Diablo 2 Could Rework Over 200 Unique Items, but Should Blizzard Touch the Classics?

There was a time when finding a Unique item in Diablo II felt like receiving a personal invitation from the loot gods. The golden lettering appeared, your heart skipped a beat, and for a few seconds you imagined discovering something genuinely extraordinary. Then Deckard Cain identified it as another item you would never use. Some Diablo traditions have survived remarkably well.

Now Blizzard is considering whether that disappointment has become too much of the game's identity. During a September 12 conversation with Diablo II streamer MrLlamaSC, lead producer Matthew Cederquist discussed the possibility of updating approximately 211 existing Unique items, potentially refreshing around 25 at a time in future patches. These were exploratory development ideas, not a confirmed roadmap, but the scale of the discussion suggests Blizzard is thinking beyond the small item adjustments introduced with Ladder Season 15.

And that raises an unusually difficult question for a game that has survived more than 25 years: how do you improve its loot without changing the very thing people love about it?

Season 15 Was Apparently Just the Beginning

Blizzard has already started experimenting. As we covered when Season 15 introduced buffs to forgotten Unique items, Patch 3.3 made modest adjustments to equipment such as Bloodletter, Pluckeye, Bane Ash, Blinkbat's Form and Manald Heal. The changes were hardly revolutionary. A little Faster Cast Rate here, some additional movement speed there, and suddenly several ancient items had at least a chance of being useful again.

According to accounts of Cederquist's conversation, that first batch was partly intended to gauge player reaction. The team has reportedly identified a much larger collection of items worth examining, ranging from early levelling equipment to valuable endgame Uniques. The possibility of updating roughly 25 items per future patch was discussed, although Blizzard has not formally committed to that pace or published a list of the 211 candidates.

The important point is not that every old Unique needs dramatically higher numbers. Some items simply arrive too late in character progression. Others have bonuses that no longer suit the builds players actually use. A relatively small adjustment can make an item interesting without turning it into mandatory equipment.

Spirit and Stealth Are Part of the Problem

The discussion becomes more controversial when Runewords enter the picture. Spirit and Stealth are among Diablo II's most familiar recipes, largely because they provide so much practical value for relatively accessible ingredients. Spirit offers powerful caster bonuses, while Stealth provides an excellent collection of early-game utility. Neither requires the sort of financial planning usually associated with creating Enigma.

That accessibility is wonderful for new characters, but it creates a problem for Unique items competing for the same equipment slots. Why get excited about a moderately useful staff when a Spirit sword provides such an efficient package of skills, casting speed and other bonuses? Why experiment with an unusual chest piece when Stealth already solves several common levelling problems?

Spirit's influence continues well into the endgame. Our recent look at a Magic Warlock capable of destroying Players 8 Baal featured Spirit as part of an established high-level equipment setup. Twenty-five years of Diablo II have produced countless alternatives, yet some of the same Runewords remain almost automatic choices.

Cederquist's discussion included whether players would welcome changes affecting dominant Runewords such as Spirit and Stealth. That does not mean nerfs have been announced. There is an enormous difference between asking the community whether an item is too powerful and actually reducing its bonuses.

Buffing Alternatives Might Be Better Than Nerfing Classics

There are two broad ways to create more equipment diversity. Blizzard could weaken exceptionally efficient Runewords, forcing players to reconsider the alternatives. Or it could improve underused Unique items until those alternatives become genuinely attractive.

The second approach is arguably more interesting. Diablo II has never needed every item to be equally strong, and it certainly does not need another generation of equipment where damage bonuses simply grow larger every season. What it needs is meaningful choice. A Unique shield might offer better protection against particular enemies. A rare weapon might support an unusual skill combination. An overlooked armour piece might become the sensible option for a character that values survivability over casting speed.

The challenge is doing that without making established gear feel worthless. Spirit is popular because it works, and thousands of players have built characters around it. Removing that reliability would change the early-game experience considerably. Improving alternatives would preserve the familiar progression while offering reasons to occasionally take a different route.

There Is Also the Problem of Ladder and Non-Ladder

Any major item overhaul would need to account for Diablo II's increasingly complicated equipment economy. Patch 3.3 restricted its newly modified Unique and Set item versions to Reign of the Warlock Ladder, even while eight older Ladder Runewords became craftable in Non-Ladder.

That distinction has already caused confusion among collectors. As we explained in our coverage of Season 15's Ladder-only Chronicle items, players pursuing a complete collection can encounter different item versions depending on which mode they play.

