Diablo 4's Season 2: Season of Blood (launched October 17, 2023) revamped the Renown system with two concrete changes: faster Renown earn rates and account-wide persistence of Renown rewards across seasons. Blizzard Global Community Development Director Adam Fletcher confirmed in a post-Livestream clarification that both changes apply to Hardcore characters, resolving community confusion from the initial Developer Livestream.
The specific point increases that drove faster progression: Side Quests raised from 20 to 30 Renown points; Dungeons raised from 30 to 40 Renown points. Rewards now persisting account-wide include Paragon Points, Skill Points, Potion Charges, and Obol capacity — unlocked once, available on every character in every subsequent season.
The account-wide Renown rewards carry over for Hardcore characters under the same rules as Softcore. However, Hardcore death has always carried unique limitations that Season 2 did not change:
The Altars caveat is about timing, not permanence. A Hardcore character that survives to season end keeps both Altars and map progress. Death before the season closes resets both for that character. The Browse Diablo 4 character carry services at WowCarry cover options for players who want to reduce that risk.
Season 2's companion system was Vampiric Powers — 22 new abilities available to every class, gated by Pact affixes on gear rather than class or build selection.
The 22 Vampiric Powers divide into two tiers based on Pact cost:
Players equip up to 5 Vampiric Powers simultaneously. Pacts come from item affixes in three types: Ferocity, Divinity, and Eternity. The primary farming loop for both Pact-bearing gear and seasonal progression was the Blood Harvest zone event.
Season of Blood shipped additional changes beyond the Renown rework and Vampiric Powers:
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Last reviewed 2026-06-16 against Season 2 Season of Blood — Maintained by WowCarry’s Diablo 4 team.
Yes. The Season 2 Renown rework explicitly includes Hardcore characters. Paragon Points, Skill Points, Potion Charges, and Obol capacity all persist account-wide once unlocked, matching Softcore behavior.
Altar activation and map discovery do not carry over if the Hardcore character dies before the season ends. A Hardcore character that survives to season close retains both. This limitation existed before Season 2 and was not changed by the Renown rework.
No. All 22 Vampiric Powers are available to every class. They are gated by Pact affix types on gear (Ferocity, Divinity, Eternity), not by class selection.
22 total: 15 Minor Powers (1–3 Pacts to activate) and 7 Major Powers (6 Pacts to activate). Players can have up to 5 active simultaneously.
Paragon Points, Skill Points, Potion Charges, and Obol capacity. These unlock once and carry forward to all characters, including Hardcore, in all subsequent seasons.
The one-time account-wide unlocks (Paragon Points, Skill Points, etc.) do not need to be re-earned after Season 2. You progress Renown each season as before, but you are not repeating work for those permanent bonuses.
