Blizzard started testing the first dedicated single-player mode for Diablo III — that’s right, a game released 11 years ago. The new mode, Solo Self Found, gets its own leaderboards, along with a hardcore version the developer team recommends for players who want to be challenged. It’s available as part of Patch 2.7.6 PTR, the newest test build of the game, and the patch precedes the 29th and final new season of the game.
Blizzard’s developers write that the mode “will temper you” since you won’t gain experience bonuses from traversing the game’s dungeons with other players, nor can you trade with other players. To play, you’ll simply choose “Solo Hero” while creating your character, and then you can start a campaign or play in Adventure Mode — just, you know, without friends. Who needs ’em, I always say.
That’s not all that’s coming to the patch, though. The new season, called Visions of Enmity, pits players against demons in “pocket dimensions” that they’ll encounter via “Diabolical Fissures” that spawn throughout Sanctuary. The pocket dimensions are themselves the titular Visions of Enmity, and the developers say players can encounter additional fissures after killing the enemies inside of a vision.
Blizzard is working on other updates, including three new exclusive Monster Affixes and increasing the number of “Paragon Points” players can use to upgrade individual attributes from 50 to 200 per attribute. Now, each of the four categories is limited to 200 points, though the developers may change that based on feedback. The developers also made several quality-of-life changes requested by players, such as swapping out some monsters and challenges and increasing checkpoint counts in Battlefields and Boneyards.
The testing period for Diablo III Patch 2.7.6 PTR will run from August 15th to August 29th, and the season should begin properly shortly thereafter. If you want to participate, Blizzard has handy instructions for joining the public test. When season 29 is over, the company will start recycling old scenarios with season 30.
