Blizzard seems to have finally stopped hiding it—Diablo IV is embracing the legacy of its predecessor, Diablo III, and this time it’s going full throttle.

According to an exclusive report just published by GameSpot (written by Cameron Koch), the upcoming Season 12, launching March 10, will introduce the controversial yet undeniably satisfying Killstreak System. Furthermore, a terrifying new mechanic known as Bloodied Sigils is set to become a nightmare for Hardcore players.

As a veteran Nephalem who has spent years in Sanctuary, I’ve closely analyzed the source code and content of this report. Here is my verification of the leak and a breakdown of the core mechanics.

Authenticity Analysis

VERDICT: HIGHLY CREDIBLE (CONFIRMED)

Season 12 Mechanics: A Carnival of Slaughter

1. Killstreaks – The Spirit of D3 Returns

The season will introduce the classic killstreak mechanic from Diablo 3.

• The Mechanic: Rapidly killing monsters builds up a streak counter with 5 tiers: Killstreak, Carnage, Devastation, Bloodbath, and Massacre.
• The Rewards: Higher tiers grant not only increased XP but also Seasonal Reputation.
• My Analysis: This means the Season 12 meta will shift heavily towards "Zoom Zoom" speed-farming builds. Slower builds (like pure Summoner Necros or certain Druid setups) might struggle to maintain streaks.

2. Bloodied Gear

To complement the killstreaks, Blizzard is introducing a new item archetype.

• Mechanic: These weapons and armor have affixes that interact directly with the killstreak tiers. Examples include resource cost reduction scaling with killstreak tiers.
• Verdict: This design forces players into a "never stop" playstyle. In Season 12, stopping means losing your streak, which means your gear loses its power. Your adrenaline will be forced to stay high.

3. Bloodied Sigils & "The Relentless Butcher"

This is the craziest change of the season. New Nightmare Dungeon sigils will carry a specific affix: Relentless Butcher.

The Butcher will hunt you relentlessly throughout the dungeon. Even if you kill him, he will immediately return! Worse yet, this does not replace the standard Butcher spawn chance, meaning you could potentially face two Butchers at once.

Community Reactions

"Finally! D4 should have done this ages ago. I just want to mow down mobs after work and see big numbers and killstreak pop-ups. I support the D3-ification!" — Spin2Win_Barb

"Is this a joke? Killstreaks? This completely ruins the immersion and dark atmosphere of Diablo 4. If I wanted to play D3, I would just play D3." — GrimDarkPurist

"Wait, the article mentions that pre-ordering 'Lord of Hatred' lets you play the Paladin class right now? Who cares about killstreaks? The Holy Light is back!" — Hammerdin99