Expanding the rework program to dozens of additional Uniques would make those distinctions even more important. Blizzard would need to explain how new versions enter the economy, what happens to older copies and which game modes receive the changes. Those details have not been announced.

Diablo II's Greatest Strength Is Also Its Biggest Balancing Problem

Diablo II is unusual because its players have spent decades studying a remarkably persistent equipment system. They know the recipes, remember the breakpoints and can identify a worthless Unique almost before Cain finishes speaking. That accumulated knowledge is part of the game's culture. It is also the reason many items have little opportunity to surprise anyone.

A careful overhaul could change that. Imagine finding an obscure Unique during Nightmare difficulty and genuinely having to consider whether it is better than your current Runeword. Not because Blizzard has attached an absurd damage multiplier to it, but because the item offers something different and useful.

For now, the reported list of approximately 211 candidates remains a possibility rather than a promise. There is no official schedule for 25 item changes per patch, and no confirmed Spirit or Stealth nerf. What Blizzard has demonstrated with Season 15 is a willingness to revisit equipment that has spent far too long collecting dust.

Perhaps that is the right direction for Diablo II: Resurrected. Keep the familiar Runewords, preserve the game's peculiar item economy, but make discovering an old Unique exciting again.

After all, Deckard Cain has identified enough disappointing equipment for several lifetimes. The man deserves a pleasant surprise occasionally.

Sources: MrLlamaSC's September 2026 developer discussion, the community's summary of Cederquist's remarks, and Blizzard's official Patch 3.3 notes.

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Diablo 3 Season 40: How to Farm Angelic Crucibles Fast

Diablo III Season 40 has brought back Angelic Crucibles, those rather generous gifts from the High Heavens that allow players to transform ordinary Legendary equipment into something capable of embarrassing the Prime Evils. The catch, naturally, is finding enough of them. One Crucible might give you exactly the Sanctified Power your build needs. The next six might offer excellent opportunities to reconsider your relationship with random number generators.

Fortunately, Angelic Crucibles can drop from several endgame activities once you reach level 70, and you do not need to unlock a secret dungeon or defeat a particular boss. The real challenge is farming efficiently. With the right approach, you can collect Crucibles while also earning Paragon experience, Greater Rift upgrades and the equipment needed to improve your character.

We previously covered the return of the seasonal mechanic in our Season 40 Light's Calling overview and examined the available abilities in our complete Sanctified Powers guide. This time, the focus is on finding the consumables themselves, choosing efficient activities and making sure you do not waste them when they finally appear.

Where Do Angelic Crucibles Drop in Diablo 3 Season 40?

Blizzard's original Light's Calling rules confirm that Angelic Crucibles can drop anywhere in Sanctuary once your seasonal character reaches level 70. That includes ordinary Adventure Mode activities rather than one special encounter. The returning Season 40 theme uses the same core mechanic, which means you can encounter Crucibles while progressing through the game's usual endgame.

The principal activities worth considering are Nephalem Rifts, Greater Rifts and Bounties. Crucibles are less common than ordinary Legendary and Set items, and there is no guarantee that completing an individual Rift will award one. Blizzard increased the original Season 27 drop rate during that theme's lifetime, but it has not published a precise Crucible drop percentage for Season 40.

That means advice promising a guaranteed Crucible every few runs should be treated with suspicion. What you can control is your farming speed, your character's ability to clear content and the amount of downtime between attempts.

Best Farming Method: Fast Greater Rifts

For an established level 70 character, repeatedly clearing Greater Rifts at a comfortable difficulty is one of the most practical approaches. Greater Rifts reward you with equipment, Legendary Gem upgrades and substantial experience while giving you another opportunity to find Angelic Crucibles. You are progressing several parts of your character at once instead of dedicating an entire evening to a single consumable.

Choose a Greater Rift level you can complete consistently in roughly two to three minutes. This is a farming target, not a special Crucible drop-rate breakpoint. If Greater Rift 90 takes you two minutes but Greater Rift 110 takes eight, the faster runs may be a better use of your time. You will complete more attempts and continue improving your character without turning every elite encounter into a lengthy negotiation.

The ideal Greater Rift level depends on your build. Start with one that feels easy, then increase the difficulty gradually while watching your completion times. If a higher tier noticeably slows you down, return to the quicker setting. There is little point farming at the maximum level your character can survive when a lower tier allows you to finish several runs in the same amount of time.

