How to change difficulty in Diablo 4 (and difficulty levels explained)

Difficulty levels in Diablo 4 have a major impact on how you play the game and how the world feels. Each and every difficulty level modifies enemy toughness and behavior to the quality of loot and the amount of gold you get from each encounter. Understanding how the difficulty system works is crucial, especially for new players joining the journey in this season.

This guide will cover how to change difficulty levels and what their effects are in Diablo 4.

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How to change difficulty in Diablo 4

Head to the World Tier Statue located in major cities and interact with it to change the difficulty in Diablo 4. (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

At the beginning of your journey in Sanctuary, you will only have access to Normal and Hard difficulties. To change the difficulty of the world in Diablo 4, you'll need to visit any of the major cities on the map, like Kyovashad, Cerrigar, Dark Citadel, etc. To change the difficulty, all you need to do is

• Interact with the World Tier Statue in the major cities.
• Select the difficulty you want from the available options.
• Confirm the change, and you’re good to go.

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Complete overview of all difficulty tiers in Diablo 4

Each and every difficulty settings in Diablo 4 changes how much loot and it's quality in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The difficulty levels in Diablo 4 are primarily classified into two types: leveling and torment. Leveling difficulties are designed specifically for the early-game grind without any harsh penalties toward the player. Torment difficulties are usually reserved for high-tier Pits and endgame runs with much higher rewards and brutal penalties.

Leveling difficulty tiers explained

Any and all difficulties from Normal to Penitent are classified as the Leveling difficulty from the beginning of the game till you reach the level cap in Diablo 4.

• Normal - This difficulty is how most people start the game. If you want manageable enemy difficulty and focus more on the story aspects of Diablo 4, normal is the ideal difficulty level. This difficulty usually rewards players with the standard amounts of Gold and XP without any bonus.
• Hard - Just a little bit more punishing than normal difficulty. Enemies are more ruthless and deal more damage, but you earn 75% additive Gold and XP. This is built for players who are familiar with the ARPG genre but still want the story experience.
• Expert - This difficulty is designed for giving players 125% additive Gold and XP, but monsters deal significantly higher damage. This difficulty is fantastic for leveling if you are experienced in this genre. You can access this difficulty right after finishing the prologue of Diablo 4.
• Penitent - Once you have finished your main Campaign in Diablo 4 (around Level 50), you will have access to the Penitent difficulty. If you are preparing to dive into the endgame content, this difficulty allows you to level up much faster, with 175% additive Gold and XP every encounter.

If you are experienced enough, you can reach the level cap in just a few hours if you start the game in Expert difficulty.

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All Torment difficulty tiers explained

The Torment difficulty level is the ultimate challenge in Diablo 4, accessible to you only after reaching the level cap of 60 and completion of the main campaign. Here’s how they work:

• Torment I - This difficulty level is only available after you’ve reached level 60 and tier 20 of the Pit. It significantly boosts your acquired Gold and XP by 300%. This also drastically increases the drop rate of Ancestral Gear, Legendary, and Unique Items. So what's the drawback? You will be getting a -25% resistance and -250 armor penalty, which increases incoming damage from all sources.
• Torment II - As soon as you beat the tier 35 Pit, you will be able to access Torment II difficulty in Diablo 4. This immediately boosts the amount of Gold and XP you get by +400% but also adds a penalty of -500 armor and -50% resistances. You need to have a properly decked-out build to perform well at this difficulty.
• Torment III - This difficulty is available to you once you’ve managed to reach tier 50 in the Pit. It grants you a staggering 500% additive Gold and XP. It also penalizes you with -750 armor and -75% resistances. Preparation is key in this difficulty, or you can die in just a few seconds.
• Torment IV - This is the highest unlockable difficulty in Diablo 4. You can unlock this difficulty level at tier 65 of the Pit. You get a +600% increase in Gold and XP by using this difficulty. The tradeoff? You get a penalty of -1000 Armor and -100% resistances, making each and every fight the peak of challenge where you can die from a single hit.

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How to choose the perfect difficulty tier for yourself

If you just want the rich and dark story experience, play in Normal difficulty and dive into the Eternal Conflict. But if you want a little bit of combat experience but still enjoy the story pace, go with Hard, which will give you the perfect ARPG experience.

If you want a true Diablo 4 experience where you'll need to think about how you play and how you create your build, the Expert and Penitent difficulty levels are perfect for you.

If you want to run the Pit and explore the Endgame of Diablo 4, Torment difficulty will really challenge you.

In the end, it depends on you and what kind of playstyle you want to experience in Diablo 4.

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