Diablo 4 Season 3: A Deep Dive Into the Season of the Construct

Exploring the Season of the Construct

The Season of the Construct in Diablo 4 is set to majorly shake up Blizzard's popular ARPG with the introduction of a new endgame activity that will incentivize players to do something that just might sound like sacrilege: slow down.

Speaking with some of the key minds at Blizzard responsible for Season of the Construct ahead of its launch on January 23, we learned more about some of the inspirations behind the season's major new additions, like the customizable Seneschal Construct companion. We also dove into new details on how the season will flesh out the story of a fan-favorite character from Diablo 3 and how Season 3 will look to provide players more options when it comes to farming for Diablo 4's endgame in the form of trap-filled Vaults that encourage players to play cautiously.

Season of the Construct will see players exploring deep beneath the sands of Kehjistan, in a mysterious ancient complex housing a powerful artifact, The Loom, that was once intended to aid the people of Sanctuary but has since become corrupted by the terror demon, Malphas.

To aid players in their quest to defeat Malphas and his army of corrupted constructs, they will acquire a spider-like robot of their own, the Seneschal Construct, and dive into dangerous treasure Vaults to earn rewards. All the while, players will learn more about the fallen Horadrim and architects of the underground facilities and its constructs, Zoltun Kulle, as well as his apprentice, Ayuzhan.

The Challenge of Vaults: A New Playstyle

Vaults are a new activity coming in Season of the Construct, and unlike normal or Nightmare dungeons, which players have taken to clearing out as fast and efficiently as possible, will incentivize players to take their time instead of simply blasting through. That's because Vaults are filled with deadly traps and hazards, things that weren't much of a concern in Diablo 4's base game or in previous seasons but make up a big part of Season of the Construct. Traps, and the idea of navigating dangerous, hazard-filled ruins filled with treasure, were among the first ideas for the new season, according to dungeon game designer Michelle Piña.

Vaults will give players another option when it comes to farming Diablo 4's endgame.

Vaults will give players another option when it comes to farming Diablo 4's endgame. Asking players to slow down in order to avoid traps when they are accustomed to zooming through dungeons as quickly as they can is a tall ask, something Piña and the team seemed more than aware of. The key, Piña said, was to make sure Vaults were efficient when it came to being a farmable endgame activity while also offering a new playstyle, with the goal being to find the right balance between 'the amount of time I'm spending for the reward I'm getting.'

The solution the team decided upon is a new mechanic, Zoltun's Warding. By exchanging special items at the beginning of a Vault that can be found by participating in seasonal activities, players can earn stacks of Zoltun's Warding. Each time a player is hit by a trap or hazard, they lose a stack of the buff. The trick, then, is to complete the Vault with a certain number of stacks of Zoltun's Warding still remaining, which will grant players additional rewards to make it worth their time and effort. Like Nightmare dungeons, Vaults can also be upgraded to higher difficulties using Sigils, giving players yet another option for Diablo 4's endgame.

Vaults offer yet another way for players to show off their mastery of the game, systems game designer Sean White said.

The Seneschal Construct: A Powerful Companion

To aid players in their quest to defeat Malphas and his army of corrupted constructs, players will acquire a spider-like robot to call their own, the Seneschal Construct. This companion can't be killed and can be equipped with two core abilities, called Governing Stones, and six ability modifiers (three for each Governing Stone) called Tuning Stones. By mixing, matching, and upgrading these stones, which can be acquired from seasonal activities like Vaults and the Arcane Tremors that arise near their entrances, players can fine-tune their construct to either dish out demonic destruction on its own or play more of a support role.

The Seneschal Construct can be customized with a variety of abilities.

Regardless of which playstyle players choose, the Seneschal Construct will use its abilities automatically and doesn't need to be micromanaged. It also scales 1:1 with a player's stats, growing more powerful as they do, making the robotic companion a force to be reckoned with as players continue to grow stronger. Since it already scales 1:1 with players, the construct doesn't gain any specific advantages when used with pet-focused classes like the Necromancer, but can either add to a players pet-army or fill more of a support role.

The Seneschal Construct scales 1:1 with players, growing in power as they do.

The Seneschal Construct can be customized with a variety of abilities. Diablo as a franchise, of course, is no stranger to NPC companion characters. Diablo 2 featured various mercenaries players could recruit and equip with gear. Diablo 3's followers were unique characters in their own right and could also be equipped with gear to improve their innate abilities. The Seneschal Construct takes inspiration from some of those earlier implementations of companions throughout the Diablo franchise, particularly Diablo 2's mercenaries, according to White, but gives players more customization over its abilities than ever before.

The Seneschal Construct scales 1:1 with players, growing in power as they do. White gave an example of equipping the construct with a basic lightning bolt Governing Stone, but then modifying it with Tuning Stones that grant the ability multishot and the power to both pierce and home in on enemies.