Season of Slaughter for Diablo 4 is all about Killstreaks, a returning mechanic from previous games that has since been refined to offer more interesting and tangible gameplay benefits. Additionally, during this season, Diablo 4 players will get to play as the Butcher, one of the series’ iconic enemies. The season also offers new items (including Bloodied gear), activities, and more, all of which will be covered in the guide below.
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How to Play as the Butcher in Diablo 4 Season 12
Image via GameRant; Source: Blizzard
One of the biggest new features in Season of Slaughter is the ability to temporarily transform into the Butcher. This can be done in one of two ways:
Collect Meaty Offerings and give them to a Shrine of Slaughter
Enter Slaughterhouses
Engage in the Ceremony of Slaughter PvP event in Fields of Hatred
While transformed, players gain a specific set of Butcher skills, all of which are tailored for slaughtering as many enemies as possible within a short (or specific) window of time.
Meaty Offerings
These are a special type of currency that often drops from Helltide chests. Once you collect enough of these, bring them to any Shrine of Slaughter within a Helltide zone to transform into the Butcher for a limited amount of time.
Slaughterhouses
Slaughterhouses are activities where players need to slaughter a set number of enemies. You will be playing as the Butcher throughout the duration of the activity.
Ceremony of Slaughter
Slaughter other players and take the Butcher’s Idol in Fields of Hatred to transform into the Butcher.
Diablo 4 Killstreak Mechanic
Image via GameRant; Source: Blizzard
Killstreaks return as a feature in Diablo 4 Season 12, and much like in Diablo 3, players will get an XP multiplier based on the number of kills they score within a short amount of time. Additional kills will refresh your streak’s timer, rewarding players who can efficiently chain-clear screens of monsters.
Killstreaks come in four tiers that increase based on the number of kills you’ve scored:
Killstreak
Carnage
Devastation
Bloodbath
Massacre
In Diablo 4, killstreaks will also grant you a multiplier for your seasonal reputation.
What are Bloodied Items in Diablo 4?
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Bloodied items are gear with special killstreak-related effects. These can drop from any viable loot source, and they come with a variety of behaviors based on gear type:
Bloodied Armor have affixes that grow in power based on your current Killstreak Tier.
Bloodied Weapons become stronger based on the current number of kills in your Killstreak.
Bloodied Jewelry increase your chances of getting specific rewards based on Killstreak Tier.
Bloodied is classified as a non-exclusive Quality type, similar to Ancestral gear in Diablo 4. An item can be both Bloodied and Ancestral at the same time.
Random Bloodied items can be purchased from the butcher in Gea Kull, next to the seasonal bounty board. To buy items from him, you need Fresh Meat, which drops from Slaughterhouse runs.
Bloodied Sigils
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Nightmare Dungeons, Lair Bosses, and Infernal Hordes can be made harder and more rewarding by using Bloodied Sigils. These will give your chosen activity additional modifiers, and they can only be used in Torment difficulty.
There are also Bloodsoaked Sigils, which are even more difficult. Completing a Bloodsoaked Sigil guarantees Bloodied item drops.