A Simple Greater Rift Farming Routine

1. Reach level 70 on a seasonal character and assemble a reliable farming build.
2. Collect Greater Rift Keystones by completing ordinary Nephalem Rifts.
3. Select a comfortable Greater Rift tier that you can finish quickly and consistently.
4. Run several Greater Rifts consecutively, focusing on large enemy groups and quick Guardian kills.
5. Collect your rewards and upgrade Legendary Gems before preparing the next run.
6. Review your results after several attempts and adjust the difficulty if your runs have become unnecessarily slow.

Movement speed, reliable area damage and minimal downtime are generally more valuable here than a build designed exclusively for maximum Greater Rift pushing. The purpose is not to prove how difficult a Rift you can complete. It is to collect useful rewards efficiently.

Nephalem Rifts: The Best Place to Build Your Farming Supply

Greater Rifts require Keystones, which makes ordinary Nephalem Rifts an essential part of the process. At level 70, their Guardians award Greater Rift Keystones, allowing you to keep the Greater Rift cycle running. They also provide equipment and another opportunity to find Angelic Crucibles during normal gameplay.

For most players, the sensible strategy is to farm Nephalem Rifts at the highest Torment difficulty they can clear comfortably. If you can destroy everything in Torment XVI without slowing down, use it. If Torment XVI still takes too long, a slightly lower difficulty with faster clears is preferable to struggling through individual monster packs.

This is where class selection and equipment matter. Our Season 40 starter builds guide explains how to get useful farming setups running with Haedrig's Gift. Aegis of Valor Crusader is particularly interesting this season because its Fist of the Heavens setup can become an exceptionally comfortable farming build with the corresponding Sanctified Power.

Gears of Dreadlands Demon Hunter is another fast-moving option, while other well-equipped classes can farm efficiently using their own mobility and area-damage abilities. Choose a build you can play comfortably for repeated runs. Theoretical damage output means very little if you spend half the evening waiting for cooldowns or walking between enemies.

Are Bounties Worth Farming for Angelic Crucibles?

Bounties can produce Angelic Crucibles, but that does not automatically make them the most efficient way to farm the consumables. Completing an entire Act's objectives frequently involves travelling across large maps, locating individual enemies and waiting through encounters that offer relatively little reward for the time invested.

Bounties remain useful when you need their associated rewards and materials. If you already have a reason to complete them, Crucibles are an additional possible benefit. But if your only objective is to obtain more Angelic Crucibles, repeated fast Rift runs are generally a more practical starting point than a dedicated Bounty circuit.

There is also no verified evidence that a particular Act, Bounty boss or Horadric Cache guarantees an Angelic Crucible. Players should be wary of farming routes that claim otherwise without clear supporting evidence.

Should You Farm on Higher Difficulties?

Difficulty matters for Diablo III's general reward economy, but there is a difference between improving overall loot efficiency and proving a specific Angelic Crucible drop formula. Higher difficulties can offer better normal loot rewards, yet Blizzard has not published a Season 40 table showing exactly how each Torment or Greater Rift tier affects Crucible drops.

The safest approach is therefore to concentrate on efficient rewards per hour. Increasing your difficulty makes sense when your clear time remains nearly unchanged. It becomes counterproductive when the additional enemy health turns a fast run into a struggle. An extra few seconds per pack may not seem important, but across dozens of Rifts it adds up quickly.

Do not feel compelled to farm Greater Rift 90 or 100 simply because other players recommend those tiers. They are useful benchmarks for established characters, not compulsory entry points for finding Angelic Crucibles. A new level 70 seasonal character should focus on assembling a functioning build before trying to imitate someone with considerably better equipment.

How Many Angelic Crucibles Do You Need?

Each use of an Angelic Crucible gives the selected eligible Legendary item one of your class's three Sanctified Powers at random. You can use another Crucible to reroll a Sanctified item, but there is no guarantee that the next attempt will produce your preferred ability.

That means the number of Crucibles you need depends on luck and how particular you are about the resulting item. If you simply want to try the mechanic, one Crucible is enough. If you are chasing a specific Sanctified Power on an important equipment piece with suitable affixes, you may need considerably more.

Do not confuse getting the correct Sanctified Power with getting the perfect item. Sanctification replaces the item's existing affix values, and a result can provide the right special ability while still leaving you with attributes that are not ideal for your build. Players pursuing high-level Greater Rifts may consequently continue using Crucibles long after obtaining their first desirable power.

