Battle.net announces the second season for Diablo III is now live. They point the way to a previously posted preview for an outline of what this entails. Here's a bit on how conquests are being handled this time:

Some Conquests in Season 1 provided great gameplay experiences. On the flip side, some also drove gameplay that was less than desirable and, more importantly, not very fun. In Season 2, this observation has guided which Conquests are returning, which are not, and how we implemented new Conquests.

You'll see the return of Conquests that encourage long-term goals, such as It’s a Marathon and Sprinter. Reaching a specific Greater Rift level or rushing through Campaign mode from Act I to Act V are activities that encourage a variety of gameplay, some of which is outside the norm. In addition, while they offer a clear goal, they also encourage you to push harder for better results.

You can see this ideal in our new Conquests: Avaritia, Worlds Apart, and Language. These are difficult tasks to achieve and might take some out-of-the-box thinking. Be prepared to challenge yourself—not just through a quest for gear, but through experimentation and trial and error. We hope you're looking forward to taking a crack at these Conquests just as much as we are!

For the same reason we haven't provided Paragon leaderboards, we'd like Seasonal gameplay to be interesting and varied. Leveling achievements encourage the exact opposite style of play. We found that Race to the Top and Living Dangerously produced these unwanted results, so these Conquests will not be returning in Season 2.