In Diablo 4, the crafting system “Tempering” has been causing frustration for months. The reason: it is based on pure chance. But Blizzard has listened and is now announcing changes.
What is this crafting system? With Tempering, you have since Season 4 the ability to imprint additional affixes on your gear at the blacksmith. To get the most out of it, players in the upper tier want to strengthen and continuously improve the right stats.
This is the criticism: However, tempering is luck-based – and that’s what’s causing frustration since the system was integrated. If the desired improvement doesn’t work, the item is considered “bricked” or “destroyed.” While there is the Scroll of Restoration, which resets your limited attempts, players quickly lose motivation if they have bad luck twice.
While Blizzard has made some minor quality-of-life adjustments – such as saving the last used guide to save a few clicks – the core problem remains: too much luck, too little control.
Blizzard is working on “a lot of big topics”
What does Blizzard want to change? In a post on X, Community Director Adam Fletcher explained that they are currently working on adjustments to the two crafting systems Tempering and Completion. He wrote:
In the coming weeks, we will present the changes that will soon be available in the PTR (Public Test Realm). This time a little earlier than usual, as there are a lot of big topics to cover – including changes to Completion and Tempering, combat and region progression updates, and more!
So the PTR for Season 11 will be particularly important. Blizzard wants players to test the new systems early and provide feedback. What specific changes are planned remains open. However, the “random principle” of Tempering, which causes frustration, is one of the biggest points of criticism.
The studio has shown in the past that it reacts to player feedback, for example with adjustments to the hell hordes or the introduction of Chaos-uniques, which represent an exciting seasonal mechanic. And Season 10 is indeed one of the most successful seasons:
“Season 11 could be a turning point”
How is the announcement received? The announcement is being discussed in a Reddit thread and is mostly well received. Here are a few opinions from the comments:
- not_ondrugs: “Tempering changes – I can’t wait! I rolled the same stat about eight times in a row last night. Yes, I used a scroll.”
- Deidarac5: “Looks like Season 11 will be another complete turning point like Season 4, which completely changed the game. […] and hopefully the season also brings new systems, rather than just fixing old ones.”
- Greyfire10: “Tempering needs to change – if you […] roll the same stat six times in a row and ruin the item, that’s just not fun. Players need more control over this process. Leaving it to chance is a poor excuse for an outdated gameplay concept. RNG is great for drops, but not for customization. Get rid of it.”
- tFlydr: “For heaven’s sake – just let me choose which tempering I want! If I put it on an item, there should be only a minimal roll, and every reroll should randomly choose a value within the range, instead of completely swapping the affix. Still RNG, but not complete agony.”
- Complex_Outcome1311 (thread starter): “Remember: Blizzard had already planned 10 seasons, which were finished. […] and now that Rod Ferguson is gone, the game is heading in a new direction.”
When will the changes come to the game? There is no exact date for the PTR for Season 11 yet. The final changes will likely come in Season 11 in Diablo 4, which according to the roadmap starts in December 2025. So until the end of Season 10, you still have the opportunity to utilize the seasonal mechanics – such as the new uniques. And an expert shares tips on how to quickly get Chaos-uniques in Diablo 4.
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