers have over Vampiric Powers is their acquisition, wherein players are able to earn new powers by following the seasonal questline and advancing their reputation with the Coven faction. Each school of Witch Powers has an Alter at the Tree of Whispers that players can interact with to obtain a new power, except for Lost which has its Alters scattered in dungeons around Sanctuary for players to find. While these seasonal powers will feel familiar to Diablo 4 Season 2 players, the streamlined way they are acquired and the way they are broken up by school leave Witch Powers with the potential to surpass Vampiric Powers as Diablo 4's best seasonal mechanic.
Players can also earn socketable Occult Gems from participating in Headhunts to augment the Witch Powers they have equipped.
Diablo 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action-RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot.
Embark on the epic campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through a gripping story in a beautifully dark world, or explore an expansive end game: battle iconic bosses for powerful loot, fight back the encroaching onslaught of Hell in Helltides, master the Forge to create your ultimate weapons and progress powerful characters, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Discover the critically acclaimed franchise that defined the Action RPG genre. As the battle between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages on, hatred devours Sanctuary as evil spreads and a new wave of cultists and worshippers arise to embrace Lilith’s coming. Only a brave few dare to face this threat and bring light to the all-consuming darkness.
Expansive Open WorldForge your own path through the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, an ever-growing, fully explorable world teeming with challenges, quests, enemies, and loot. Join your fellow adventurers, rescue and retake besieged towns, delve into nightmarish dungeons and uncover lost secrets as you fight back evil. The many zones of Sanctuary are yours to explore, and with rotating areas of extreme peril like World Bosses and Helltide, danger lurks at every turn.
Immersive Character DevelopmentCreate and customize your character to face the encroaching darkness. Choose from one of five classes and build your hero with skills, abilities and cosmetics, creating a champion that is uniquely your own. Grow stronger as you progress through powerful Skill Trees and develop even more unique end game specializations with Paragon Boards.
Legendary Gear, Epic BattlesDiscover and experiment with a vast arsenal of powerful weapons, armor and more to fight back against the demons threatening Sanctuary. Explore unique combinations, create your own upgrades and collect a plethora of powerful tools to battle in immersive, action-packed combat against the deadliest of enemies.
Seasons & EventsThe tales of Sanctuary continue to unfold. Create Seasonal Characters and join in fresh adventures - master new mechanics and take on the latest threats in each new Season. Complete harrowing feats of the Season Journey and earn new Battle Pass rewards. Plus, sharpen your swords and get in the spirit of the seasons when Limited-Time Events sweep through Sanctuary.
End Game UndertakingsThere’s even more Diablo® IV to explore as you reach higher levels and more fearsome World Tiers. Face the greatest challenge yet as you take on the most powerful demons in The Pit, steel yourself against Uber Bosses to reap uber unique rewards, fight back overflowing armies of Hell as Helltides emerge across Sanctuary, battle larger-than-life World Bosses, and master the Forge to create the mightiest weapons fit for a hero.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
