Diablo 4 introduces a host of new mechanics dedicated to optimizing the experience of slaying demons across Sanctuary and giving players the best chance of survival in an unforgiving world. One of these features new to Diablo 4 is the World Tier system that governs the game's difficulty with a total of four tiers for players to experience. Each of these World Tiers has its own benefits and drawbacks, so new players jumping in for the first time will want to make sure they're choosing the World Tier that suits their needs the best.
When first starting the game, players will only have the choice between two difficulty options: World Tier 1: Adventurer and World Tier 2: Veteran, representing the "easy" and "normal" difficulties for Diablo 4, and players will be able to switch between them via the main menu or the World Tier statues found inside major in-game cities. In order to reach World Tier 3: Nightmare and World Tier 4: Torment, players will need to reach level 50 and complete that World Tier's Capstone Dungeon. This may sound intimidating to some, but getting off on the right foot and choosing the appropriate World Tier from the start can help set players up for success in the late game.
The Pros and Cons of World Tier 1: Adventurer
The lowest World Tier in Diablo 4, Adventurer, offers players the easiest difficulty in the game and is ideal for players who are brand new to the Diablo series or ARPGs in general. On this difficulty, enemies are easier to defeat, putting up very little challenge for players who want to feel invincible as they mow down hoards of demons. This World Tier can be a great way to get the basic Diablo experience and learn the mechanics of the game without having to worry about feeling overwhelmed by build optimization or grinding for the best equipment.
The downside to playing in the Adventurer World Tier is that enemies drop less exciting rewards compared to higher World Tiers when slain. While it may be nice for new players to use this difficulty as a way to familiarize themselves with the mechanics of Diablo 4, it can end up taking much longer to level up a character when enemies are not giving out as much experience when defeated as they would in higher World Tiers. Players who start out in World Tier 1 may find themselves wanting to bump up to World Tier 2 shortly into the game as a result.
The Pros and Cons of World Tier 2: Veteran
The other World Tier players can choose from the start is World Tier 2: Veteran which acts as the standard difficulty for players who are familiar with the Diablo series or other ARPGs. This World Tier offers players better rewards for defeating enemies like 20 percent more experience and 15 percent more gold. For players who feel like they have a handle on Diablo 4's combat, this is the ideal starting difficulty since it allows for faster character leveling than World Tier 1 and is recommended for most Diablo 4 players.
This higher difficulty does mean enemies will be tougher to defeat and players may have to think more strategically about their skill tree investments and equipment in order to survive more challenging combat encounters. It's important to note that enemies scale with the player's level regardless of which World Tier they are in, so grinding and over-leveling in order to beat a difficult foe isn't really possible. Luckily, there's always the option to drop to World Tier 1 if things are getting a bit too challenging, giving Diablo 4 great accessibility for players of all skill levels.
Diablo 4 is available now in early access with its full launch coming June 6 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.