Diablo IV allows you to set your own difficulty level in the form of it’s World Tiers system. Not all Tiers will be available to you when you start a new game, or even with a new character - you will have to level them up considerably first, but each new Tier opens up the possibility of gaining XP quicker and better loot. Let’s check out the differences so you know what you are getting yourself into.

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There are four World Tiers in Diablo 4 at launch.

All Difficulties in Diablo 4¶

Difficulties are back in the form of World Tiers for Diablo 4 and you’ll get certain bonuses the higher you go. Of course, the trade-off is that you’ll be coming across increasingly stronger enemies. The first two Tiers are designed for your first run through Diablo 4, but both Nightmare and Torment are designed for after beating the campaign the first time, you’ll want to be at the recommended Levels before even attempting them (they’re locked to begin with).

Word Tier I - Adventurer¶

The easiest difficulty that Diablo 4 offers and one that you should pick if it’s your first time playing a Diablo (or ARPG) game or if you’re just trying to get through the campaign for the first time as quickly as possible.

World Tier II - Veteran¶

The second of the game’s two “normal” difficulties, World Tier 2 (Veteran) increases enemy stats, but compensates you by giving you more EXP and gold. Whether this is enough to counterbalance the slower killrate is another matter, and if you just want to get to the endgame faster, you might want to leave the game on World Tier 1. The only time there’s a good reason (gameplay-wise) to upgrade to World Tier 2 is when you’re trying to clear the [Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon] and unlock World Tier 3.

World Tier III - Nightmare.¶

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Nightmare difficulty introduces a lot of new elements.

World Tier III is where the difficulty takes a massive step up, and for many players this is where the game really starts! Before you can even switch to this Tier, you’ll need to first complete the Campaign and the [Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon] found in Kyovashad while on World Tier 2. The recommended level for this hell hole is Level 50, although you can obviously attempt it earlier should you so choose.

You’ll gain the ability to obtain Sacred and Unique items as drops on this World Tier, along with Nightmare Sigils that allow you to access Nightmare dungeons, one of the end-game activities. The trade-off here, however, is that both Helltide Events and Champion monsters will start appearing, along with them having the ability to overcome 20% Resistance… effectively dealing more damage to you.

Also - and this goes unstated - drops will start scaling to your level better in World Tier 3. In World Tier 1 and World Tier 2, gear tends to only scale to around level 43~, but drops in World Tier 3 scale to level 50+.

World Tier IV - Torment¶

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Torment is the hardest difficulty in Diablo 4 at launch.

The ultimate challenge in Diablo 4 at launch requires you to beat the Fallen Temple Capstone Dungeon found in northeastern Dry Steppes while on World Tier III.

The main new feature here are the appearance of Ancestral items, along with new Unique items added to the loot pool. You’ll also gain a massive 200% increased Exp for defeating monsters. The trade-off this time around are even tougher enemies that now have the ability to overcome 40% Resistance. You’ll want a group when playing this World Tier when you first begin this difficulty.