Diablo 3 Season 40 Conquests Guide: The Easiest Challenges and How to Beat Them

Diablo III Season 40 has brought back Angelic Crucibles, spectacularly overpowered builds and the familiar pleasure of reducing entire screens of demons to colourful explosions. But eventually, every seasonal character encounters something considerably more dangerous than the Prime Evils: the Season Journey checklist. And this time, that means completing Conquests.

Blizzard has brought back five familiar challenges for Season 40, ranging from straightforward Legendary Gem upgrades to an ambitious race against sixteen bosses. Fortunately, you do not need to complete all five. Two Conquests are required for the Conqueror tier, while three are needed to finish the Guardian tier. Choosing the right ones can save hours of unnecessary farming, several failed attempts and the occasional unpleasant conversation with your monitor.

We previously covered the return of Light's Calling and Angelic Crucibles. Now it is time to put those seasonal powers to practical use.

All Five Diablo 3 Season 40 Conquests

• Speed Demon / Need for Speed: Complete a level 70 Nephalem Rift on Torment X within two minutes.
• On a Good Day / I Can't Stop: Upgrade three Legendary Gems to rank 65.
• Boss Mode / Worlds Apart: Defeat the sixteen required bosses on Torment X within twenty minutes of starting a game.
• Curses! / Stars Align: Kill at least 350 monsters during one level 70 Cursed Chest event on Torment X.
• Years of War / Dynasty: Complete a solo Greater Rift 55 using the bonuses of six qualifying class sets.

The second name in each pair is its Hardcore equivalent. The requirements remain the same, although the consequences of a badly timed mistake become considerably more permanent.

1. On a Good Day: The Easiest Conquest for Most Players

Requirement: Level three Legendary Gems to rank 65.

This is our first recommendation because it fits naturally into normal endgame progression. You are already running Greater Rifts to improve equipment, earn experience and upgrade your Legendary Gems. All this Conquest asks is that you continue doing so until three gems reach level 65.

Choose three gems you intend to use, farm Greater Rift Keystones and run Greater Rifts comfortably above the gems' current levels. Higher rifts improve the chance of successful upgrades. When possible, empower your runs and avoid dying to gain additional upgrade attempts.

There is no unusual map to find, no boss route to memorise and no requirement to play another class. It is simply Diablo III doing what Diablo III does best: rewarding you for repeating an activity until the numbers become larger.

2. Speed Demon: Two Minutes of Absolute Chaos

Requirement: Complete a level 70 Torment X Nephalem Rift within two minutes.

Speed Demon sounds intimidating, but Diablo III's modern power levels make it surprisingly approachable. The important factor is movement speed, not maximum Greater Rift damage. A character capable of clearing Torment XVI comfortably should have more than enough damage for Torment X.

Use a dedicated speed-farming setup with mobility skills, wide-area damage and minimal downtime. Gears of Dreadlands Demon Hunter, Aegis of Valor Fist of the Heavens Crusader and other fast-clearing builds are excellent candidates. Season 40's returning Angelic Crucibles and Sanctified Powers can make some of these setups even more effective.

Open a Nephalem Rift, immediately concentrate on killing large groups and elites, and avoid stopping to collect every item. If the map contains long empty corridors or awkward dead ends, restart and look for a better layout. A group can make this easier, but a properly equipped solo character can complete it without difficulty.

Remember, the objective is speed. That legendary item lying on the ground will still be there after the Rift Guardian is dead.

3. Boss Mode: The Best Third Conquest for Coordinated Groups

Requirement: Kill all sixteen required bosses on Torment X within twenty minutes of entering the game.

Boss Mode is much easier with a coordinated group, although experienced solo players can complete it with a fast character. The biggest obstacle is not damage. It is travelling between bosses without wasting time.

Start with the bosses that involve long journeys or extended encounters, including Adria, Urzael, Diablo and Malthael. Use movement skills and ignore unnecessary enemies. In a group, split up to locate bosses, then invite the other players into the encounters. Everyone seeking credit must participate in the boss fights.

Important: The timer begins when the game starts, not when you kill your first boss. Vidian is not part of the required list, so do not waste precious minutes hunting him.

We recommend attempting this Conquest after your build can comfortably destroy Torment X bosses. If a single encounter takes several minutes, spend more time gearing before starting the stopwatch.

4. Curses!: Find the Right Chest Before You Start Fighting

Requirement: Kill 350 monsters during a single Torment X Cursed Chest event.

This is the Conquest most likely to make players question their own damage output. You can have an extraordinary build, kill everything instantly and still fail because the wrong Cursed Chest simply does not spawn enough monsters.

The best location is The Cursed Peat in Act V's Paths of the Drowned. Look for the Cursed Chest event at the top of the raised stone structure. You can find it when the associated bounty is active, but the event may also appear without the bounty.

Once you find it, use a build with excellent continuous area damage. Multishot Demon Hunter and other builds capable of clearing enemies immediately as they spawn are particularly effective. A full group can make reaching 350 kills significantly easier.

Console players should be aware that community reports have described difficulties reaching the required kill count, even with powerful builds. Enemy spawn behaviour can become a limiting factor, making this less reliable than it first appears.

Our advice is simple: do not spend an entire evening attempting random Cursed Chests. Find The Cursed Peat, bring enough area damage and preferably invite a few friends.

5. Years of War: Easy Combat, Expensive Preparation

Requirement: Complete a solo Greater Rift 55 with the bonuses of six qualifying class sets.

Years of War is not especially difficult from a combat perspective. Greater Rift 55 is relatively modest for a properly equipped seasonal character. The real challenge is collecting enough different class sets.

You will generally need two characters from different classes, because no single class has enough qualifying sets to complete all six requirements alone. Collect several sets on your main character, then level an alternative character and finish the remaining clears using its class sets.

Haedrig's Gift helps you get started, although it provides only one complete set per season across your account. As we discussed in our earlier coverage of Diablo III's seasonal progression, class sets remain the backbone of getting a fresh seasonal character ready for endgame activities.

If you already enjoy playing multiple classes, Years of War is an excellent third Conquest. If you only want one character this season, however, Boss Mode will probably be more efficient.

Which Three Conquests Should You Complete?

For most players, we recommend beginning with On a Good Day and Speed Demon. Both fit naturally into normal seasonal farming and require little additional preparation.

For the third Conquest, choose Boss Mode if you have a fast build or a coordinated group. Choose Curses! if you have excellent area damage and can find The Cursed Peat. Choose Years of War if you already have a second character or enjoy collecting complete class sets.

There is little reason to complete every available challenge unless you enjoy the extra objectives. Diablo III's Season Journey already provides enough tasks to occupy your evenings, and as we explored when discussing why Diablo III remains enjoyable in 2026, one of its greatest strengths is how quickly you can establish a powerful character and start making meaningful progress.

Season 40 is a particularly good example. Angelic Crucibles offer absurd character power, Haedrig's Gift provides a clear gearing path and the returning Conquests reward players who understand when to fight, when to farm and when to stop running into the same wall.

Finish your three Conquests, claim your seasonal rewards and return to the important business of sending demons back to Hell.

Preferably before the next season gives them another reason to come back.

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Diablo 4 Secret Cow Level Shortcut: How to Open the Moo Portal Anytime

Diablo IV has spent an impressive amount of effort making its Secret Cow Level difficult to reach. There are hidden relics, mysterious sins, elaborate rituals and enough obscure requirements to make the average Horadrim consider early retirement. Fortunately, players have discovered a considerably simpler alternative. If another player gives you the right kind of Moo, you can unlock a hidden portal that provides access to the Cow Level without completing the entire questline. Yes, after decades of Diablo cow mythology, the solution really can involve standing next to somebody and waiting for them to make livestock noises.

The shortcut is particularly useful in Season 15, where players are hunting the hidden Bovine cosmetic armor set. Several pieces are connected to the Cow King and Cow Island, making repeated visits worthwhile. Better still, the shortcut portal does not share the traditional entrance's Tuesday restriction.

What You Need Before Starting

You do not need to complete the full Secret Cow Level quest yourself. However, you do need help from another player who has access to the relevant Moo interaction. Community reports indicate that being targeted by an eligible player's Moo emote can unlock the special Moo option at Kyovashad's Holy Cedar Tablet.

