For the first time in the series, Diablo 4 went with a more open-world approach to exploration and gameplay. In previous games, players were typically limited to areas based on which Act they were in (excluding Adventure Mode in Diablo 3). Now, even after players have beat the campaign they have all of Sanctuary to explore. Since Diablo 4 is an open-world adventure, this also means that the world needed to be filled with things for players to discover.
While there are many dungeons and side quests to keep players busy for some time, there is also a series of outdoor-like dungeons called Strongholds. Strongholds are abandoned areas controlled by a group of enemies. What makes Strongholds unique is that once they are cleared out, they will often turn into an outpost where players gain access to vendors, Waypoints, and even dungeons. There are three Strongholds in the Dry Steppes, and here is where they can be found.
All Other Stronghold Locations |
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The Ruins of Qara-Yisu
The Ruins of Qara-Yisu is a Stronghold that can be found south of the Hidden Overlook. The objective for this Stronghold is to explore the ruins and discover what happened to this abandoned town. There are three Infernal Spires scattered across the Stronghold. Players will need to destroy all of them to proceed further with this Stronghold. Along the way, players should keep an eye out for Elites as they hit especially hard, and it is easy to get swarmed and overwhelmed due to whole small the area is.
Once all three Infernal Spires have been destroyed, head to the mines to find the boss. For the most part, Utulku is a pretty standard boss fight in Diablo 4. He spawns a bunch of adds (additional enemies) that need to be dealt with and also drops several series of red circles on the ground regularly. Avoid standing in the circles as they do a lot of damage. Upon completing the Ruins of Qara-Yish, players gain 100 Renown and unlock a Waypoint, a side quest, and two dungeons (Pallid Delve and Shifting City).
Temple of Rot
The Temple of Rot is north of Jirandai. The objective is to kill the Cannibal Champions in the area. It is recommended to free the prisoners, as they drop a potion charge for players to pick up. The boss spawns a lot of adds and leaves green circles that players will want to avoid standing in. After killing the boss, it transforms. The tactics remain the same, but it moves and attacks significantly faster. The only reward for completing Temple of Rot is 100 Renown.
The Onyx Watchtower
The third and final Stronghold in the Dry Steppes is the Onyx Watchtower, which is located southeast of Ked Bardu. The objective for this Stronghold is to destroy kill every bandit in sight and destroy the various equipment as well. Be on the lookout for the lieutenant, as they do need to be killed to spawn the boss. The boss teleports around and drops red circles on the ground that players will want to avoid standing in. The reward for clearing this Stronghold is 100 Renown, a Waypoint, two side quests, vendors, and the Onyx Hold dungeon.
Diablo 4 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.