Diablo 4's World Tiers Will Be Gatekept By Powerful World Bosses

Diablo IV's World Tier difficulty system won't allow players to increase the game's difficulty with the mere press of a button, instead requiring players defeat powerful world bosses in order to move to higher World Tiers.

The new information about how Diablo IV's endgame works comes via an interview with IGN, where Diablo IV game director Joe Shely and Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson dive deep on the game's World Tier system and all that it entails.

Players will have access to World Tier 1 or World Tier 2 from the very start of the game, with the first tier designed for those new to the Diablo series and those who may just want to enjoy the game's story without worrying too much about the difficulty of combat. World Tier 2 is for players who want a little more challenge. Starting at level 50, players will then be able to start progressing through additional World Tiers, with each new World Tier increasing the game's difficulty but also rewarding better and more rare loot.

The catch is that advancing to a new World Tier can't be done with the press of a button like in Diablo III or Diablo Immortal, but must be unlocked by defeating challenging world bosses. World Tier 3, 4, and 5 will each have a boss that must be defeated in order to progress, and there's even an "end of endgame boss" designed for level-100 characters that is said to be "extremely difficult."

Quarterly updates about Diablo IV from Blizzard have revealed how classes will have unique mechanics, like the Necromancer's Book of the Dead, as well as how the game's Paragon Board endgame progression system will work. Amidst pay-to-win concerns levied at the free-to-play mobile game Diablo Immortal, Blizzard has said Diablo IV will not feature any way for players to pay for power, though the game will include a cosmetic shop and battle pass.

Diablo IV is slated to release sometime in the first half of 2023, with recent rumors suggesting an April release date.