Diablo 4: Level Scaling, Explained (2024)

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  • Level Scaling by Region in Diablo 4

  • How Multiplayer Level Scaling Works In Diablo 4

  • Strongholds, Nightmare Dungeons, and Endgame Events

Diablo 4 is more accessible than its predecessors thanks to the way it approaches level scaling. There are three things that make the game scale enemies differently in Diablo 4: region, multiplayer, and special events that force enemies to be at a higher level than normal. No matter how high a level players get in Diablo 4, the game will always scale content and enemies to their level.

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Some fans have issues with this new system as it inhibits a true feeling of progression – when a player gets stronger, so do enemies, thus some players don't feel like they are getting more powerful. Whether you dislike it or not, this is how level scaling works in Diablo 4, and why it's important to understand to maximize your efficiency.

Level Scaling by Region in Diablo 4

Diablo 4: Level Scaling, Explained (1)

In Diablo 4, regions scale to players in different ways, and late-game zones aren't accessible until a little bit further in. The Fractured Peaks scales from the beginning of the game, Scosglen and the Dry Steppes begin scaling at level 10 and 15 respectively, then Kehjistan and Hawezar begin scaling at Level 35. Sub-zones within each of these zones can have higher level requirements, too, going up to Level 45 for certain areas of Hawezar.

After reaching Level 45, though, every zone in Diablo 4 will scale to players' level. There are also World Tiers that can be unlocked, which introduce a base level for all enemies when enabled. At World Tier 3, all enemies will be at least level 50 to 70, and scale past 70 at World Tier 4.

How Multiplayer Level Scaling Works In Diablo 4

Diablo 4: Level Scaling, Explained (2)

Multiplayer is a heavily emphasized part of Diablo 4 and players are encouraged to form groups when taking on dungeons, world events, and XP farming. It doesn't actually matter all members in a group are the same level, though. Hailed by many fans as a highlight of Diablo 4's cooperative play, enemies will almost always scale down to players' levels individually.

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For example, say a Level 20 player joins a group with a Level 60. Both players will see enemies scale to their own level, so the Level 20 player will never be obliterated by a Level 60 dungeon boss, and the Level 60 player won't one-shot Level 20 bosses. Instead, both players take on a version of the enemy with stats appropriate for their characters. This helps a lot with catching friends up without feeling left behind, because rewards also drop individually, and a Level 60 can still find unique Legendaries while farming dungeons with a Level 20 player.

Strongholds, Nightmare Dungeons, and Endgame Events

Diablo 4: Level Scaling, Explained (3)

Throughout the majority of the game after level 45 ish, content will scale 1:1 to players' levels. However, certain unique events will over-level enemies for an additional challenge. Included in this are Strongholds, Helltides, Capstone Dungeons, and Nightmare Dungeons.

Strongholds will always feature enemies two levels above the player's level. Because of this, it's a great idea to save Strongholds until higher World Tiers have been unlocked, as they provide great XP thanks to the buff players get when taking on enemies above their level, and an easy way to get a chunk of Renown.

Helltides are only accessible once players have unlocked World Tier 3, and will always have enemies that are two levels above a player's, just like Strongholds. However, Helltides are repeatable on a bi-hourly basis in new locations.

Capstone Dungeons will always be scaled for Level 50 and 70, for World Tier 3 and 4 respectively. Nightmare Dungeons, on the other hand, will scale based on its own level plus 54. So, a level 20 Nightmare Dungeon on World Tier 3 will feature enemies at level 74. Nightmare Dungeons in World Tier 4 can only be completed at Nightmare Tier 21 or above, which means enemies will always be at least Level 75.

Diablo 4 is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S

Diablo 4: Level Scaling, Explained (2024)

FAQs

Diablo 4: Level Scaling, Explained? ›

There are three things that make the game scale enemies differently in Diablo 4: region, multiplayer, and special events that force enemies to be at a higher level than normal. No matter how high a level players get in Diablo 4, the game will always scale content and enemies to their level.

How does level scaling in Diablo 4 work? ›

Diablo 4 scaling works by matching most enemies, bosses, and events to your current character level, whether you're in single-player or multiplayer.