Simply performing an ordinary emote yourself is not necessarily enough. Players who earned the Moo emote through the full quest have reported that the shortcut option sometimes remained unavailable until another eligible player mooed at them.

How to Unlock the Moo Portal

1. Find an eligible player. Ask someone who has already unlocked the Cow Level shortcut to use their Moo emote near your character. Watch for the notification indicating that a new Sin interaction has become available.
2. Travel to Kyovashad. Head to the Holy Cedar Tablet near the Gatehouse, where players interact with the Sin inscriptions early in the campaign.
3. Inscribe Moo. Interact with the tablet and select the Moo option. This is the important unlock, not simply equipping the emote on your action wheel.
4. Travel to western Skovos. Head towards the secluded location containing the Outcast's Journal, north of the Fool's Quarry Waypoint.
5. Find the hidden portal. With Moo inscribed, a portal should be available near the journal. Interact with it to enter the Secret Cow Level.
6. Defeat the Cow King. Clear the dungeon and defeat its boss to collect any available rewards.

Once the Moo inscription is active, players report that the shortcut portal remains available regardless of the day of the week. That makes it especially convenient for farming the Cow King instead of waiting for the traditional Tuesday-based entrance.

How to Reach Cow Island and Fish for Hooves of the Bovine

Here is another useful trick. After defeating the Cow King, select Leave Dungeon rather than immediately teleporting back to town. Community reports indicate that this places your character on Scylara, commonly called Cow Island.

The island is particularly interesting for cosmetic collectors because players have reported obtaining Hooves of the Bovine through fishing. Head towards the pier and interact with the fishing opportunities around the island. The boots are not guaranteed, so be prepared for repeated attempts.

We previously examined the different Bovine armor pieces and their suspected drop locations, including the Cow King's Sirloin of the Bovine reward. The Moo shortcut makes two of those activities substantially easier to revisit.

What the Shortcut Does Not Unlock

There is an important distinction between entering the Cow Level and completing its entire hidden quest. The shortcut does not automatically award the Moo emote, the associated achievement or the complete set of progression rewards from the original questline.

Players who want those rewards still need to complete the proper sequence involving the Outcast's Journal, hidden Sin rituals, relics and Neyrelle's Hand. Unfortunately, we have documented several problems with that process, including the Hadopelagic Key failing to appear and the Anger ritual becoming stuck.

If your only objective is fighting the Cow King or reaching Cow Island, the shortcut may save you an extraordinary amount of effort. If you are collecting every achievement and secret reward, the full quest still matters.

What If the Moo Portal Does Not Appear?

First, return to Kyovashad and confirm that Moo is actually selected at the Holy Cedar Tablet. Having the emote on your action wheel is not the same as activating the Sin inscription. If the option is missing, ask another eligible player to use Moo near you and check the tablet again.

Also make sure you are visiting the Outcast's Journal portal location in Skovos, not the separate entrance on Cow Island. The island entrance has its own conditions, including the familiar Tuesday restriction, while the journal shortcut is the one players use for repeat visits.

Seasonal progression can complicate matters. Players returning after unlocking the Cow Level in a previous season may need to activate Moo again on their current character. The emote itself can remain unlocked on the account even when the seasonal portal requirements need attention.

The Easiest Way to Visit Diablo's Most Ridiculous Dungeon

The Secret Cow Level remains one of Diablo IV's best hidden jokes, from the wonderfully absurd Cow King's Crown to Season 15's expanding collection of Bovine cosmetics. The complete quest is an impressive community puzzle, but not everybody has the time or patience to repeat its rituals whenever they want to fight a particularly aggressive cow.

For those players, the Moo portal is a remarkably elegant solution. Find somebody who knows the secret, receive the appropriate emote, inscribe Moo in Kyovashad and travel to the hidden journal in Skovos. The portal does the rest.

Nearly thirty years of elaborate Diablo secrets, and sometimes the best solution is simply asking another player to moo at you.

Deckard Cain would have needed an entire book to explain that one.

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Diablo 4 Players Say Blizzard's Cosmetics Are Losing Their Class Identity

There was a time when you could identify a Diablo character from their silhouette alone. The Barbarian looked like someone who considered doors an unnecessary architectural complication. The Sorcerer wore robes, the Rogue travelled light, and the Necromancer appeared to have inherited an entire cemetery. Different classes had different identities, and their equipment helped tell the story. Now some Diablo IV players are wondering whether Blizzard's increasingly extravagant cosmetic designs have forgotten that distinction.

A new discussion on Blizzard's official forums, started on October 9, raises a deceptively simple complaint: too many premium outfits rely on enormous armour pieces, elaborate decorations and dramatic silhouettes that don't necessarily suit the characters wearing them. The original poster, Butters, says they have purchased relatively few transmogs over the last four seasons because the designs increasingly feel disconnected from the classes themselves.

Does Every Class Really Need More Armour?

The criticism is not that Diablo IV's artists lack talent. Quite the opposite. The complaint is that the designs sometimes become so elaborate that the original character fantasy disappears beneath the metalwork.

Rogues, the player argues, should look agile and dangerous, with fitted leather, hoods and concealed weapons rather than enormous suits of plate armour. Barbarians should embrace scars, furs, trophies and exposed muscle instead of resembling heavily decorated knights. Sorcerers, especially male characters, could benefit from more mysterious arcane designs, while Druids should look connected to nature without appearing to have assembled their clothing from the remains of an unfortunate taxidermy exhibition.

Warlock receives considerably more praise. Its sinister, demonic appearance is precisely the sort of recognisable identity the player wants to see across the other classes. That makes sense given how deliberately Blizzard established Warlock's Vizjerei roots and demonology-inspired identity when introducing the class.

The underlying argument is straightforward: an outfit should communicate something about the character wearing it, not merely demonstrate how many spikes the art department can attach before the model becomes a public safety concern.

Other Players Want More Freedom, Not Less

Not everyone agrees, and the counterargument is worth considering. One player says they don't particularly enjoy some of the traditional class designs either. Their Rogue looks more like an alien knight, while the usual Spiritborn and Barbarian aesthetics have little appeal. Rather than restricting appearances, they suggest expanding the number of cosmetics usable across multiple classes.

Another response makes an equally reasonable point: Diablo IV's ordinary equipment already provides plenty of class-appropriate appearances. Premium cosmetics are supposed to offer something different. If every shop outfit simply looked like a slightly more expensive version of equipment players could already collect, why would anyone buy it?

That distinction matters because Diablo IV now offers cosmetics through numerous systems. Players can find secret appearances such as Season 15's hidden Bovine armour set, receive rewards through seasonal activities and unlock additional appearances through promotions. Blizzard recently offered more than 50 cosmetics to eligible Game Pass subscribers, while its premium shop continues providing increasingly elaborate class outfits.

There is room for both traditional character designs and deliberately strange alternatives. The difficult part is achieving variety without allowing every character to become visually interchangeable.

Cosmetics Are Becoming a Bigger Part of Diablo's Identity

The debate also reflects how important appearances have become to Diablo IV. When players discover unexpected free cosmetics in their personalised shops, it becomes news. When Blizzard introduces another themed crossover, outfits are often among the headline attractions. And when a collectible mount appearance refuses to unlock, players understandably become frustrated.

Cosmetics are no longer a tiny extra attached to the equipment system. They have become a significant part of character customisation, collection and Diablo IV's commercial identity. That makes their artistic direction worth discussing, even when the disagreement begins with only a handful of forum replies.

There is also an appealing middle ground. More lightweight Rogue outfits would not require removing heavily armoured alternatives. Barbarians could receive rougher, more brutal appearances without banning polished ceremonial armour. Sorcerers could have intimidating arcane robes alongside the extravagant designs already available. Variety and class identity do not have to be enemies.

Sometimes Less Really Is More

Blizzard has not announced any changes in response to the discussion, and there is no indication that this small forum thread represents a broader consensus among Diablo IV players. Nevertheless, it raises a worthwhile design question.

