Diablo IV Beginner's Guide

New to Diablo IV or coming back in Season of Hell's Legacy? How to pick a class, campaign or season, what World Tiers and the endgame are, and tips for your first character.

Updated 31 October 2026Checked for patch Season of Hell's Legacy3 sources
Image: Diablo / YouTube

Diablo IV is Blizzard's dark action RPG, out since June 2023 on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. You fight through the open world of Sanctuary, build your character around skills and loot, and play new seasons every few months. As of October 2026 the current season is Season of Hell's Legacy, the game's 30th-anniversary season, and Season 16 is being tested on the PTR.

The basics

Open world ARPGExplore Sanctuary, kill demons and collect loot, alone or with up to three friends.
CampaignThe story of Lilith in the base game, continued with Mephisto in two expansions.
SeasonsEvery few months a new season starts with a fresh character, a new mechanic and a battle pass.
Eight classesFive base classes plus three expansion classes.

Getting started, step by step

1. Pick a classNecromancer and Barbarian are forgiving first picks; Sorcerer is the classic mage.
2. Play the campaign onceFinish the story on an Eternal Realm character. After that you can skip it on new characters.
3. Jump into the seasonSeasonal characters get the current season's mechanic and battle pass rewards.
4. Raise the difficultyHigher difficulty tiers give better loot. Move up when the current one feels easy.
5. Learn the endgameHelltides, Nightmare Dungeons, the Pit and boss fights are where your build comes together.
6. Chase MythicsMythic Uniques and secret boss fights like Uber Tristram's are long-term goals.

Tips that help everyone

Follow a build guideSeasons shift the meta. A current build guide saves you hours of testing.
Salvage and upgradeSalvage old gear at the Blacksmith and upgrade the items you keep.
Group upParty bonuses and shared events make groups faster for many activities.
Read the patch notesEach season brings big class changes.

Coming back?

Lord of Hatred (April 2026) added two classes and reworked the endgame, and seasons have kept changing systems since. Our Season 16 PTR overview explains what's coming next.

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Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.