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Diablo 4 World Tiers explained and how to change them

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Diablo 4 World Tiers determine enemy difficulty and the rewards you'll receive

Diablo 4 World Tiers selection box on character selection screen
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
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Diablo 4 World Tiers act as the game's difficulty levels, with each tier offering increasingly brutal enemies to fight and even greater rewards to earn. The easiest World Tier to play on is Adventurer but on higher tiers, you'll be getting increased XP, Gold, and special loot rarities, such as Sacred and Ancestral. World Tiers bring a risk-versus-reward system to Diablo 4 and you'll need to take your gear, build, and personal playstyle and skill into account when picking a World Tier. The Nightmare World Tier is also your ticket into the Diablo 4 endgame, so if you're interested in slaughtering your way through Sanctuary beyond the main story and Level 50, you'll want to know all about the available Diablo 4 World Tiers.

All Diablo 4 World Tiers

Diablo 4 World Tiers listed, looking at Veteran difficulty

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

There are currently four Diablo 4 World Tiers available, but you'll only have two of them available to you when starting out, as the other two must be unlocked much later - although a Diablo 4 dataminer uncovered evidence of World Tier 5 within the code, suggesting that an even harder option could be added in the future. Your initial World Tier choice will be between Adventurer (World Tier 1) and Veteran (World Tier 2), depending on how much previous experience you have with the Diablo series and whether you want to be challenged. The full rundown of World Tiers in Diablo 4 is as follows:

World Tier 1 - Adventurer

  • Available from the start as the default World Tier
  • For Levels 1-50
  • Enemies are easy to defeat.
  • Good for players that are new to Diablo, want to get through the story reasonably quickly, or just want a light challenge.

World Tier 2 - Veteran

  • Available from the start 
  • For Levels 1-50
  • Enemies are more challenging and monsters provide 20% more Experience and 15% more Gold.
  • For players who want a bit more of a challenge and a good starting for experienced Diablo players. This is also a good way to level up fast in Diablo 4 early on.

World Tier 3 - Nightmare

  • Unlocked by completing the campaign and the Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon in Kyovashad on World Tier 2
  • For Levels 50-70
  • Enemies are more formidable overall. Monsters provide double the normal amount of Experience, 15% more Gold, and overcome 20% of resistances.
  • Sacred and Unique Items can drop, Nightare Sigils for Nightmare Dungeons can also drop. Helltides can appear across Sanctuary. Finally, Champion monsters with damage resistance auras can spawn. 
  • For players entering the Diablo 4 endgame in search of greater challenges after completing the main story.

World Tier 4 - Torment

  • Unlocked by completing the Fallen Temple Capstone Dungeon in the Dry Steppes on World Tier 3
  • For Levels 70+
  • Ancestral Items and additional Unique Items can drop
  • Enemies are extremely tough. Monsters provide triple the normal amount of Experience, 15% more Gold, and overcome 40% of resistances.
  • For players deep into the endgame of Diablo 4 that are looking for the ultimate challenge the game has to offer.

How to change Diablo 4 World Tiers

Diablo 4 World Tiers

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

There are two ways to change Diablo 4 World Tiers, with the first being accessible from the main Character Select screen. After highlighting the character you want to use, the box on the right hand side will tell you your current World Tier, and the Change World Tier button underneath will let you switch to a different one from those you've unlocked so far.

Within the game itself, you can also visit the World Tier Statue in Kyovashad and interact with it to change your World Tier – this is not the same as the Diablo 4 Altars of Lilith that can be found all over the map. The statue just outside the Cathedral of Light in Kyovashad appears to be the only World Tier statue around Sanctuary. Remember that if you're using Diablo 4 crossplay or multiplayer in general, you'll need to be in the same World Tier as your friends so you can connect to each other.

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Iain Wilson
Iain Wilson
Guides Editor

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has well over 900 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.

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