Diablo's classes have always been more than collections of skills and damage multipliers. Their appearance tells us who they are before they cast their first spell or swing their first weapon. The strongest cosmetic designs can reinforce that identity while still doing something surprising.

After all, a Barbarian doesn't need twelve layers of ornamental steel to look dangerous. Sometimes an enormous axe and an extremely unpleasant expression will do the job.

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Diablo Immortal Fractured Plane Guide: What to Do Before October 15

Diablo Immortal has brought Fractured Plane back for another week, which means Sanctuary's most elaborate equipment collections are temporarily being shown the door. From October 8 until October 15 at 3:00 a.m. local server time, players can enter a challenge where familiar builds, carefully upgraded gems and expensive gear are replaced by whatever the game decides to give them. It is wonderfully unfair, occasionally infuriating and one of the few places in Diablo Immortal where improvisation matters more than your usual inventory.

This return is part of the Season of the Harvest event, which rewards players for completing objectives across several rotating activities. We have previously covered why Fractured Plane stands out among Diablo Immortal's recurring events. This time, the important question is simpler: how do you finish your runs efficiently and collect the rewards before the deadline?

Standard Has Nine Floors, Hell Has Twelve

If you remember the original 15-floor version, forget that particular nightmare. The redesigned Fractured Plane offers nine floors on Standard difficulty, with rewards at three-floor intervals. After completing Standard, players can take on Hell difficulty, which extends the challenge to twelve floors.

You are also assigned a class rather than automatically playing your usual one. The assigned class remains consistent during the event period, while available skills and affixes can vary between runs. In other words, your carefully rehearsed rotation may be replaced by a selection of abilities you have barely touched. The demons are delighted. Your muscle memory may require counselling.

Build Around the Skills You Actually Receive

Fractured Plane removes your normal equipment and replaces it with temporary Legendary gear found during the run. The most important mistake to avoid is choosing items simply because they have more stars. Higher-quality equipment offers stronger attributes, but a useful Legendary effect that supports your assigned skills can be more valuable than an impressive item that does absolutely nothing for your current setup.

Look for equipment that improves your primary damage skill, shortens important cooldowns or provides reliable protection. Area damage and crowd control are particularly useful when several enemies attack simultaneously. If your available skills involve summons, persistent damage or ranged attacks, prioritise effects that strengthen those mechanics instead of trying to recreate a normal endgame build.

Spend Chaos Coins Carefully

Chaos Coins can be spent at the Chaos Broker on equipment, refreshes and Shards of Fortune. The latter improve your Fortune Rating, increasing your chances of finding higher-quality gear later in the run.

Our recommendation is to invest in Fortune Rating early when your equipment can already handle the current floors. That gives later drops a better chance of being useful. However, if you are struggling to survive, spend your coins on an immediate upgrade or healing instead. A theoretical five-star item on floor nine is not terribly helpful if you died on floor four.

Before leaving a floor, check whether there are optional rooms worth clearing for additional equipment or coins. The fastest route is not necessarily the strongest route, particularly during your first attempt.

Fractured Charms Can Make Later Runs Easier

Fractured Charms are one of the redesigned mode's most useful features. They provide bonuses such as an additional resurrection, extra Chaos Coins, improved Fortune Rating, a free Chaos Broker refresh or healing after clearing a room. Unlike ordinary temporary equipment, these Charms can persist between runs during the same event period.

For players struggling with the mode, extra resurrection and healing effects are excellent priorities. If you can already survive comfortably, additional Chaos Coins and Fortune Rating become more attractive because they help you develop stronger equipment.

The principle is straightforward: invest in the bonuses that solve your current problem. More damage will not help much if you keep dying before reaching the boss.

Watch Out for Unhelpful Legendary Essences

There is another reason to inspect equipment carefully. During an earlier Fractured Plane rotation, players discovered that the Chaos Broker was offering retired Legendary Essences that no longer functioned correctly. Blizzard acknowledged that problem at the time, although that does not establish that the same bug affects the current October event.

Still, it is worth checking whether a Legendary power actually works with your available skills before spending valuable Chaos Coins. A familiar-looking tooltip is not a substitute for testing.

Which Rewards Should You Prioritise?

Fractured Plane contributes to the wider Season of the Harvest reward track, so check the event menu before starting. Look at your remaining objectives and how many event points you still need. If a Standard completion provides enough progress to unlock your next reward, there is little reason to force yourself through Hell immediately.

Players have previously criticised Fractured Plane objectives that required excessive Elite kills compared with their reward value. As we discussed in our look at Diablo Immortal's increasingly demanding event schedule, not every available objective deserves the same amount of your time. Prioritise achievable milestones instead of grinding optional tasks long after they have stopped being worthwhile.

Check the current in-game rewards before making that decision, since event objectives and reward requirements can change between rotations.

Your Fractured Plane Checklist Before October 15

• Check the Season of the Harvest event menu for remaining rewards and objectives.
• Complete Standard difficulty's nine floors before attempting Hell.
• Choose temporary Legendary equipment that supports your assigned skills.
• Invest in Fortune Rating early when your survivability is secure.
• Prioritise Fractured Charms that improve healing, resurrections or resource gains.
• Collect any available completion rewards before the event closes.
• Finish your planned runs before October 15 at 3:00 a.m. local server time.

Fractured Plane is not about bringing the most expensive build into another dungeon. It is about making a workable character from whatever strange collection of abilities and equipment Sanctuary hands you. The best strategy is therefore not always the one with the highest damage. It is the one that gets you through the next floor, keeps your remaining lives intact and delivers the rewards before Blizzard replaces the event with another blinking icon.

One week. Nine floors to begin with. Twelve if you're feeling ambitious. And absolutely no guarantee that the demons will appreciate your efforts.

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Diablo Immortal Players Cannot Agree Whether Warlock Is Broken or Overpowered

There is a peculiar disagreement taking place in Diablo Immortal's Battlegrounds. According to one group of players, Warlock has been nerfed repeatedly, leaving several once-popular builds struggling to compete. According to another, Warlock remains an almost indestructible killing machine capable of deleting opponents before they have time to understand what happened. Both groups are playing the same game. Apparently, they are not experiencing quite the same version of Sanctuary.

The latest argument has gathered momentum in October, with players singling out Warlock's so-called shotgun build for its enormous burst damage, crowd-control protection and survivability. A Reddit discussion posted on October 6 attracted complaints from opponents who say a well-equipped Warlock can decide an entire Battleground match. One player even admitted switching to the build after repeatedly facing it, only to conclude that it really does need another nerf.

But the opposing argument is more interesting than a simple demand to leave Warlock alone. Some players believe Blizzard has already weakened so many of the class's alternatives that the current controversy is really about a handful of specific combinations rather than Warlock as a whole.

The Shotgun Build Is the Latest Target

The shotgun setup has become the centre of the argument because of how quickly it can deliver damage. Players describe devastating bursts that can eliminate opponents in a fraction of a second, particularly when combined with protection against crowd control and the ability to recover health.

In a recent community discussion about shotgun Warlock, several players argued that its combination of offensive pressure and defensive tools leaves too little opportunity to respond. One lower-Resonance player, however, noted that the build still requires positioning, timing and substantial Armor Penetration to work effectively.

That distinction matters. A build capable of spectacular damage in the hands of a heavily optimized character is not necessarily equally powerful with ordinary equipment. Diablo Immortal's PvP environment includes enormous differences in Resonance, secondary attributes, Legendary Gems and equipment investment. Those differences can make the same class feel unstoppable in one encounter and surprisingly fragile in another.

Warlock Players Say They Have Already Lost Enough

Criticism of another Warlock nerf has also appeared in discussions about the class's Battleground damage. Some Warlock players point to earlier changes affecting channelled attacks, farming builds and other combat setups, arguing that Blizzard keeps reducing their options while leaving equally frustrating combinations available to Demon Hunters, Crusaders and Druids.

We covered that concern when the August Warlock balance changes raised fears of a Demon Hunter-dominated meta. The patch adjusted several Legendary Essences, including Measured Halves and Supply and Demand, to reduce some of Warlock's oppressive PvP interactions. Two months later, the controversy has not disappeared. It has simply concentrated around different builds.

