Diablo 4 won't have Ancient items, Blizzard confirms

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Blizzard says a new, unnamed consumable will replace Ancient items in Diablo 4

Diablo 4 PVP
(Image credit: Blizzard)

Blizzard has announced that they don't plan to include Ancient items in Diablo 4, a decision the studio says was based on feedback from the community. In the second developer update focusing on Diablo 4's system design, Blizzard detailed how they plan on handling a few hot button issues, including affixes, attack and defense changes, and Ancient items (or the lack thereof).

The removal of Ancient items and the introduction of a new consumable should "[address] the usefulness of Rare (Yellow) items as well as [increase] the depth and complexity of player gear choices in the endgame," Blizzard says. The new consumable will only be found by looting monsters in the late endgame and will come with one random Legendary affix, which can then be applied to any non-legendary item.

As for how affixes themselves will work in Diablo 4, Blizzard says they're considering a few updates to the system. For one, by increasing the amount of fixes on items, Blizzard hopes to "raise the overall importance of non-Legendary affixes on your character’s overall level of power." There are also three new stats coming to Diablo 4: Angelic Power, which extends the duration of beneficial effects; Demonic Power, which extends the duration of negative effects; and Ancestral Power, which increases the chance of on-hit effects.

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Finally, Diablo 4 will restrict attack stats to weapons and defense stats to armor, and you won't find either stat on jewelry. Blizzard says this was another community-influenced decision designed to "better embrace the fantasy of each type of item." 

Starting in February, we'll start getting more substantive updates on Diablo 4's development, but now's the time to make your voice heard. As with earlier updates, Blizzard wrapped up the update by asking for feedback from the community about the ideas brought to the table, which of course aren't 100% set in stone. 

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Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.