Before committing to repeated rerolls, check our breakdown of all 21 Sanctified Powers. Several classes receive abilities that work extremely well with particular builds but offer little direct benefit to others. There is no reason to spend ten Crucibles chasing a skill bonus your character barely uses.

What Item Should You Sanctify First?

Choose a level 70 Legendary item that is important to your current build, preferably one you can replace if the Sanctification result is disappointing. A useful weapon, ring or armour piece can be a good candidate depending on your equipment requirements. The item's Legendary Power is preserved, but its original stats are not, so avoid experimenting recklessly with the only excellent copy of a vital item.

Remember that you can only equip one Sanctified item at a time. Sanctifying an entire wardrobe will not let you combine several of the special powers. Crafted items cannot be Sanctified, followers cannot equip Sanctified items, and the seasonal consumables and Sanctified equipment will not carry over to non-seasonal characters when the season ends.

The sensible early-season strategy is to obtain one genuinely useful Sanctified item before worrying about perfection. A strong ability that makes your normal farming faster may help you acquire the resources and equipment needed to optimise everything else.

Why Isn't My Angelic Crucible Dropping?

First, check the basics. Are you playing a seasonal character? Have you reached level 70? Are you farming eligible activities rather than expecting the consumable to appear during early levelling? If those requirements are satisfied, a long stretch without a Crucible does not automatically indicate a bug.

Angelic Crucibles are random drops, and random drops have an unfortunate habit of ignoring personal schedules. Two players running similar content can experience very different results over a small number of attempts. Previous Light's Calling seasons also produced plenty of community discussions from players who believed their characters were unusually unlucky.

There is no established method for forcing a particular Crucible drop, and restarting the game has not been verified as a way to reset or improve your chances. The practical solution is to continue farming efficiently, improve your character and avoid making claims about broken drop rates based on a handful of unsuccessful runs.

Diablo 3 Season 40 Angelic Crucible Farming Checklist

• Play a seasonal character and reach level 70.
• Complete Haedrig's Gift objectives to obtain your first class set.
• Build around mobility, consistent damage and fast clearing.
• Farm ordinary Nephalem Rifts for Greater Rift Keystones.
• Run Greater Rifts at a difficulty you can clear comfortably in roughly two to three minutes.
• Use Bounties when you also need their other rewards.
• Keep spare copies of valuable Legendary items before Sanctifying.
• Choose your desired class power before spending multiple Crucibles on rerolls.
• Do not assume one specific dungeon or Rift tier guarantees a Crucible.

The Best Angelic Crucible Farm Is the One You Can Repeat

There is no hidden altar that rains Angelic Crucibles from the sky, no confirmed boss that carries a guaranteed supply and no officially established trick that removes the randomness from Season 40's most interesting consumable. What players do have is Diablo III's familiar endgame loop, which remains exceptionally good at rewarding fast, consistent play.

Build a character that moves quickly, farm Nephalem Rifts for Keystones, clear Greater Rifts at a comfortable pace and improve your equipment as you go. Crucibles will become another part of your overall seasonal progression rather than the only thing worth chasing.

And when the right Sanctified Power finally appears, enjoy it. The demons of Sanctuary have suffered through forty seasons of increasingly unreasonable Nephalem builds, and the angels have once again decided to make their situation worse.

Sources: Blizzard's official Season 40 preview and the original Light's Calling rules and patch notes.

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Diablo 4 Player Reports Season 15 Loot Filters Being Wiped Without Warning

Diablo IV players have spent years asking for better ways to manage the mountains of equipment scattered across Sanctuary. Blizzard finally gave them a proper loot filter, allowing everyone to decide which items deserve attention and which should quietly disappear from view. Unfortunately, one Season 15 player has now reported a rather unpleasant twist: the filter itself appears to have forgotten everything it was supposed to remember.

In an October 14 bug report on Blizzard's official forums, an Xbox Series X player says that two carefully configured Season 15 loot filters were suddenly reset. Every condition had disappeared, their custom rule names were gone, and the filters no longer behaved as expected. Stranger still, the player's older filters from Seasons 13 and 14 remained untouched.

It is an unusual report, and potentially a frustrating one for anyone who has spent time building detailed rules to separate valuable equipment from the usual avalanche of boots, gloves and weapons that nobody particularly wants.

