Diablo 4 season 5 is here, and when you first boot up the game to select a character, you’ll have more to choose from than just your class and hairstyle. Once you’re ready to jump into the game, you’ll need to make one final decision: Do you want to play in the Seasonal Realm or the Eternal Realm?
In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ll explain what it means to play in the Seasonal Realm or the Eternal Realm, so you can make a choice and jump right into slaying monsters.
What’s the difference between Seasonal Realm and Eternal Realm in Diablo 4?
When creating your character during a season, you’ll be asked to select a “Hero Realm,” and the game will prompt you to choose between the Seasonal Realm and the Eternal Realm. But what does that even mean?
The Seasonal Realm includes everything in Diablo 4 — the campaign, the open world, everything — plus the most recent content additions, like the seasonal content that only exists for about 12 weeks (although that’ll be closer to eight weeks in the case of season 5). The Seasonal Realm is also the only place where you can progress your battle pass or the Season’s Journey.
The Eternal Realm is Diablo 4 without any seasonal bells and whistles — no battle pass, no Season’s Journey, no special seasonal mechanics. However, Blizzard typically adds some new content like Uniques and Legendary Aspects to the Eternal Realm each season, as well as mechanical add-ons like the new endgame bosses introduced back in season 2.
Should you choose Seasonal Realm or Eternal Realm in Diablo 4?
Much like Loot Reborn, Season 5 is a bit of an anomaly compared to the early seasons of Diablo 4. As with previous seasons, we recommend you play the Seasonal Realm and experience making a new character — maybe even trying out a new class — but the choice is far less cut and dried than it usually is. This time, you won’t be missing out on any big, new mechanics if you’re someone who really doesn’t like the seasonal model.
While the Seasonal Realm is still the “intended” way to play Diablo 4 in season 5, there isn’t really a new seasonal mechanic in Season of the Infernal Hordes. Instead, season 5 brings in the titular Infernal Hordes wave-based mode, a permanent addition to the game which is available to both Seasonal and Eternal players. Additionally, this season has a ton of reworks for Unique items, all of which are also coming to both realms simultaneously.
However, it’s worth pointing out here that there are still some things you’ll miss out on if you skip the season. As usual, there’s the season pass with all its cosmetics, plus the Season Journey, which can net you some key items for a build of Blizzard’s choosing. There’s also a season-exclusive questline if you’re interested in the game’s story at all.
Just know that, whatever you pick, you’ll only ever be able to play with characters in the same realm as you. So if you’re playing with friends, make sure you decide where you want to play first.
Is there ever a reason to choose the Eternal Realm in Diablo 4?
As previously stated, Seasonal Realm characters can only play with other Seasonal Realm characters, and the same goes for Eternal Realm characters. If you only want to jump in and play some dungeons with friends who are using an old Eternal Realm character, you shouldn’t make a Seasonal Character.
Similarly, you need to start a whole new character from level 1 to play in seasons. If you’re coming back to an old character and want to see what it’s like for that class after you level up a bit more, then you’ll need to play in the Eternal Realm or level up a new version of that class.
You also might want to play the Eternal Realm because you’re most of the way through the campaign already on an old character. So if you’re already on act five of six on an Eternal Realm character, it’s probably worth finishing the campaign there first and then starting a seasonal character.
And, finally, if you really hate the seasonal mechanic for the current season but you still want to slam through some Diablo dungeons, you can play in the Eternal Realm to avoid the new stuff. That is unless there isn’t much of a season theme at all, like with Diablo 4’s fourth and fifth seasons.