How does Diablo 4 leveling work? ›

When you make a fresh character, you'll start at level one. As you complete campaign missions or kill enemies, you'll gain XP, level up, and earn skill points to improve your build. This is pretty standard RPG stuff. This will continue until you reach level 50.

Does leveling up make you weaker Diablo 4? ›

Yes, it has. You will feel weaker after each level up (monsters get more hp) unless you loot some extra strong items to compensate for the level scaling.

Do higher level enemies give more XP in Diablo 4? ›

Tip: Since a monster's base XP value scales up linearly according to their level, fighting higher level monsters (up to the maximum level offset) is much more valuable on low character levels compared to high character levels where the impact of each additional monster level is not as high compared to its total XP ...

Can you overlevel Diablo 4? ›

The maximum level in Diablo 4 is Level 100, although the whole levelling system is sort of split in two. From Levels 1-50, you need to get XP to level up and will be rewarded with one Skill Point per level.

Are strongholds always higher level Diablo 4? ›

Unlike other areas in the game, or even the Dungeons that you can explore, Strongholds will always be rated at least 2 levels above your character, meaning that the enemies you face will be a very hard threat, and only characters that are grouped with you can help.

What happens after level 50 in Diablo 4? ›

At level 50, the Paragon Board will become available to your character, allowing for further customization outside of your main Skills. Each board contains various types of tiles that can offer anything from basic stat boosts to new Legendary Powers.

What is the easiest class to level in Diablo 4? ›

The great news about Diablo 4 is all the classes — including Druid, Sorcerer, and Rogue — all have simple builds and complex builds. While Barbarian and Necromancer are probably the easiest for most players, they might not be the best first choice for you.

How long does it take to get to level 100 in Diablo 4? ›

And Blizzard's Joseph Piepiora revealed via Twitter that it would take the average player more than 150 hours to reach level 100. This means that players who want to reach max level on each character class can expect to spend a staggering 750 hours in the game.

Does difficulty affect loot in Diablo 4? ›

Whether you're a total newcomer or a seasoned vet, there's an option to match your skills, playstyle, and experience. But, the greater the risk, the greater the reward, and playing on a harder difficulty setting grants you the chance to earn more XP, more gold, and better loot drops.

Do world tiers affect loot Diablo 4? ›

Loot Tiers Explained

You won't start seeing Sacred until World Tier 3 and Ancestral until World Tier 4. These Tiers simply offer increased stats and can affect gear of all rarities. They also scale closer to your level.

What is the most op class in Diablo 4? ›

The best class in Diablo 4 is the Rogue.

The Twisting Blades Rogue is an incredibly powerful build thanks to its ability to consistently inflict enemies with the Vulnerable and Infect status effects.

Does Diablo 4 scale with level? ›

No matter how high a level players get in Diablo 4, the game will always scale content and enemies to their level. Some fans have issues with this new system as it inhibits a true feeling of progression – when a player gets stronger, so do enemies, thus some players don't feel like they are getting more powerful.

What gives the most XP in Diablo 4? ›

Nightmare Dungeons serve as your main source of XP at later World Tiers. These dungeons award tons of XP, valuable Glyph XP which is required to level Paragon Glyphs. Clearing Nightmare Dungeons also has a reasonable chance of dropping Unique items, so you'll be progressing your character on multiple fronts.

Do aspects scale with level in Diablo 4? ›

Actually the bonuses do scale with level, as do the aspects on them. Further more the type of gear that drops increase in rarity as you ascend. In wt3 you can get sacred, and in wt4 you can get ancestral. And to top that off, you can improve them at a smith/jeweler and those affixes will increase even more.

How does respec work in Diablo 4? ›

You'll have two options: refund each individual skill point, or reassign all skills with the 'refund all' option in the build menu. To respec an individual skill, open your 'Abilities' menu and hover over the skill you want to refund. You'll see how much it will cost to refund at the bottom of the description box.

How does the skill tree work in Diablo 4? ›

Diablo 4 Skill Tree Mechanic & System

Once they start to amass a certain amount of Skill Points, they can then spend them to acquire different nodes of Skills. Upon successfully spending a certain number of nodes Skill Points in total, the next cluster connected to the acquired Skills in the tree will be unlocked.

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