Interestingly, not every Warlock player is defending the current situation. One self-described Warlock player acknowledged in the late-September discussion that the shotgun build's damage was excessive, while suggesting that newer equipment sets may contribute to the problem. That is a community interpretation, not a confirmed technical diagnosis, but it raises a useful question: is Blizzard trying to balance an overtuned class, or an equipment interaction that happens to benefit that class particularly well?

Soulgorger Is Still Part of the Problem

Damage is only half the complaint. Warlock's Soulgorger summon has generated frustration since the class arrived because it can interfere with targeting, absorb attacks and complicate fights around Battleground objectives. Players have previously described situations where their attacks lock onto the summon instead of the opposing player.

The frustration is understandable. Defeating an opponent is difficult enough without first negotiating with their unusually persistent demonic assistant.

We have also examined how extreme burst-damage combinations are affecting Diablo Immortal PvP. Warlock is not the only class capable of producing alarming numbers, and mechanics that reward enormous individual hits can amplify existing balance differences. Fixing one ability may therefore do less than players expect if the underlying problem affects several classes.

Can Blizzard Balance PvP Without Ruining PvE?

This is where the debate becomes more complicated. A change designed to reduce Warlock's Battleground damage may also affect ordinary farming, dungeon clearing or raid performance, depending on the ability involved. We have already seen that problem elsewhere, including a Wizard player's documented PvE damage loss following the August balance patch.

There is also the familiar problem of competitive players changing classes. Diablo Immortal makes class switching relatively accessible, which means reducing the strongest build does not necessarily produce a more varied Battleground environment. Sometimes everyone simply moves to the next strongest option, and the argument begins again wearing different armour.

For now, the October discussions establish genuine community frustration, not a definitive class ranking. There is no controlled comparison here proving that Warlock dominates every Resonance bracket or every PvP matchup. Equally, the existence of previous nerfs does not establish that the current shotgun build is balanced.

What the disagreement does reveal is a class whose strengths and weaknesses vary enormously depending on equipment, build selection and the situation in which players encounter it. That is a difficult problem to solve through another round of percentage reductions.

Some players want Warlock weakened immediately. Others want Blizzard to examine the equipment combinations and wider Battleground environment before touching the class again. Both are asking for something familiar: a fight in which the outcome feels decided by more than the character standing on the other side of the screen.

Sanctuary has never promised fairness. Battlegrounds probably should make a better attempt.

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Diablo 4's Hellfire Torch Bug May Be Giving Barbarian Players the Wrong Set Bonus

There is something particularly cruel about spending hours farming one of Diablo IV's rarest seasonal rewards, finally finding the exact item your build needs, and discovering that the description may be lying to you. That is what Barbarian players are experiencing with Hellfire Torch in Season 15, where a growing collection of reports suggests that some supposedly perfect Berserker's Crucible Charms are actually providing a bonus to an entirely different set.

We previously covered the Hellfire Torch problems left unresolved by Patch 3.2.2, but the community has since uncovered a considerably more interesting explanation. The problem may not simply be a missing set bonus. Some Torches appear to carry the wrong set name on their tooltip, leaving players chasing equipment that cannot deliver the bonus it advertises.

The Berserker's Crucible Bonus Isn't Activating

The intended interaction is straightforward. Hellfire Torch can roll an affix increasing the count of a particular Talisman set by one. A Barbarian using four Berserker's Crucible Charms and a Torch carrying the matching bonus should therefore qualify for the five-piece effect.

Instead, some players find themselves stuck at four pieces, with no final bonus and no explanation. One detailed report on Blizzard's official forums describes a straightforward comparison: four Berserker's Crucible pieces plus Hellfire Torch fail to trigger the expected random Shout effect during sustained Berserking, while equipping five actual pieces successfully activates it.

That makes this more than a visual annoyance. A build designed around the five-piece effect may lose an important part of its damage or functionality, even though the player has apparently equipped everything correctly. And as we explained in our Uber Tristram and Hellfire Torch guide, acquiring the item involves a lengthy secret farming chain. Discovering that your reward has the wrong instructions attached is hardly the triumphant ending the Prime Evils had in mind.

Players May Have Identified the Real Problem

The breakthrough has come from players comparing different Torch drops rather than simply rearranging their equipment. In a Reddit discussion updated on October 7, community members reported that certain Torches displaying a Berserker's Crucible bonus appear to increase the count for Arms of Arreat instead.

That would explain why some players have perfectly functioning Crucible Torches while others cannot activate the same set bonus regardless of their equipment arrangement. According to these reports, the item is not necessarily failing to provide a set count. It may be providing that count to the wrong set while displaying an incorrect name.

Several players say they have tested multiple drops before finding one that actually works with Berserker's Crucible. Others report that switching equipment or changing their Talisman Seal affects the displayed result, suggesting that not every apparent failure has the same cause.

Does Item Power 850 or 900 Make a Difference?

Another theory concerns item power. One player reported that an older item-power-850 Torch worked correctly while a newer item-power-900 version did not. That naturally raised suspicions that higher-quality drops might be affected.

Unfortunately, reports from October 8 complicate that explanation. Players have now described failures with both item-power-850 and item-power-900 Torches. There is currently insufficient evidence to establish item power as the cause, and players should not assume that finding a lower-level Torch guarantees a working set bonus.

The more useful distinction appears to be whether the Torch actually contributes to the intended set when equipped, regardless of what its description claims.

How to Check Whether Your Hellfire Torch Works

If your Barbarian uses Berserker's Crucible, there are a few sensible checks before rebuilding your entire character:

• Equip the required Berserker's Crucible Charms and your Hellfire Torch.
• Check whether the Talisman displays the expected five-piece bonus as active.
• Test the actual effect in combat rather than trusting the tooltip alone.
• If possible, compare the result with five genuine set pieces and no Torch contribution.
• Test another eligible Seal or Torch configuration, but do not assume that swapping slots permanently fixes the problem.
• Keep a record of the item's affixes and set count if you submit a bug report.

These are diagnostic steps, not a confirmed workaround. Some players report success after changing their configuration, while others say no amount of swapping, relogging or rearranging makes the affected Torch work correctly.

Season 15 Has Another Talisman Problem to Solve

This is not the first time Diablo IV's Talisman system has struggled to communicate what equipment is actually doing. We previously investigated set bonuses disappearing during combat, while Season 15 introduced another 23 Unique items that can become Charms. The system offers increasingly interesting possibilities, but those possibilities become difficult to trust when the displayed bonuses and actual effects disagree.

Blizzard has not publicly confirmed the suspected Arms of Arreat mislabeling explanation in the reports examined here, so it remains a community finding rather than an official diagnosis. What is clear is that players are still reporting the problem in October, weeks after the first complaints appeared.

For now, Barbarian players should test a Hellfire Torch before treating it as the missing piece of their perfect build. In Sanctuary, unidentified items have always been dangerous. Apparently, identified ones are developing a similar reputation.

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Diablo 3 Season 40: Best Starter Builds and Angelic Crucibles Guide

Diablo III has reached Season 40, and somehow the old monster-slaying machine is still running beautifully. The latest season, Light's Calling, began on October 2 and brings back Angelic Crucibles, one of the game's most entertaining methods of turning perfectly respectable equipment into something the demons of Sanctuary might reasonably consider unfair. But before you start sanctifying everything in sight, there is a more important question: which class should you play?

We already covered the return of Light's Calling and Angelic Crucibles when Season 40 launched. This time, we're concentrating on the practical side: the strongest starting options, how Haedrig's Gift shapes your first build, and where to spend your resources once you reach level 70.

The Best Starting Classes for Season 40

Two classes stand out particularly well for players who want to get farming quickly: Crusader and Witch Doctor. Both receive strong sets through Haedrig's Gift, and both have builds that benefit considerably from the returning Sanctified Powers.

Crusader: Aegis of Valor Fist of the Heavens

If you want a comfortable combination of speed, damage and relatively straightforward gameplay, Crusader is an excellent starting choice. Haedrig's Gift provides the Aegis of Valor set, allowing you to build around Fist of the Heavens without spending your first several evenings hunting for six matching pieces.

