Diablo 4 is celebrating the Year of the Dragon in style with a new event called Lunar Awakening, one that will transform many of the game’s existing activities to have even more lucrative rewards.
As detailed in a blog post, the event is for both the game’s Eternal and Seasonal realms, and will run from February 6-20, during which players will be able to take powerful new Lunar Shrine effects for a spine. These shrine buffs are similar to ones already existing in the game and can be found anywhere one would normally find shrines.
However, Lunar Shrines have an added punch of power and additionally grant 50% bonus XP and 30% increased movement speed while active. During the event, Nightmare Dungeon Sigils can additionally have the special Ancestor’s Favor dungeon affix, which turns all shrines in the dungeon into Lunar Shrines and rewards additional glyph XP upon dungeon completion. Nightmare Dungeon Sigils with the Ancestor’s Favor affix will persist after the end of the event, with Blizzard stating players can “feel free to stockpile aways for days long after the Moon has set on Lunar Awakening.”
All the while players are blasting through Sanctuary with these new shrine effects, they’ll be earning Ancestor’s Favor, a new currency which can be cashed in for rewards during the event. The Ancestor’s Favor reputation features 10 tiers of rewards, with six different free cosmetic items to unlock. Additionally, Lunar Awakening-themed items will be available for sale in Diablo 4’s in-game shop for the duration of the event.
Diablo 4 recently kicked off its third season, Season of the Construct, which introduces new trap-filled Vaults for players to conquer and a customizable robot companion. The response to the season had been less than enthusiastic, with many players underwhelmed by the new seasonal mechanics prior to a recent patch that buffed and improved many aspects players had found to be lackluster.
As for what’s next for Diablo 4, the game will continue to receive new seasons every three months, while the game’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, is planned for a late 2024 release.
