Diablo 4: Seasonal vs Eternal Realm, Explained

Lilith's dark crusade in the mortal realm sends players on a quest throughout a large chunk of Sanctuary, slaying demons and collecting shiny loot all throughout. Players can expect an hours-long campaign here featuring everything that made Diablo 4 so famous in the first place.

However, players who are totally new to the game might be asking themselves a couple of questions: what's the difference between the Eternal and Seasonal Realm in Diablo 4? This can have a tremendous impact on how your first playthrough goes, so before hopping on to creating your first character, you might want to read this short guide first.

Should You Pick Eternal or Seasonal Realm in Diablo 4?

First, the definitions. The Realms are essentially two sides of the same coin. The Seasonal Realm contains time-limited stories and gameplay features, while the Eternal Realm offers the core Diablo 4 experience of dungeon crawling and looting without any of the new toys and tales offered by the Seasonal Realm.

Making this distinction is very important for new players because they might end up wasting their time. If you want to participate in the current ongoing season, then make your first character in the Seasonal Realm. If not, go to the Eternal Realm. You cannot send an Eternal character to the Seasonal Realm, but all Seasonal characters will go to the Eternal Realm once the current season expires. Additionally, you cannot play with characters who are in a different Realm.

First-time players are highly encouraged to start their journey in the Seasonal Realm just so they don't miss out on current events and seasonal rewards. However, people who do not like dealing with time-gated mechanics or those who want to learn Diablo 4 without time-sensitive mechanics may want to start on the Eternal Realm instead. When a Seasonal character is transferred to the Eternal Realm, players get to keep their progress with said character — their level and inventories are preserved, including their entire stash.

Every time a season resets, all players will need to start with a new Seasonal character. This means returning to level 1 without any of the gear they've collected in the past. However, as long as they've completed the main campaign at least once, they'll be able to skip it and start at Diablo 4's endgame immediately. Bounties from the Tree of Whispers will be available right at the start, and all players need to worry about is leveling up, clearing dungeons, and unlocking some undiscovered waypoints.

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