The real attraction is the Sanctified Fist of the Heavens power, which automatically calls down Fist of the Heavens strikes against nearby enemies. Combined with the right equipment, it transforms Crusader into a wonderfully efficient farming machine. You ride through Sanctuary while lightning does much of the administrative work.

Prioritise completing Aegis of Valor, then look for Darklight and Khassett's Cord of Righteousness to strengthen the build. The former improves Fist of the Heavens damage, while the latter supports its resource economy and damage output. Once the essential pieces are assembled, concentrate on fast Nephalem Rifts and Greater Rifts rather than immediately attempting the highest difficulty available.

Witch Doctor: Mundunugu Spirit Barrage

Witch Doctor is another strong choice, particularly for players who enjoy watching enormous groups of enemies disappear under supernatural artillery. Mundunugu's Regalia is the Season 40 Haedrig's Gift set, and Spirit Barrage remains a powerful way to take advantage of it.

The build revolves around maintaining your damage bonuses and using Spirit Barrage to clear densely packed enemies. It rewards positioning and understanding how your damage is delivered, making it slightly less automatic than the Crusader's most relaxed farming setups. Once assembled properly, however, it offers excellent potential for both farming and challenging Greater Rifts.

Look for The Barber and Gazing Demise as important supporting items. These dramatically improve the way Spirit Barrage performs and should be among your early gearing priorities.

Every Haedrig's Gift Set in Season 40

Completing Chapters II, III and IV of the Season Journey rewards three Haedrig's Gifts. Together, they provide a complete six-piece class set. The available sets are:

• Barbarian: Horde of the Ninety Savages, ideal for Frenzy.
• Crusader: Aegis of Valor, excellent for Fist of the Heavens.
• Demon Hunter: Gears of Dreadlands, built around Hungering Arrow and Strafe.
• Monk: Patterns of Justice, supporting Tempest Rush.
• Necromancer: Masquerade of the Burning Carnival, built around Bone Spear.
• Witch Doctor: Mundunugu's Regalia, supporting Spirit Barrage.
• Wizard: The Typhon's Veil, built around Hydra.

Important: You can only claim one complete Haedrig's Gift set per season, across both Hardcore and normal seasonal play. The set you receive depends on which character opens each gift, so make sure all three are opened on the character you actually want to equip. Accidentally splitting them between characters is a rather unfortunate way to begin a season.

How Angelic Crucibles Work

Angelic Crucibles are consumable seasonal items that allow you to Sanctify an equippable Legendary item. Sanctification gives the item perfected Ancient-level attributes while preserving its original Legendary Power and adding one of three class-specific Sanctified Powers at random.

Only one Sanctified item can be equipped at a time, so the goal is not to transform your entire inventory. Instead, choose a piece that is important to your build and difficult to replace with an equally strong version. A key weapon, jewellery item or essential armour piece can be a sensible candidate, depending on your class.

For Crusaders, the Fist of the Heavens Sanctified Power is especially desirable because it works directly with the recommended Aegis of Valor farming build. Other classes have their own powers, but not every seasonal bonus improves every build equally. Before spending several Crucibles chasing a particular result, make sure the power actually benefits the skills you're using.

Sanctification also has limitations. Sanctified items cannot be equipped by followers, and the seasonal items and powers will not carry over into non-seasonal play after Season 40 ends. These are tools for enjoying the current season, not investments for your permanent equipment collection.

The Fastest Way to Get Your First Build Running

Begin by creating a seasonal character and completing a Challenge Rift, assuming you have already unlocked that mode. Its reward cache provides gold, crafting materials and Blood Shards that can dramatically accelerate early progression. Before opening the cache, however, consider your plans for the Altar of Rites, which may require a Challenge Rift Cache for progression.

Level through Adventure Mode, using massacre bonuses and efficient enemy-dense areas whenever possible. Once you reach level 70, make completing Chapters II through IV of the Season Journey your first major objective. The six-piece set bonus from Haedrig's Gift will generally provide a much larger immediate improvement than chasing perfect individual Legendary items.

After collecting the set, identify the supporting Legendary powers your build needs. Use Kadala for suitable armour slots, upgrade Rare items in Kanai's Cube when targeting important weapons, and extract useful powers as you find them. Start farming at a difficulty you can clear quickly and consistently. A Greater Rift completed comfortably is usually more productive than one that turns every elite pack into a prolonged family argument.

Finally, begin experimenting with Angelic Crucibles once you have an important Legendary worth Sanctifying. Remember that Season 40 has returned to the normal three Kanai's Cube power slots, so builds relying on Season 39's additional slot need adjusting.

Which Class Should You Choose?

For players primarily interested in quick farming and a smooth start, Aegis of Valor Crusader is our first recommendation. Its interaction with the Sanctified Fist of the Heavens power makes it especially attractive this season. Witch Doctor is a strong alternative if you prefer Spirit Barrage, while Demon Hunter offers a familiar fast-moving option with Gears of Dreadlands.

That said, Diablo III has always been at its best when the class feels enjoyable enough to play for another hundred Greater Rifts. If you love Frenzy Barbarian, Hydra Wizard or Bone Spear Necromancer, Haedrig's Gift provides a perfectly reasonable route into the season. You may not be following the most efficient opening strategy, but Sanctuary is not an accounting examination.

Season 40 gives players another opportunity to enjoy Diablo III at its most extravagant. Pick a class, claim your set, find a Crucible and start experimenting. The angels have supplied the equipment. What you do with it is unlikely to meet with their approval.

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Diablo 4's Most Broken Charm Is Staying: Blizzard Won't Nerf Hellfire Torch in Season 15

There are two traditional ways to deal with an overpowered item in Diablo. You can fix it immediately, sending thousands of carefully constructed builds into an early retirement. Or you can look at the enormous damage numbers, the delighted players and the increasingly nervous leaderboard competitors, then decide that perhaps the apocalypse can wait until next season.

Blizzard has chosen the second option.

Diablo IV Design Director Dan Tanguay has confirmed that the unintended Hellfire Torch Charm interaction will not be changed during Season 15. The combination allows players to activate more powerful Talisman bonuses than originally intended, but Blizzard has decided that correcting it now would disrupt characters that players have already spent considerable time developing.

For anyone who followed our earlier coverage of the discovery of Uber Tristram and the return of Hellfire Torch, this is a rather spectacular development. The legendary Diablo II item was already powerful enough to reshape Season 15 builds. Now Blizzard has effectively given players permission to enjoy its unintended potential for the remainder of the season.

What Makes Hellfire Torch So Powerful?

The Hellfire Torch is a Mythic Charm obtained through Diablo IV's hidden Uber Tristram encounter. Its bonuses include additional attributes, elemental resistance, increased skill ranks and the ability to equip another Unique Charm. It can also contribute an additional count towards a particular Talisman set, depending on the version that drops.

That combination already makes the Torch an extraordinary addition to the Season 15 Talisman system. But players discovered something Blizzard apparently never intended.

By combining Hellfire Torch with the Seal of the Golden Epiphany and Seal of the Diamond Mind, players found a way to retain additional Unique Charm effects while activating a complete five-piece set bonus. The interaction involves switching between the two Mythic Seals after arranging the Charms, allowing a combination that would not normally be possible under the intended equipment restrictions.

In other words, players discovered how to persuade the Talisman system that it could have its cake, eat it and then equip another cake in the remaining slot.

The result has become particularly relevant to Diablo IV endgame builds, where additional Charm effects can substantially increase damage and survivability. When players are competing over increasingly difficult Pit and Tower clears, an unintended combination like this is hardly a minor curiosity.

Blizzard Knows It Is Not Working as Intended

On September 30, Tanguay addressed the situation through an official developer statement about Hellfire Torch. Blizzard confirmed that the interaction produces results beyond the original design, but explained that the team would not change it during the current season.

The reasoning is unusually player-friendly. Obtaining Hellfire Torch requires significant effort, and many players have already invested additional time farming equipment, assembling Charms and optimising characters around the resulting combinations. Removing the interaction halfway through the season would invalidate some of that work.

Blizzard also wants more time to investigate the underlying problem before introducing a correction. That is an important distinction: the interaction is being left untouched for Season 15, but Blizzard has not promised to preserve it permanently.