Two Season 15 Filters Suddenly Lost Their Rules

The player, posting under the name Plantsects, says the first warning came when rare items began appearing that should normally have been handled by the active loot filter. After trying to switch the filter off and on again, they opened its settings and discovered that both of their current-season configurations had effectively been wiped.

According to the report, rules that previously contained custom names and conditions had reverted to generic numbered entries. Fourteen rules were visible, but their conditions had disappeared, their visibility settings had changed to Show, and their previous colour selections were no longer present.

The affected character was a Druid, played on Xbox Series X using a mouse and keyboard. The player says restarting Diablo IV several times did not restore the missing settings. They also attempted to create another filter but reported that recolouring did not seem to work properly.

Perhaps the oddest detail is that the same account still displayed older loot filters associated with a Season 13 Warlock and a Season 14 Paladin. If the account had simply lost all its saved filter information, those older configurations would presumably have been affected too. Instead, the reported problem appears limited to the player's two current-season filters.

Diablo IV Has Had Loot Filter Problems Before

This is not the first time Diablo IV's loot filtering system has caused headaches. When Blizzard introduced the feature, players immediately began finding limitations and unexpected behaviour. We covered those early complaints in our article about Diablo IV's loot filter and its troubled introduction, including a bug that could hide equipment with useful Aspect upgrades.

Other players have previously reported filters temporarily failing to work despite being enabled, although a filter that ignores its rules is not necessarily suffering from the same problem as one whose saved conditions have disappeared entirely.

That distinction matters. An inactive filter can sometimes be switched back on or replaced with another configuration. A filter whose rules have actually been erased is a different problem, particularly if the player has no way to recover the original settings.

It also reinforces a concern we raised in our earlier discussion of why Diablo IV's loot filter needs better item protection. Loot filtering is no longer a minor convenience. Players rely on it to manage enormous quantities of equipment, and unexpected behaviour can undermine confidence in the entire loot system.

Is This a Widespread Season 15 Bug?

Not from the evidence currently available. The October 14 report describes one player's experience, and there is no confirmed reproduction method or official explanation establishing why the settings disappeared.

Blizzard's Patch 3.2.3 notes for October 14 include several bug fixes and general interface improvements, but they do not specifically mention a fix for loot filters losing saved rules. There is also no established connection between that patch and this particular report, so it would be misleading to claim that the update caused the problem.

Players encountering similar behaviour can try switching between existing filters or restarting the game, approaches that have helped with some earlier activation problems. However, neither should be considered a verified solution for deleted settings. The affected Xbox player specifically reports that restarting did not help.

If your own filters are still working, taking screenshots of complicated rules and their conditions may be a sensible precaution until more is known. If something disappears, a detailed bug report listing the platform, affected character, season and missing settings could help establish whether this is an isolated incident or something more substantial.

A Small Bug With a Particularly Annoying Consequence

There is something almost impressive about an action RPG where players can survive battles against ancient demons, assemble ridiculously complicated builds and defeat bosses from the depths of Hell, only to be defeated by fourteen empty configuration rules.

For now, the important point is that a Season 15 player has reported losing two loot filter configurations, while older seasonal filters remained intact. That deserves investigation, but it is not yet evidence that Diablo IV is wiping everyone's settings.

Hopefully, the cause turns out to be something simple. Rebuilding a loot filter is not exactly the sort of endgame activity anyone was hoping Blizzard would introduce.

Source: Original October 14 Xbox Series X bug report on the official Diablo IV forums.

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Diablo Immortal Spawn Event Guide: How to Get the Malebolgia MVP Cosmetic and Free Rewards

Diablo Immortal's collaboration with Spawn has brought a particularly unpleasant guest to Sanctuary. Malebolgia, the demon lord responsible for turning Al Simmons into Spawn, is now waiting inside The Eighth Circle, surrounded by summoned Hellspawn and armed with the sort of magical attacks that suggest he has never particularly enjoyed company. Fortunately, defeating him is not merely an exercise in surviving another oversized demon. Players can also earn a special cosmetic reward by proving themselves the most valuable member of their group.

There is a catch, naturally. You must earn MVP status four times in total while fighting Malebolgia in a party of at least three players. Simply defeating the boss four times is not enough, and completing the encounter with only one other player will not satisfy the published party-size requirement. With the Spawn crossover ending on November 1, there is still time to organize those attempts, but this is one reward worth pursuing before the final weekend.

