Diablo 4 Season 6’s Difficulty Changes Explained

The sixth season of Diablo 4 is finally here and is making some major changes to the core game. It should come as no surprise that this new update to Diablo 4 has made it out now, as its appearance coincides with the release of the game’s first expansion pack, Vessel of Hatred. With a bevy of unique content including a new region, a new class, and a new endgame dungeon to explore, Blizzard’s latest game looks to expand on the base game’s lore and mechanics in a big way.

One way in which Diablo 4 will be overhauling itself is with the inclusion of new difficulty options. As the 2.0 patch hits Diablo 4, the current World Tiers system will be replaced entirely with a new set of difficulty levels, providing an entirely different level of challenge for new and returning players. This new system will also emphasize choice and give players the opportunity to tether the game to their own distinct preferences, while also opening the door for some major challenge.

Diablo 4’s Eight Difficulty Options Explained

Diablo 4 Comes With Four Standard Difficulty Settings

Diablo 4’s latest update brings with it four Standard Difficulties, helping move the player through the process of reaching the new level cap of 60. The four Standard Difficulties are Normal, Hard, Expert, and Penitent. Naturally, the amount of gold and experience players receive will rise upon each increase in difficulty, and these options serve as the way to unlock the second set of difficulty levels.

Not all of these options will be unlocked from the start, as only Normal and Hard will be the default options. The Expert difficulty will be available to players once they complete the prologue of Diablo 4, which takes a few hours to get through. On the other hand, Penitent is unlocked once the player reaches Level 50, meaning players should get ready to grind if they want to reach the highest Standard Difficulty.

Diablo 4 Adds Four More Challenging Difficulties

Those options are not the only difficulty levels being added to Diablo 4, as there will also be a set of four Torment Difficulties. Naturally, these will provide an even greater challenge in Diablo 4 than the Penitent option, and completing them will be the mark of a hardcore Diablo player. Much like the Standard Difficulties, there are four Torment Difficulties, all of which are reached after hitting the Level 60 cap.

These endgame Torment Difficulties are tied to the Pit, which unlocks upon reaching Level 60. As players clear out levels in the Pit and reach higher levels there, the Torment Difficulties will also increase. Torment Tier I appears upon beating Pit Tier 20, Torment II unlocks after finishing Pit Tier 35, Torment III is available after completing Pit Tier 50, and Torment IV becomes playable upon getting through Pit Tier 65.

Torment Difficulties In Diablo 4 Will Be Brutal

Torment Difficulties will be a true test, especially as they introduce a new feature known as Curses. With these Curses, Armor and Resistances are reduced in Diablo 4 as players move through difficulty options. Torment 1 drops Armor by -250 and All Resist by -25%, Torment 2 sets Armor down by -500 and All Resist by -50%, Torment 3 drops Armor down by -750 and All Resist by -75%, and Torment 4 shoots players all the way down -1000 Armor and -100% All Resist.

Doing away with the World Tiers in favor of difficulty settings will afford players greater choice to play at their own pace in Diablo 4. What’s more, it also serves as a major test for hardcore Diablo players and gives brand-new levels of challenge to incentivize increased playtime. Whether it’s new players or returning players, Diablo 4’s new difficulty settings are an exciting addition to the Vessel of Hatred expansion.

Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.
This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.