The developers have also acknowledged the positive response to Hellfire Torch itself. Its popularity has apparently given the team something to consider for future Diablo IV content, although no specific plans have been announced.

Good News for Builds, Awkward News for Leaderboards

For players already using the combination, the decision removes an immediate concern. There is no announced mid-season correction waiting to dismantle their Talisman setups. Those who have spent hours perfecting a Season 15 character build can continue experimenting with the current interaction.

But the decision also creates an interesting competitive question. When an unintended mechanic becomes powerful enough to influence high-level progression, players who understand the interaction may enjoy a considerable advantage over those who do not. Community discussions have already raised concerns about its influence on leaderboard competition.

That does not automatically make Blizzard's decision wrong. Seasonal Diablo has always involved discovering combinations that produce absurd results, and part of the enjoyment comes from watching players push the equipment system far beyond what anyone expected. The difficulty is deciding where clever experimentation ends and an unfair advantage begins.

We have already seen how quickly Season 15 bugs and unexpected interactions can influence the experience. Some problems require immediate attention because they prevent players from receiving rewards or completing activities. Others create overpowered combinations that players genuinely enjoy.

Hellfire Torch has apparently landed firmly in the second category.

Could Hellfire Torch Become a Permanent Diablo IV Feature?

Perhaps the most interesting detail in Blizzard's response is that the developers are not simply treating Hellfire Torch as a problem to be eliminated. Tanguay acknowledged that players have enjoyed acquiring and building around the item, and that the team is considering what its popularity might mean for the future.

That does not confirm Hellfire Torch will return in another season. It does suggest that Blizzard recognises something valuable in the excitement surrounding these powerful legacy items, much like the community's enthusiasm for the hidden Annihilus mystery and the return of classic Diablo II mechanics.

For now, the situation is straightforward. Hellfire Torch remains as it is for the rest of Season 15. Blizzard will continue investigating the unintended interaction, and any future adjustments will be announced separately.

Somewhere in Sanctuary, a player is probably squeezing another impossible combination into a Talisman while the developers study the consequences.

And for once, Blizzard has decided to let them enjoy it.

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Diablo 4 Players Finally Find Annihilus, and Uber Diablo Is Back

Some Diablo mysteries are solved with careful research, others with thousands of players throwing themselves at increasingly ridiculous theories until something finally happens. The hunt for Annihilus in Diablo IV has involved a little of both. After weeks of speculation, datamining and suspiciously intense interest in the Stone of Jordan, players have finally obtained the legendary charm. And the creature guarding it is exactly the one Diablo II veterans were hoping to see: Uber Diablo himself.

When we first covered the hidden Annihilus in Diablo 4 Season 15, the item existed in the game data, complete with its extraordinary bonuses, but nobody had demonstrated how to acquire it. Our subsequent investigation into the Stone of Jordan salvage mystery suggested that Blizzard might be recreating one of Diablo II's strangest secrets. Now the mystery has taken a substantial step forward. The item is real, players have received it, and Diablo Clone has returned to Sanctuary.

Uber Diablo Appears After a World Boss

The breakthrough came when players reported an unexpected encounter following a World Boss battle. In one documented case, a group defeated Azmodan and received the wonderfully familiar announcement: "Diablo walks the earth." Shortly afterwards, Echo of Uber Diablo appeared, offering another boss fight and a chance to obtain Annihilus. Players have since reported additional encounters, confirming that this is more than an unused boss hidden in the game's files.

For longtime Diablo fans, those four words are practically sacred. In Diablo II, the message announced the arrival of Diablo Clone, a considerably nastier version of the Lord of Terror introduced with Patch 1.10. The original encounter was connected to selling Stone of Jordan rings, an unusual system that turned one of the game's most valuable items into part of a community-wide summoning ritual. Blizzard has now recreated the atmosphere of that event in Diablo IV, although the exact requirements are still being investigated.

And that distinction matters. Defeating Azmodan does not guarantee an Uber Diablo encounter. Players have reported successful spawns following World Boss fights, but many other groups have completed the same activity without seeing anything unusual. The precise trigger remains unconfirmed, so anyone claiming to possess a guaranteed summoning method should probably be treated with the same suspicion as a merchant selling unidentified rings outside Tristram.

Annihilus Is Every Bit as Ridiculous as We Expected

The reward is a Unique Horadric Seal designed for Diablo IV's Talisman system. Rather than copying the original Small Charm directly, Blizzard has translated its famous bonuses into the newer equipment mechanics. The result is an exceptionally powerful item that offers:

• 10% to 20% All Stats
• 10% to 20% Resistance to All Elements
• +5 to +10 to All Skills
• 5% to 10% Bonus Experience
• Six Charm slots

Those numbers are not particularly subtle. The original Diablo II Annihilus provided bonuses to skills, attributes, resistances and experience, making it one of the most desirable items in the entire game. Diablo IV has preserved that identity while adjusting the numbers to suit its own systems. The potential +10 to All Skills alone is enough to make players reconsider their entire character setup, especially when combined with the Seal's six Charm slots.

Players can also reroll Annihilus through the Horadric Cube, potentially improving its attributes. There is an important catch, however: rerolling makes the item account-bound, so anyone considering trading a valuable drop should think carefully before experimenting.

What About the Stone of Jordan Mystery?

This is where things become interesting again. Our earlier investigation into the hidden Stone of Jordan salvage counter established that Diablo IV appears to track how many of these rings a character has salvaged. Given the original Diablo II summoning mechanic, that seemed like a particularly deliberate clue.

It still does.

However, the discovery of Uber Diablo has not established precisely how the counter affects his appearance, or even conclusively demonstrated that salvaging Stone of Jordan rings is required. Community theories suggest that the players present during a World Boss encounter may collectively contribute towards a hidden threshold, but the proposed numbers remain unverified. Other theories involve additional seasonal items and hidden conditions.

For now, the sensible approach is to participate in World Boss encounters and watch for the Diablo Clone announcement. Do not start destroying valuable Stone of Jordan rings because somebody on the internet has decided that a particular number must be correct. Diablo has always rewarded experimentation, but it has never promised that experimentation would be financially sensible.

A Proper Diablo II Secret in Diablo IV

What makes this discovery particularly satisfying is how naturally it fits the anniversary-inspired Season 15 content. Blizzard has already brought back classic ideas through hidden Runewords, Uber Tristram, the Hellfire Torch and other nostalgic surprises. Annihilus completes another important piece of that history, connecting a familiar item to an encounter that veteran players immediately recognise.

More importantly, the community has actually found it. The mystery has moved from datamined possibility to obtainable reward, even if the precise summoning ritual remains unfinished business.

We now know that Annihilus drops from Uber Diablo. We know that the encounter can follow World Boss battles, and we know that the item is powerful enough to become a serious consideration for endgame builds. What we still need is a reliable explanation for making the Lord of Terror appear on demand.

Twenty-five years after Diablo II taught players to sacrifice valuable jewellery in pursuit of an even more valuable charm, Sanctuary is once again filled with people studying rings, counting mysterious variables and waiting for Diablo to walk the earth.

Some traditions are simply too good to bury.

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Diablo 4 Player Warns “Salvage All” Can Destroy Your Season 15 Spirit Shards

There are certain buttons in Diablo 4 that players eventually learn to press without thinking. Sell junk. Leave dungeon. Salvage All. After hundreds of hours in Sanctuary, muscle memory takes over and another inventory full of unwanted gems disappears in a second.

One Season 15 player has now provided a rather good reason to slow down at the Jeweler.

According to a fresh player report, using Salvage All on gems may also destroy Spirit Shards sitting in your inventory. The player claims their entire supply disappeared during a routine salvage and that Customer Support was unable to restore the lost materials.

Before everybody starts carefully placing their gems into individual padded envelopes, an important disclaimer: this has not been confirmed by Blizzard as a widespread Diablo 4 bug. We currently have a player report rather than official confirmation. Still, considering how easy the potential workaround is, Season 15 players may want to exercise a little caution until we know more.

Salvage All May Be Treating Spirit Shards as Gems

The reported problem appears to involve the Jeweler's mass-salvage function. According to the player, Spirit Shards in their inventory were apparently included when using Salvage All, causing the materials to be destroyed alongside the gems they actually intended to salvage.

