Season 40 'Light's Calling' starts on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 5:00 PM local server time in Diablo 3. Season 39 'Shades of the Nephalem' ended on September 27 at 5:00 PM PDT (September 28, 2:00 AM CEST) — leaving a gap of about four and a half days without a season. Here are all start times for PC and console, what happens to your seasonal heroes and stash, and how to get ready.
When does Season 40 start? All times
Blizzard starts Season 40 at 5:00 PM local server time in each region. What counts is the region you play on:
| Platform / region | Start (server time) | UTC | Eastern (EDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC Americas | Fri, Oct 2, 5:00 PM PDT | Oct 3, 00:00 | Fri, Oct 2, 8:00 PM |
| PC Europe | Fri, Oct 2, 5:00 PM CEST | Oct 2, 15:00 | Fri, Oct 2, 11:00 AM |
| PC Asia | Fri, Oct 2, 5:00 PM KST | Oct 2, 08:00 | Fri, Oct 2, 4:00 AM |
| Consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch) | Fri, Oct 2, 5:00 PM PDT¹ | Oct 3, 00:00 | Fri, Oct 2, 8:00 PM |
¹ Console seasons have so far started on the Americas schedule — a Blizzard producer explained this on the official forums in 2019. Blizzard has not named a separate console time for Season 40.
Blizzard's English preview lists the European time as "CET"; on October 2 Central Europe is on summer time, so the European start is 5:00 PM CEST (15:00 UTC). A countdown to the European start is on our Season 40 page.
The schedule at a glance
| Time (PDT) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sun, Sep 27, 5:00 PM | Season 39 ends, seasonal heroes move to non-seasonal play |
| Sep 27 to Oct 2 | No active season — play continues in non-seasonal mode |
| Fri, Oct 2, 1:00 AM | Asia servers start (5:00 PM KST) |
| Fri, Oct 2, 8:00 AM | Europe servers start (5:00 PM CEST) |
| Fri, Oct 2, 5:00 PM | Americas start — and, following the usual pattern, consoles |
Season 39 has ended: what happens to your heroes and items
When Season 39 ends, your seasonal heroes move to non-seasonal play. According to Blizzard Support:
- Paragon levels, gold and crafting materials are added to your non-seasonal account automatically.
- Items in your seasonal stash arrive through the in-game mail system and can be claimed by any non-seasonal hero.
- The deadline: up to 30 days from your first login after the season ends, or until the second season after your last login begins. Anything you do not claim in time is lost permanently.
Two things from Season 39 do not return:
- The shadow clones: they were part of the 'Shades of the Nephalem' theme.
- The fourth slot in Kanai's Cube: Blizzard announced it specifically for Season 39, and the Season 40 preview does not mention it. Plan your builds with three slots until the start confirms it.
Is there a patch or maintenance?
As of September 28, Blizzard has announced neither a patch nor maintenance for the Season 40 start. The last PTR patch for Diablo 3 was 2.7.8 in September 2024; the most recent announced maintenance was on September 22. If Blizzard announces anything, we will add it here.
What Season 40 brings
All details on the theme, rewards and Season Journey are in our Season 40 preview and on the Season 40 page. The essentials:
- Angelic Crucibles: they sanctify any equippable legendary item — perfect Ancient-level stats plus one of three class powers at random. The theme already ran in Season 27 and Season 34; all 21 powers are listed here.
- Haedrig's Gift: Barbarian – Horde of the Ninety Savages, Crusader – Aegis of Valor, Demon Hunter – Gears of Dreadlands, Monk – Patterns of Justice, Necromancer – Masquerade of the Burning Carnival, Witch Doctor – Mundunugu's Regalia, Wizard – The Typhon's Veil.
- New rewards: the pet Taennin the Tiny and the Primal Hunter portrait for finishing the Season Journey.
How to use the break and prepare
- Collect your mail: after the season ends, log in with a non-seasonal hero and claim the items from your seasonal stash before the deadline.
- Pick your class: Haedrig's Gift grants exactly one class set per season, based on the class that opens the gifts — decide before the start.
- Choose a starter build: until Season 40 leaderboards exist, our tier list with the Season 39 state is the best guide. It has a matching build for every set from Haedrig's Gift.
- Plan your leveling: our leveling guide gets you to level 70 and through your first Paragon levels fast.
- Plan for Angelic Crucibles: they drop anywhere in Sanctuary from level 70. You can sanctify as many items as you like but only wear one Sanctified item at a time — if the power is not the one you want, sanctify the item again with another Crucible.
- Coordinate your group: seasonal heroes can only play with other seasonal heroes. If you start with friends, create your new seasonal heroes together.
What we update at launch
Our builds reflect Season 39 until the first leaderboards arrive, and every build page says so. Once there is solid Season 40 data, we update them at the same address — with a box that shows what changed since Season 39. We keep this article up to date until the start; every change is listed in the changelog below.
FAQ
When does Season 40 start?
Season 40 starts on Friday, October 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM local server time: PDT in the Americas, CEST in Europe and KST in Asia. On the US east coast that is 8:00 PM EDT.
When does Season 40 start on PlayStation, Xbox and Switch?
Blizzard has not named a separate console time for Season 40. So far, console seasons have started on the Americas schedule at 5:00 PM PDT — that would be Friday, October 2, 2026 at 8:00 PM EDT (October 3, 00:00 UTC).
When did Season 39 end?
Season 39 'Shades of the Nephalem' ended on September 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDT (September 28, 2:00 AM CEST). Until Season 40 starts there is no active season for about four and a half days.
What happens to my Season 39 heroes and stash?
The heroes move to non-seasonal play; Paragon levels, gold and materials are added automatically. Items from the seasonal stash arrive by in-game mail and must be claimed within the deadline, or they are lost.
Do I need to download a patch for Season 40?
Blizzard has not announced a patch or maintenance for Season 40 (as of September 28, 2026). The season starts on the servers at the listed time.
Is there still a fourth Kanai's Cube slot in Season 40?
Blizzard has not announced it for Season 40. It belonged to the Season 39 theme — plan your builds with three slots until the start confirms it.
Which class should I play in Season 40?
Until Season 40 leaderboards exist, the tier list with the Season 39 state is the best guide; the Necromancer was the strongest class there. Pick your class before the start, because it decides the set from Haedrig's Gift.
Sources
- Blizzard: Season 40: Light's Calling Preview (Sep 12, 2026)
- Blizzard Support: article on the end of a season — mail, deadlines, Paragon, gold and materials
- Blizzard forums: Season start time on consoles (Nov 22, 2019) — console start on the Americas schedule
- Blizzard: Season 27: Light's Calling Preview (Aug 15, 2022) — rules and powers of the Angelic Crucibles
Changelog
- Sep 28, 2026: article published.
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