Diablo 4 players use a 27-year-old trick to best The Butcher

Diablo 4
(Image credit: Blizzard)

Diablo 4's Butcher is falling victim to the same exploit from 27 years ago.

If you didn't already know, The Butcher has been terrorizing Diablo players since back in the 1990s. The fear-inducing enemy could be trapped behind a locked door in the original Diablo, and it's this trick that players are now using all over again to slay the Butcher in Diablo 4.

As first reported by Icy-Veins, Diablo 4 players are now trapping the Butcher behind doors, and repeatedly attacking the heckin' large brute until he falls down dead. There's nothing the Butcher can do to the player from behind the door, so it's basically an exploit that only works one way.

Fresh meat? Not me, bro. from r/diablo4

This is just about one of the best "cheesing" strategies in Diablo 4. The player below certainly felt no remorse locking the Butcher behind a locker door and bludgeoning him to death over the course of four minutes, and when you consider how the enemy has been haunting players for near two months now, you can hardly blame them. 

The Butcher spawned behind a locked door, and I felt no remorse cheesing him from r/diablo4

And yes, this really has been happening for 27 years. The video below shows the Butcher could get trapped behind a door back in the very first Diablo, getting pelted by arrows and spells repeatedly until he fell over dead. That was just one way to exploit the Butcher back in the original game, keep in mind, but it was one of the more reliable methods of killing him.

As we alluded to earlier, we really can't blame Diablo 4 players for cheesing the Butcher. Earlier this month, a patch rendered elite builds null and void against the Butcher, as nerfs to a wide variety of classes meant players were getting slain in just a few seconds, or even fleeing entirely. The Butcher is not to be trifled with, except for when he's stuck behind a door.

You can read our Diablo 4 Halls of the Damned guide for a look at how to guarantee yourself a Legendary Aspect. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.