That would make this different from many of the Diablo 4 loot bugs we normally cover. Nothing is failing to drop, disappearing from a boss arena or becoming inaccessible. Instead, the concern is that the game may be categorising an item incorrectly when performing a bulk inventory action.

And bulk actions are precisely where a small classification error can become expensive very quickly.

Anyone spending serious time with Diablo 4 Season 15 will know how quickly inventories fill up. The natural response is to clear everything as efficiently as possible, particularly after long farming sessions. If Spirit Shards really are being caught by Salvage All under certain circumstances, players could lose a significant stockpile before noticing anything is wrong.

The Safest Solution Is Extremely Simple

Until Blizzard confirms or disproves the report, there is fortunately no complicated workaround required. If you are carrying Spirit Shards and intend to use Salvage All at the Jeweler, move the Spirit Shards somewhere safe first or salvage your gems individually.

That may be unnecessary. It may turn out that the original report involves another interaction entirely. But spending a few additional seconds managing your inventory is considerably less painful than discovering afterwards that a pile of seasonal materials has vanished.

This is particularly worth remembering when following Diablo 4 crafting routines where players regularly move between farming, upgrading equipment and clearing unwanted materials. Efficiency is useful right up until the efficiency button eats something you wanted to keep.

Season 15 Has Had a Strange Week for Rewards

The report arrives during an unusually busy period for Diablo 4 bugs and reward problems. Blizzard has been pushing out Season 15 hotfixes, including the recent fix for Horadric Parcels that players were unable to claim.

We have also covered another recent player report involving boss loot and missing rewards, where one player claims a particular character can somehow cause rewards to disappear for an entire party. Neither community report should be treated as a confirmed widespread problem yet, but together they provide a fairly compelling reason to pay attention to what happens to your loot rather than assuming everything is working normally.

Blizzard has already corrected numerous Season 15 bugs, and if additional players can reproduce the Spirit Shard issue, this seems like exactly the sort of inventory problem that should be relatively easy to identify.

Check Before You Click

For now, the sensible advice is simple. Check your inventory before using Salvage All. If Spirit Shards are present, move them somewhere safe first and keep an eye on your material count afterwards.

If the report turns out to be an isolated incident, you have wasted perhaps ten seconds.

If it turns out to be a genuine Diablo 4 bug, those ten seconds may save your entire pile of Spirit Shards.

Sanctuary has demons, undead armies and ancient evils waiting around every corner. Apparently we should now add the Jeweler's Salvage All button to the list.

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Diablo 4 Player Says Their Character Makes Boss Loot Disappear for the Entire Party

Diablo 4 players are accustomed to blaming bad luck when a boss refuses to drop anything interesting. One Season 15 player, however, appears to have encountered something considerably stranger: according to their testing, simply having one particular character in the party can cause boss rewards to disappear for everyone.

That is the claim in a fresh player report describing missing rewards across several endgame encounters. This is important to stress immediately: Blizzard has not confirmed that this is a widespread Diablo 4 bug, and one player's testing is not enough to establish exactly what is happening. But the report becomes interesting because the player says the group actually tested the problem with and without the affected character.

And apparently, removing that character makes the loot come back.

One Character Appears to Break the Rewards

According to the player, the problem appeared during several activities where the expected boss loot or reward chest simply failed to spawn. The player reports seeing the behaviour around encounters including Echo of Baal and Echo of Mephisto, two bosses that have become increasingly important during Diablo 4 Season 15.

Initially, that could easily sound like another isolated reward failure. We have already seen plenty of strange Diablo 4 loot bugs, including cases where rewards behave differently from what players expect. We previously covered a particularly odd report where boss loot appeared to go directly to the player's Stash instead of dropping normally.

This new report is different.

The player says friends completed the same content without them and received rewards normally. When the affected character joined the group again, the reward problem returned. If that testing is accurate, the issue may be connected to something about the character's progression, quest state, seasonal flags or another account-level interaction rather than the boss encounter itself.

For now, that last part is speculation. We simply do not know what is causing it.

A 40-Minute Nightmare Escalation Apparently Ended With Nothing

The most painful example in the report involves a Tier 12 Nightmare Escalation. According to the player, they spent roughly 40 minutes completing the activity only to reach the end and discover that the expected rewards were missing.

That is precisely why this report is worth watching. Losing a random drop is irritating. Completing a substantial piece of Diablo 4 endgame content and receiving no proper reward is something else entirely.

Season 15 has already produced its share of reward-related oddities. Blizzard has been steadily issuing Diablo 4 hotfixes, and the latest round of fixes even had to repair Horadric Parcels that some players could not claim. Against that background, another strange reward interaction is not particularly difficult to believe, although this specific report still needs independent confirmation.

Party Testing Makes This One Interesting

The strongest part of the report is not simply that loot disappeared. Diablo 4 has had missing reward reports before, and sometimes the explanation turns out to be a misunderstanding, a loot filter, an unusual reward mechanic or something sitting quietly in the Stash.

What makes this case different is the reported party testing.

If three players receive their rewards normally without one particular character present, then stop receiving them when that character rejoins, there is at least a pattern worth investigating. It also raises an uncomfortable possibility for anyone currently farming Diablo 4 bosses in groups: the person apparently triggering the problem may not be the only one losing rewards.

For the moment, players should not assume every missing boss drop is connected to this report. There is nowhere near enough evidence for that. But if your regular group suddenly stops receiving expected rewards, it may be worth changing party members or characters for one run and seeing whether the behaviour changes.

And if one character consistently makes the treasure disappear, perhaps retire them temporarily.

Every Diablo character eventually develops a speciality. Some kill demons. Some farm Mythic Uniques.

This one may have accidentally specialised in making loot cease to exist.

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Diablo 4 Hotfix 2 Fixes the Horadric Parcel Bug After Season 15’s Mail Problems

Diablo 4's Horadric Post has had a rather eventful first season. The system was introduced as Sanctuary's wonderfully mundane answer to a mailbox, giving Blizzard a direct way to send rewards and special items to players. It has already been dragged into the wider collection of Diablo 4 Season 15 stories, including compensation after a launch that has required rather more repair work than anyone would have liked.

Unfortunately, a magical postal service is only useful when you can actually open the package. Blizzard has now released Hotfix 2 for Patch 3.2.2, specifically addressing an issue that prevented players from claiming items from Horadric Parcels. It is a tiny hotfix on paper, but for anyone staring at an inaccessible reward, it is considerably more exciting than its two-line patch notes suggest.

Horadric Parcels Should Work Again

The October 6 hotfix contains just two listed changes. Blizzard says it has fixed the issue preventing players from claiming Horadric Parcel items and has also introduced various stability improvements. That is essentially the entire patch. There are no sweeping Diablo 4 build changes, no class balance upheaval and no new seasonal mechanics quietly hiding between the lines. This one is plumbing, but sometimes the plumbing is what needs fixing.

The problem matters because the Horadric Post is becoming a useful part of Diablo 4's infrastructure. It gives Blizzard a permanent mechanism for delivering account rewards, gifts and compensation without attaching everything to an event, Battle Pass or external promotion. Season 15 has already demonstrated why that can be useful, particularly as players have dealt with a steady stream of Season 15 bugs and unusual problems.

Season 15 Has Not Been Kind to the Mailbox

The Horadric Post has already suffered several teething problems. Patch 3.2.2 previously fixed an entirely different issue where players on mounts could not interact with the Horadric Post, while the season's compensation rollout created its own little comedy when some players reported trouble receiving Blizzard's promised rewards. It joins a growing list of Resplendent Spark stories and reward problems that have made Season 15 considerably livelier than intended.

Now Horadric Parcels themselves have required a hotfix. There is something almost impressively Diablo about constructing an ancient magical delivery network capable of transporting priceless artifacts across Sanctuary, only to discover that the recipient cannot open the parcel. Somewhere, Deckard Cain is presumably filling out a complaints form.

At least this particular problem now has an official fix, which is more than can be said for every strange issue players have encountered this season. Anyone following our wider Diablo 4 bug coverage will know that Season 15 has produced everything from reward issues to mechanical oddities, and Blizzard has been steadily working its way through them.

