Understanding Diablo 4 Season 6: Infernal Hordes Overview

Infernal Hordes have made their return in Season 6 of Diablo 4, following their prominence during the previous season. Here’s how this game mode operates now that the Season of the Infernal Hordes has concluded.

While Infernal Hordes was the central theme in Diablo 4’s fifth season, their popularity ensured their continuation into Season 6, alongside other seasonal features like Malignant Hearts and Vampire Powers. Although it played a pivotal role in unifying Season 5, it has now transitioned into just one of many endgame activities.

Nevertheless, Infernal Hordes remains an engaging mode worth exploring, providing an excellent opportunity to earn high-tier loot. Below, we’ll delve into how to access Infernal Hordes in Season 6 and what alterations have come with its integration into the broader endgame content of Diablo 4.

Diablo 4 character unlocking Infernal Hordes — Blizzard Entertainment

Infernal Hordes were introduced with a compelling story quest featuring Lilith’s followers.

Unlocking Infernal Hordes in Diablo 4

To access Infernal Hordes in Season 6 of Diablo 4 or in the current Eternal Realm, you must first obtain an Infernal Compass by participating in various endgame activities such as Nightmare Dungeons, Whispers, the Pit, and challenging Helltides.

These activities are not available on lower difficulty levels, but once you venture into the Torment difficulty, you will start to collect these items. After that, you can engage with Infernal Hordes just like in Season 5.

Previously, unlocking Infernal Hordes required completing a World Tier 3 quest line accessible in both the Seasonal and Eternal realms of Season 5. This process has evolved in Season 6 as the game’s narrative has transitioned away from Locran’s storyline.

During our gameplay, we could not find the initial Infernal Hordes quest line while exploring both Seasonal and Eternal realms, regardless of our progress with the Vessel of Hatred quest line.

Mechanics of Infernal Hordes in Diablo 4

Infernal Hordes consist of wave-based dungeons that increase in difficulty as players advance. You will encounter waves of enemies that become progressively harder. Each tier, ranging from 1 to 8, presents better rewards while also ramping up the challenges.

These hordes are separated into tiers, with Tier 1 accessible in World Tier 3 and Tier 3 starting in World Tier 4. The higher the tier, the more rewarding the loot, which includes guaranteed higher affix drops, though this comes with added difficulty.

In the Infernal Hordes of Diablo 4, you have a 60-second window per wave to collect Aether, the game’s currency. Completing Aether events will maximize your Aether accumulation. Each wave presents a combination of boons and banes that influence your gameplay and rewards.

At the conclusion of each wave, players can select from three boons, each linked to a bane. The boons enhance your Aether collection while the banes increase the dungeon’s difficulty.

Aether events may include components like Soul Spires, Aetheric Masses, and various enemy types including Aether Fiends and Aether Lords. Successfully completing these events throughout waves will grant additional Aether, crucial for unlocking coveted rewards.

The climactic segment of Infernal Hordes features a battle against the Fell Council, a formidable group of multi-boss encounters with distinct mechanics.

Diablo 4 character entering Infernal Hordes — Diablo 4

Obtaining Infernal Compasses in Diablo 4

You can acquire Infernal Compasses through general gameplay or by crafting them using Forgotten Souls at the Occultist.

Don’t forget to salvage old compasses for Abyssal Scrolls, which can help upgrade your compass tiers. Crafting compasses can prove to be particularly worthwhile for higher-tier dungeons.

Now that you’re equipped with knowledge about Diablo 4’s Infernal Hordes, you might want to explore the best builds in the current meta or take a look at the complete loot table available for Infernal Hordes.

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