One of the most enticing features ofDiablo 4heading into Season 8 was the changes teased for its Battle Pass.Diablo 4’s Battle Pass had been due for a rework for some time, as the premium offering had faced controversy since the game’s release, largely due to the mixed quality of content offered through the paid path. However, while Season 8’s introduction of the Reliquary system as a replacement for the traditional Battle Pass helps ease some of these issues, it introduces its own set of complications that take some of the wind out of this overhaul’s sails.
Diablo 4Season 8 was already in the tough position of facing competition fromPath of Exile 2andLast Epoch, both of which had just received major content updates. With the game’s second expansion being pushed to 2026, the2025 roadmap forDiablo 4had been looking a bit sparse outside of intriguing new IP collabs, like Season 8’s Berserk crossover. The Reliquary system could have been a major win forDiablo 4in the court of public opinion, but ultimately feels like a half measure.
Diablo 4’s Battle Pass Overhaul is a Mixed Bag
Reliquaries Offering More Player Choice is a Step in the Right Direction
The major change thatDiablo 4’s Reliquary systemgets right is the way it provides options for players to choose which premium cosmetics they want to earn. Rather than having one Battle Pass with options for free and paid cosmetics, the new Reliquary system breaks things down further to offer players the choice between a free path and three optional paid paths. Players who want to payDiablo 4’s in-game Platinum currency for one or more of the three Reliquaries can choose between three types of cosmetics:
Previously, all of these types of cosmetics were combined into onePremium Battle Pass forDiablo 4, costing a total of 1,000 Platinum, which players can still spend to unlock all three reliquaries. However, for players who find one set of cosmetics of a given season lacking compared to the other offerings, they can choose to skip one Reliquary and only pay for the cosmetics they want. The main downside to this approach is that once players purchase one Reliquary, they are locked out of purchasing the standard Battle Pass containing all Reliquaries for the 1,000 Platinum price tag.
Purchasing all three Reliquaries separately costs a total of 1,500 Platinum, making the traditional Battle Pass option the much better deal at only 1,000 Platinum.
Diablo 4’s Reliquary Complicates the Seasonal Favor System
For as nice as the player choice the Reliquary system provides, these changes have also complicatedDiablo 4’s general seasonal flow by reworking how items within the Reliquaries are unlocked. Previously, players would progress the standard Battle Pass by earning XP just from playing the game during a given season. With the rework of the Battle Pass to include Reliquaries, players now have to purchase items within a given Reliquary usingFavor Tokensearned from undertaking seasonal quests.
Alongside Battle Pass progression,Diablo 4’s past seasons offered players the chance to undertake seasonal quests to earn reputation with that season’s faction by obtaining Favor. This system has now been rolled into the Reliquary system, where undertaking similar quests in past seasons now rewards players with Favor Tokens to spend in their purchased Reliquaries. These changes seem to only add to the confusion by introducing another in-game currency that needs to be spent to unlock cosmetics that were previously obtained simply by playing a season naturally and progressing the Battle Pass' XP bar.
Another unfortunate casualty ofDiablo 4’s Battle Pass changes seems to be theSeasonal Blessingthat grants bonus XP, which has been removed for Season 8.