Patch 3.2.2 Is Still Cleaning Up Season 15

Hotfix 2 is another addition to what has become a substantial Season 15 repair job. Patch 3.2.2 already addressed blocked seasonal quests, missing Chamber of Bone rewards, Runeword problems, Nihlathak teleporting outside his boss arena and several other issues. Hotfix 1 then followed with additional fixes, including Elite monsters appearing inside Training Ground dungeons and Moophisto failing to drop loot correctly.

For players actively pushing the season, it is worth keeping an eye on our Season 15 guides and tips as these fixes continue to change which problems are genuine mechanics and which are simply Sanctuary misbehaving again. The same applies to Season 15 builds, particularly when patches touch skills, items or interactions that players have built characters around.

Hotfix 2 is considerably less ambitious than the main 3.2.2 update, but if you have a Horadric Parcel sitting stubbornly in your mailbox, it may be the more useful patch. Restart Diablo 4, visit the Horadric Post and try claiming the contents again.

Sanctuary's postal service should finally be back in business.

Until the next demon discovers registered mail.

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Diablo II Is Closing Reign of the Warlock Transfers to Keep Automated-Farming Items Out

Diablo II has spent more than 25 years teaching players that loot is permanent.

You find the rune. You keep the rune. You move the rune between characters. Eventually somebody builds an Enigma and spends the next decade explaining why this was an entirely reasonable use of several hundred hours of human life.

Reign of the Warlock complicated that old arrangement by dividing Diablo II: Resurrected into separate eras. Now Blizzard is tightening the walls between them.

Starting November 16, 2026, players will no longer be able to transfer existing Expansion characters into Reign of the Warlock. Blizzard says the change is specifically intended to stop items obtained through automated farming from entering the newest version of Diablo II.

If you have an eligible old character you still want to bring forward, the clock is now ticking.

Reign of the Warlock Was Designed as a Separate Era

When Reign of the Warlock dramatically expanded Diablo II: Resurrected earlier this year, Blizzard introduced an unusual solution for preserving the old game while still allowing the expansion to change it.

Diablo II is effectively divided into three eras: Classic, Resurrected Expansion and Reign of the Warlock. Characters can move forward through those eras, but they cannot move backwards. That meant an existing Expansion character loaded with years of equipment could be transferred into the Warlock era and continue playing there.

After November 16, that final step disappears.

Blizzard's explanation is unusually direct. The studio says it wants to “close a path for items gained through automated farming to enter Reign of the Warlock” and protect a fairer experience for players.

In other words, the new era is getting a customs checkpoint.

This Is Really About Diablo II's Economy

Anyone who has played Diablo II online for long enough knows why Blizzard cares.

Diablo II's item economy is extraordinarily sensitive. High runes, perfect Uniques, charms and rare crafted equipment can represent enormous amounts of farming time, and automated farming has historically been capable of flooding that economy with items far faster than ordinary players ever could.

Reign of the Warlock added an entirely new loot ecosystem on top of that foundation, including the Chronicle collection system and new Ladder-specific item variants. Allowing an unlimited stream of older Expansion characters to carry stockpiled wealth into that environment creates an obvious problem if some of those items were acquired through automation.

Blizzard appears to have decided that preserving a cleaner Reign economy is more important than keeping transfers open forever.

Your Existing Reign Characters Are Not Being Deleted

The important thing is what Blizzard is not doing.

Characters already inside Reign of the Warlock are not being removed. Blizzard is also not announcing the end of Classic-to-Expansion progression. The specific change concerns transferring existing Expansion characters forward into the Reign era after November 16.

So if you already moved your favourite Sorceress, Barbarian or Necromancer into Reign, nothing in Blizzard's announcement suggests that character is in danger.

If you have not transferred yet, however, you now have just over a month to decide.

Reign of the Warlock Is Becoming Its Own Diablo II

This may ultimately be the more interesting part of the announcement.

When Reign of the Warlock launched, it could still feel like Diablo II with a substantial expansion attached. The lack of Legacy Graphics support already showed how separate the new era could become, while Blizzard's continued Warlock balance changes have gradually given the expansion its own identity.

Closing character transfers pushes that separation further.

Eventually, Reign of the Warlock will contain characters and an economy that largely grew inside Reign itself rather than being imported from Diablo II's older ecosystem.

There is something slightly strange about seeing Blizzard protect the economic borders of a game released in 2000.

But then Diablo II has always treated a Ber rune with roughly the seriousness other games reserve for national currency.

If you still have an Expansion character you want to bring into the Warlock era, do it before November 16.

After that, the gates close.

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Diablo 4 Players Say Patch 3.2.2 Broke Splinter of Evil Drops

Diablo IV Season 15 has spent several weeks teaching players that a Splinter of Evil is something worth getting excited about. They let you switch Prime Evil powers, they are required for one of the season's best hidden encounters, and they are rare enough that finding the correct one already involves a considerable amount of arguing with random number generation.

Now some players believe Patch 3.2.2 has made the situation considerably worse.

Reports on Blizzard's official Diablo IV forums claim that Splinters of Evil have become extraordinarily rare, or stopped dropping entirely, since the September 30 update. Blizzard has not confirmed that there is a bug, so for now this remains a community report rather than an established change. But enough players are describing the same pattern that it is becoming difficult to dismiss as one particularly unlucky afternoon in Sanctuary.

Players Were Getting Splinters Before the Patch

The original report comes from a player who says Splinters were uncommon before 3.2.2 but still appeared regularly enough to notice. According to their experience, roughly one in every five to ten seasonal reputation caches could produce one. After the patch, they opened more than 20 caches and killed numerous Echoes without receiving a single Splinter.

Other players quickly joined the thread with similar experiences. Some say they have seen dramatically fewer Splinters, while others claim they have not found one at all. That does not prove the loot table is broken, especially when dealing with a deliberately rare seasonal item, but it is notable because players were already complaining about the Splinter grind before Patch 3.2.2.

Making a rare system slightly rarer would therefore be an unusually cruel bit of mathematics.

Patch 3.2.2 Does Not Mention a Splinter Nerf

The interesting part is what Blizzard's official patch notes do not say. Patch 3.2.2 fixed numerous Season of Hell's Legacy problems, including broken seasonal quest progression, Chamber of Bone rewards, Nihlathak teleporting outside his arena and an issue preventing Henri's Perquisition from being crafted.

There is no listed change to Splinter of Evil drop rates.

That makes a deliberate nerf appear unlikely unless Blizzard simply failed to document it. It also explains why players are treating the sudden drought as a possible bug rather than another balance adjustment.

This Matters for More Than Prime Evil Powers

Splinters are not merely seasonal respec tokens. Season 15 eventually revealed that Terror, Destruction and Hatred can be combined to create Wirt's Lucky Coin, which opens the path to the hidden Uber Tristram encounter and the returning Hellfire Torch.

That means a broken drop rate would affect one of Season 15's most elaborate secrets. Players already need all three specific Splinters, and duplicates do not solve the problem. We have also previously covered the separate bug that can consume Wirt's Lucky Coin without opening Uber Tristram, so the road to the Hellfire Torch has hardly been free of potholes.

One forum poster claims that newly created characters may still receive Prime Evil Splinters normally from certain seasonal activities. If that turns out to be reproducible, it could provide an important clue about whether the problem is tied to character state rather than the global loot table. For now, however, that workaround is anecdotal and hardly an attractive solution to tell somebody at Paragon 295.

For Now, Do Not Throw Away the Splinters You Have

Until Blizzard confirms what is happening, players should probably treat every Splinter of Evil as considerably more valuable than it looked last week. If you already have Terror, Destruction or Hatred sitting in storage, this may not be the ideal moment to spend them casually switching Prime Evil powers.

Season 15 has been remarkably good at hiding valuable things inside systems players initially assumed were straightforward. Splinters turned out to be keys to Uber Tristram. Wirt's Lucky Coin turned out to be more than another Diablo II joke. The Horadric Cube turned into a machine for discovering things Blizzard neglected to explain.

Hopefully Patch 3.2.2 has not added another secret mechanic:

Making the keys disappear.

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