Before diving into the chaos of Sanctuary in Diablo 4’s Season 8, there’s an important decision waiting at character creation: Should you play in the Seasonal Realm or stick with the Eternal Realm? This guide will help you understand how these two game modes differ, so you can pick the one that fits your playstyle.
Choosing Between Seasonal and Eternal Modes
After customizing your class and appearance, you’ll land on a setup screen with a few checkboxes. One of them determines if your character will take part in the current season. This Seasonal Mode is switched on by default, but you can opt out by simply unchecking it, which places your character in the Eternal Realm instead. Seasonal characters give you access to everything in the base game (including campaign and open world) plus exclusive content tied to the season.
In contrast, the Eternal Realm houses characters that aren’t affected by seasonal resets or time-limited content. You won’t find seasonal mechanics or objectives here, but you will still get new features added to the game each season, such as Legendary Aspects, Uniques, and endgame bosses. As long as you’ve purchased the Vessel of Hatred expansion, you’ll be able to enjoy all its features in the Eternal Realm without any restrictions.
Overview of Season 8
This season centers around Belial, a familiar face from Diablo 3, and features a reworked boss system in the endgame. One exciting seasonal feature lets you borrow unique powers from bosses, for example, using Wandering Death’s beam attack to obliterate enemies. This borrowed power mechanic defines the Season 8 experience. There’s also a take on progression with the Reliquary system, replacing the traditional season pass, and a revamped Season Journey that drops curated gear rewards to support specific builds.
Which Realm is the Best?
If you’re looking to explore, grind for rewards, or just want a fresh start, then creating a Seasonal character is your best bet. Keep in mind that this means starting over from level 1. If you own the expansion, this is also a great time to test out the Spiritborn class, though it’s locked behind Vessel of Hatred.
On the other hand, if your priority is finishing up a story campaign with an older character or you’re just not interested in the seasonal gimmicks, then the Eternal Realm might suit you better. It gets permanent additions like bosses and loot updates, but skips the temporary features and borrowed power systems.
Tips
- Multiplayer is tied to the realm you choose — if you’re playing a Seasonal character, you can only squad up with other Seasonal players, and the same goes for Eternal characters.
- Want to finish the main story or the Vessel of Hatred campaign first? Stick with your existing Eternal character, then roll a seasonal one once you’re done.
- Not vibing with this season’s theme? You’re not locked in because Eternal Realm gives you a way to enjoy the game without dealing with seasonal changes.
- Keep in mind that seasonal characters and their progress are temporary because after a season ends, they move into the Eternal Realm with their gear and progress intact.
In short, Seasonal Realm is all about fresh content, timed progression, and limited-edition rewards, while Eternal Realm is ideal for steady progress and casual play. Whichever you pick, the demon hordes of Sanctuary are waiting.
