Diablo III Season 40 begins October 2 at 5 p.m. PDT/CET/KST, bringing the Light’s Calling theme back into the seasonal rotation. Season 39 ends September 27 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. That schedule leaves five calendar days between the outgoing season’s end date and the new season’s start date.
Blizzard set out the schedule, theme, rewards, Conquests, and class sets in its official Season 40 preview.
Light’s Calling brings Angelic Crucibles back
Light’s Calling is a returning seasonal theme centered on Angelic Crucibles. These are consumable items that characters can recover and use to Sanctify an item. The eligible target can be any equippable Legendary item, rather than a single named item type or equipment slot.
Sanctification infuses the selected Legendary with one of three class-specific powers. The power is assigned at random, so the Crucible does not provide a choice among all three outcomes. The powers are tied to the character classes, and the Crucible is the item used to apply the Sanctification. Blizzard describes Season 40 as a reintroduction of this system, not the mechanic’s debut.
Returning Season 16 rewards and two new cosmetics
The returning rewards were originally available in Season 16. They consist of the Helm and Shoulder slots from the Conqueror Set, the season’s series of portrait frames, and the Wings of Lempo. The helm and shoulders are the only Conqueror Set slots named in the announcement; the wings and portrait frames are separate cosmetic rewards.
Season 40 also has exactly two new End of Journey cosmetic rewards: the Taennin the Tiny pet and the Primal Hunter portrait. Those two additions are distinct from the returning Season 16 selection. Blizzard identifies both as End of Journey rewards obtainable during Season 40.
Five returning Conquest pairs and their requirements
Each returning Conquest is presented as a regular version paired with its Hardcore counterpart. The five pairs and their stated completion conditions are:
- Speed Demon / Need for Speed: Complete a Nephalem Rift at max level on Torment X within two minutes. Need for Speed is the Hardcore version.
- On a Good Day / I Can’t Stop: Level three Legendary Gems to level 65. I Can’t Stop is the Hardcore version.
- Boss Mode / Worlds Apart: Kill the listed bosses at max level on Torment X within 20 minutes of the start of the game. Worlds Apart is the Hardcore version.
- Curses! / Stars Align: Kill at least 350 monsters in a Cursed Chest event at level 70 on Torment X difficulty. Stars Align is the Hardcore version.
- Years of War / Dynasty: Reach Greater Rift Level 55 Solo without the bonuses of six of the listed Class Sets. Dynasty is the Hardcore version.
The paired names do not change the objective: each Hardcore entry carries the same stated requirement as the regular Conquest beside it. The time limits apply specifically to the Nephalem Rift and boss objectives, while the other three conditions concern gem levels, a Cursed Chest kill count, or a solo Greater Rift result without six listed set bonuses.
How the three Haedrig’s Gifts make one class set
Completing Chapters II, III, and IV of the Season Journey awards three Haedrig’s Gifts, with each Gift containing a few pieces from a Class Set. The set is determined by the class of the character used to open each Gift. Opening all three on the same character is therefore required to collect the full listed set through these rewards.
Only one Class Set can be unlocked through Haedrig’s Gifts per season across Hardcore and Non-Hardcore. The restriction is shared between those modes, rather than providing one set for each. Season 40’s class-to-set assignments are:
- Barbarian: Horde of the Ninety Savages
- Crusader: Aegis of Valor
- Demon Hunter: Gears of Dreadlands
- Monk: Patterns of Justice
- Witch Doctor: Mundunugu’s Regalia
- Wizard: Typhon’s Veil
- Necromancer: Masquerade of the Burning Carnival
