Diablo 3 Patch 2.6.0 Preliminary Notes Reveal Challenge Rifts, New Zones

While the closed beta test for Diablo 3’s Necromancer has gone live, Blizzard also had patch 2.6.0 available for testing alongside it. Preliminary patch notes for the same have been released.

The patch will bring quite a bit of new content to the game including Challenge Rifts, a special weekly dungeon which you must complete using a random player’s build; two new zones in the form of The Moors and The Temple of the Firstborn which can be explored through a waypoint in Act 2; and four new waypoints in Act 4 with different bounties to complete among other things.

It should be noted that these are only the preliminary patch notes and that the final patch could change significantly when it’s finally ready. You also shouldn’t take this as a sign that the patch will be out anytime soon since extensive testing is usually done for Diablo 3 patches.

Regardless, what do you think of the preliminary patch notes? Let us know in the comments. Check out the full notes below.

GENERAL

• New Feature: Challenge Rifts
  • Explore new builds created by fellow players in a weekly static dungeon. You can access these through the main screen, similar to Adventure Mode and Campaign Mode.
    • Note: New Challenge Rifts may be available more frequently during the beta.

CLASSES

• New Class: Necromancer
  • As a master of the dark arts, you wield the powers of life and death necessary to restore the Balance! Necromancers are powerful spell casters who lay waste to their enemies using curses and reanimation—along with an obedient cadre of pets. This new class employs a controlled gameplay style using the raw materials of life: blood and bone.

ADVENTURE MODE

• New Zones: The Moors & The Temple of the Firstborn
  • The fog-enshrouded Moors and the darkened Temple of the Firstborn can be explored in Adventure Mode through a new waypoint on the Act 2 map.
• Set Dungeons
  • The user interface has been updated to better explain tier completion requirements.
  • With this, the basic completion tier must be finished within the given time limit.
• Bounties
  • Four new Waypoints have appeared in Act IV. Each one has bounties to complete. These Realms of Fate are the unintended consequences of the battle between the nephalem and Diablo in the High Heavens.