The "Infernal Chaos" season in Diablo 4 launched on September 23, 2025, and in just a few days became one of the most successful in the game's history. Against the backdrop of fatigue from past updates, players received something fresh.
Blizzard launched a large-scale promotion: a 55% discount and free days for newcomers. The result was impressive — at its peak, 49,000 people were playing simultaneously on Steam, which surpassed the figures of all past seasons. The only larger surge in online activity was during the release of the Vessel of Hatred expansion. According to fans, free access played a minimal role — similar promotions in the fifth and seventh seasons did not yield the same result.
The key change was the reduction in the role of bosses in the endgame. Previously, the strongest items only dropped in boss lairs, now the best loot can be found in nightmare dungeons and among hordes of enemies.
"I think reducing the importance of boss logs this season was a great idea. The best gear is in other sections. It's become much more interesting to play, and I don't feel like I'm constantly farming logs," wrote camthalion87.
"The boss ladder was the most uninteresting part of Diablo 4. It's still there, in case you need a unique item for the build, but the unique items of Chaos are something cool and powerful that can be found in the open world. The gameplay has become better than in any other season since the appearance of the boss ladder," noted Karltowns17.
But not everyone is sure of the success. Part of the community believes that the growth is due to the influx of new players, and veterans are still in no hurry to return.
