Since Season 8, Diablo 4 has revolutionized its seasonal reward structure by replacing the traditional battle pass with a new system called Reliquaries. This overhaul prioritizes player choice, allowing adventurers to unlock cosmetic rewards on their own terms rather than following a linear track. For both new and veteran players, understanding how Reliquaries work is key to maximizing seasonal progression and securing desired cosmetics.

What Are Reliquaries?

Reliquaries are themed reward catalogs designed to replace Diablo 4's old battle pass system. Unlike the fixed progression path of its predecessor, Reliquaries let players unlock Diablo 4 Items in any order using a special in-game currency called Favor Tokens. This shift puts control back into the hands of players, who can prioritize their most wanted cosmetics instead of waiting to reach specific tiers.

Each season features multiple Reliquaries, split into seasonal and event categories. Seasonal Reliquaries last for the entire duration of the season, while event Reliquaries are time-limited, often tied to crossovers or special in-game events. All Reliquaries focus exclusively on cosmetic rewards, ensuring no pay-to-win advantages-only visual upgrades for your character.

Types of Reliquaries: Free, Premium, and Event

Free Seasonal Reliquary

Every season offers one free Reliquary, typically named after the season's theme (e.g., "Belial's Return" for Season 8). This no-cost catalog includes a mix of cosmetic items like town portal effects, mount accessories, and 200 Platinum-the game's premium currency. Fully completing the free Reliquary also grants a piece of the seasonal bonus armor set, rewarding casual players for their progress.

Premium Seasonal Reliquaries

Three premium Reliquaries are available for purchase with Platinum, each focused on a distinct category: Armor, Beasts, and Weapons. The Armor Reliquary (800 Platinum) offers class-specific transmog sets, the Beasts Reliquary (500 Platinum) includes mounts and pets, and the Weapons Reliquary (200 Platinum) features unique weapon skins.

Players can buy these premium options individually or as a bundled package for 1,000 Platinum-equivalent to the cost of the old premium battle pass. Each premium Reliquary also contains one non-premium weapon cosmetic accessible to all players, even those who don't purchase the catalog.

Event Reliquaries

Event Reliquaries are temporary, free catalogs tied to special in-game events or IP crossovers (e.g., the Berserk manga collaboration). Unlike seasonal Reliquaries, they use event-specific currencies instead of Favor Tokens, which drop exclusively from elite enemies.

These Reliquaries last around 30 days and offer unique bonus rewards for completion. While they require farming elites to earn currency, elites are abundant in higher difficulties, making them manageable for dedicated players.

How to Earn and Spend Favor Tokens

Favor Tokens are the primary currency for unlocking items in seasonal Reliquaries. They are earned through core gameplay activities: defeating enemies, completing main and side quests, clearing Nightmare Dungeons (Tier 40+ yields 12-15 tokens per run), looting Helltide mystery chests (20 tokens each), and defeating World Bosses (30 tokens per kill).

There's a critical cap of 99 Favor Tokens-any excess earned beyond this limit is lost. Unspent tokens carry over to future seasons, however, allowing players to save them for event Reliquaries or future seasonal rewards.

Spending tokens is flexible: players can choose any item from any unlocked Reliquary, with no mandatory order. Once all items in a Reliquary are unlocked, a bonus reward (marked by a red frame and star) is granted for free, adding incentive to complete each catalog.

Optimizing Your Reliquary Progression

For power gamers, prioritizing the Armor Reliquary first is wise, as sets like "Guise of the Deceiver" offer visual synergy with defensive builds. The Weapons Reliquary follows as a low-cost option for skill effect coordination, while the Beasts Reliquary can be saved for last unless a specific mount or pet is desired.

Casual players should start with the free seasonal Reliquary for early-game rewards. Investing in the 1,000 Platinum premium bundle is cost-effective for long-term players, as it unlocks all three premium catalogs at a discount.

Synergizing Reliquary rewards with character builds enhances the experience. For example, pairing the Ashava poison mount from the Beasts Reliquary with poison-focused builds creates thematic consistency, while weapon skins from the Weapons Reliquary complement class abilities.

Why Reliquaries Improve the Seasonal Experience

Reliquaries fix key flaws of the old battle pass by offering choice and flexibility. Players no longer feel forced to grind through unwanted rewards to reach desired cosmetics, making seasonal progression more enjoyable.

The system also caters to all playstyles: casual players can earn meaningful rewards for free, while dedicated players have goals to chase with premium catalogs and event exclusives. By keeping rewards purely cosmetic, Blizzard maintains balance while giving players reasons to return each season. To get a better gaming experience, you can buy cheap D4 Gold.

Whether you're a fashion-focused player chasing transmog sets or a completionist hunting all bonus rewards, Reliquaries add depth and agency to Diablo 4's seasonal cycle-ensuring the game remains engaging for years to come.