So far, the four world tiers represent the difficulty level at which you play Diablo 4. Players have long criticized the system. In Season 6, that will change, as Blizzard is shaking things up.
What exactly are players criticizing? In Diablo 4, there are currently four difficulty levels: world tier 1 to 4. Especially since Season 4, the levels have been a major point of criticism, as raising the XP players level up simply too quickly, but can only play on world tiers 1 and 2.
While players already reach high levels in the campaign, the enemies at world tier 2 remain at a maximum level of 50. This specifically means: You quickly outlevel the enemies and have little opportunity to find a greater challenge.
You currently unlock world tiers 3 and 4 through specific dungeons. This also means: You have to go through the same dungeons again each season and with every new character.
What problems exist in the endgame? With world tier 4, you have reached the maximum regarding the endgame and the open world of Sanctuary. Many players then lose interest in going through activities in the world and primarily stick to endgame content, where they can help determine the difficulty level.
The Pit as the “Backbone of the Difficulty Levels”
Concerning the endgame activities, there is currently the problem that the difficulty levels seem confusing. In the YouTube livestream, systems designer Aislyn Hall explained that the goal is for many activities to “remain interesting, exciting, and entertaining for as long as possible”.
However, the current difficulty levels, especially for endgame activities, are simply not comparable. She states:
In the current game, you go into pit level 50 and think it’s the difficulty of level 50. Then you go into a nightmare dungeon of level 50, and it feels completely different, and then you go into hell hordes at level 8 and think: wait a second, this is extremely difficult compared to the others.
The difficulty grades are simply not comparable. We want to create a fairer playing field so that the difficulty level is easier to understand and there is a common language and experience for everyone.
Aislyn Hall, Timestamp 46:46 minutes in YouTube livestream
What should change? Season 6 aims to fundamentally change the system. The new difficulty levels should ensure that players have a more consistent experience across all activities at a given level. If you play at “Torment 2”, all content has the level of that tier.
Currently, the pit is an “excellent benchmark for assessing the strength of a character.” Thus, with the revision, the pit is to become the “backbone of the difficulty levels,” Hall explains. Even in an interview at gamescom 2024, the developers explained to us that the pit is a great way to communicate with people.
The Pit was introduced in Season 4 of Diablo 4. In this season, the item system was also completely overhauled:
4 Difficulty Levels, 4 Torment Levels
What does the new system look like? The world tiers will become difficulty levels. The first four levels are supposed to according to Blizzard accompany you on the way to the new max level of 60:
- Normal (easy challenge) – unlocked by default
- Hard (more difficult challenge) – unlocked by default
- Expert (more difficult challenge) – unlocked after completing the prologue of Diablo 4
- Penitent (increased risks, preparation for the new Torment difficulty levels) – unlocked after the campaign/after skipping the campaign
This enables you already within the campaign to face a greater challenge in the game. Once you reach level 50, you will unlock “Penitent,” which serves as preparation for the new Torment levels (short: Torment).
With the Torment levels, the endgame activities really begin. Your progress is linked to the pit, meaning: if you complete higher pit levels, the Torment difficulty level available to you increases. And the higher the Torment, the more likely you are to get legendaries and ancestral items.
Once you reach level 60, you unlock pit levels 1-20. If you complete level 20 in the pit, you unlock Torment 1. The higher the Torment you play, the more your armor and resistance values additionally decrease:
- Torment 1: -250 armor and -25% on all resistances
- achieved after completing pit level 20
- Torment 2: -500 armor and -50% on all resistances
- achieved after completing pit level 35
- Torment 3: -750 armor and -75% on all resistances
- achieved after completing pit level 50
- Torment 4: -1000 armor and -100% on all resistances
- achieved after completing pit level 65
What about monster levels? In Diablo 4, monsters can currently be up to 100 levels above the player level. This is hard to grasp, explains Aislyn Hall in the stream. After the update, the level of monsters will no longer be displayed. They will also adjust to the difficulty level at which you are playing.
The new difficulty levels are intended to be a support in Diablo 4, through which you can determine the level of your challenge yourself. Some of you will soon be able to test the new system, as Blizzard will provide a PTR (Public Test Realm) for the new content next week.
