Diablo 4 is preparing to launch its eighth season with new content and character progression, and at the same time, the series is getting its first-ever anime crossover. Both Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal will include special events and cosmetics based on the legendary manga and anime series Berserk. With its brutal tone and dark fantasy art, Berserk is a particularly fitting story to cross over with Diablo 4, which has so far resisted collaborating with other media franchises as is common in games like Fortnite.
Season 8 of Diablo 4 is dubbed Belial’s Return, after a boss last seen in Diablo 3 who’s evidently making a comeback. Also known as the Lord of Lies, Belial will appear as a boss during the season, which is all about stealing the abilities of similar powerful beings. The big seasonal mechanic for Season 8 is the ability to use powers acquired from defeated bosses. Like the new abilities granted in the Season of Witchcraft, these boss powers can be swapped out to create custom builds once they’re acquired. Only one can be designated as your main boss power at a time, and up to three others can be set as modifiers, meaning their main effects won’t trigger, but they’ll strengthen the main power instead. Season 8 will also have its own incursion events, where players can mow down hordes of enemies and complete other objectives in specific zones to earn reputation and collect new rewards.
Diablo 4’s Season 8 begins on April 29, and is expected to last around three months.
A new season would normally be the biggest deal in Diablo 4 at any given time, but most seasons don’t overlap with unique crossovers. For the first-of-its-kind crossover, Diablo 4 players can collect Behelits (a kind of magical stone egg that’s central to the events of Berserk) by slaying elite monsters. Gather enough and you can trade them in for Berserk-themed cosmetics. These include the Hawks Destiny back trophy, which depicts a helmet and shackles once worn by protagonist Griffith, a new mount armor set based on the powerful demon-slaying Skull Knight, and the Brand of Sacrifice mimicking the same image seen in Berserk.
Players will need to fork over some additional cash in order to get the best rewards from the crossover, though. At the top of that list is the iconic Berserker Armor, usable by the Barbarian. Rogues can also purchase the Hawk of Light and Struggler armor sets, while the Skull Knight’s set is available for Necromancers. Another set of mount armor, this time themed on the Band of the Hawk’s heraldry is available for purchase, as is the Schnoz pet, which somehow looks even more horrible in Diablo 4 than it does in Berserk.
Diablo 4’s crossover with Berserk begins on May 6. The in-game event runs through June 3 and cosmetics will be available in the shop until June 5.
Diablo Immortal is also taking part in the crossover. Nosferatu Zodd, a powerful demon from the series, appears as a boss. A legendary gem called the Crimson Behelit can be found, which grants different bonuses based on whether your character is healthy or injured, and acquiring it also unlocks a more difficult version of the Nosferatu Zodd fight.
The wildest part of the entire crossover comes in Diablo Immortal’s Eclipse fight. A pivotal moment in Berserk, the Eclipse is a hellish realm where a disastrous event that entirely reshapes the series occurs, and here players will have a chance to try and fare better than most of its participants in the manga and anime.
Like Diablo 4, Diablo Immortal will also get a handful of new cosmetics based on Berserk. The Berserker and Hawk of Light armor are available to earn, as well as a new weapon skin for each class acquired through login rewards.
The Berserk crossover with Diablo Immortal runs for the entire month of May.
The Diablo crossover with Berserk makes a lot of sense as the first collaboration of its kind, given the pitch-black tone of both series. However, it’s also the first big Diablo event since Microsoft, which owns developer Blizzard Entertainment, was named a priority boycott target by the BDS human rights movement for its involvement with the Israeli military. BDS has called for a boycott of all Microsoft Gaming products, which include the Diablo series as well as games like the recently released Oblivion remaster. Blizzard declined to comment.