How to Earn the Malebolgia MVP Cosmetic

The cosmetic is tied to The Eighth Circle, the limited-time cooperative encounter introduced with the Spawn collaboration. Blizzard allows groups of up to four players to challenge Malebolgia, who combines large-area attacks with summoned Hellspawn enemies. The activity also features rotating completion-time goals and ranked rewards, giving players a reason to improve their performance beyond simply surviving the encounter.

To qualify for the special cosmetic, follow these requirements:

1. Enter The Eighth Circle during the Spawn crossover event.
2. Form a party containing at least three players. A full four-player party also qualifies.
3. Defeat Malebolgia and earn MVP status in the encounter.
4. Repeat until you have earned MVP four times cumulatively.
5. Check the event interface for the associated cosmetic reward once the requirement has been completed.

The important word is cumulatively. Blizzard does not require four consecutive MVP performances, so an unsuccessful attempt does not mean starting the entire challenge again. You can keep working towards the total across multiple eligible encounters.

Blizzard has not published a detailed formula explaining exactly how MVP is calculated for this encounter. That means nobody should promise that simply dealing the highest damage will automatically secure the title. Our practical recommendation is to use a reliable boss-focused build, maintain damage uptime, avoid unnecessary deaths and coordinate with your group rather than treating the fight as a personal damage-meter competition.

What to Expect From the Malebolgia Fight

Malebolgia's encounter combines physical attacks, sorcery and summoned Hellspawn. The large-area attacks make positioning important, while additional enemies can complicate an otherwise straightforward boss fight. Players hoping to earn MVP should prioritize consistency over risky attempts to squeeze in one additional attack before a major mechanic resolves.

For groups struggling with the encounter, start by learning the attack patterns rather than immediately chasing faster completion times. Bring characters that can survive reliably and keep contributing throughout the fight. Once the group understands the mechanics, experimenting with more aggressive builds becomes considerably easier.

This is especially relevant because Diablo Immortal's character power varies dramatically between players. As we explored in our earlier discussion of progression differences between Diablo Immortal players, equipment, gems and character investment can create enormous performance gaps. For this challenge, finding a cooperative group with similar expectations may be more useful than joining a party where everyone is chasing a different objective.

All the Free Spawn Rewards Worth Collecting

The MVP cosmetic is only one part of the collaboration. Hellspawn's Vengeance provides a separate reward track where players earn Vengeance Marks by completing weekly objectives and participating in activities such as The Eighth Circle and Hellspawn's Bane.

Blizzard's published rewards include Spawn-inspired weapon appearances, six collaboration emotes, a Hellspawn avatar frame, Legendary Crests, Legendary equipment, Set Items and the Necroplasmic Totem Legendary Gem. The full event details also describe ten Hellspawn-themed weapon skins available through the collaboration's progression rewards.

That is a useful collection for players who enjoy cosmetics but would rather earn them through gameplay. When we first covered Spawn's arrival in Diablo Immortal, Blizzard had not yet revealed the complete reward structure. The finished event offers considerably more than a few shop appearances and a familiar comic-book character.

Don't Ignore Hellspawn's Bane

If your main objective is progressing through Hellspawn's Vengeance, do not spend every available session fighting Malebolgia. Hellspawn's Bane also contributes to the event and offers a different kind of challenge.

This special version of Survivor's Bane introduces abilities inspired by Spawn, including Hell Chains, the K7-Leetha Cloak, Necroplasm projectiles, Hell Fire, Spiritual Manipulation and Agony. The mode also includes an encounter with Heap, after which players can return to the battlefield with a temporary combat enhancement.

The sensible strategy is to check your available weekly objectives before choosing which activity to repeat. If Hellspawn's Bane can provide the Vengeance Marks needed for your next reward, complete those objectives rather than endlessly farming a boss encounter whose MVP status you may not earn. Diablo Immortal already has enough overlapping events and reward systems without players accidentally creating additional work for themselves.

Is the Necroplasmic Totem Legendary Gem Worth Getting?

One of the more interesting event rewards is Necroplasmic Totem. The Legendary Gem can surround your character with Necroplasm after dealing damage, increasing damage output for six seconds. It can also consume a harmful damage-over-time effect, or react to an enemy kill, to launch an explosive bolt that burns nearby enemies. These effects have cooldown restrictions, so the Gem is not a permanent damage boost or an endless stream of projectiles.

Whether it belongs in a permanent build depends on the other Legendary Gems available to your character. For players still developing their equipment, however, claiming the event reward provides another option to experiment with. Diablo Immortal's expanding Legendary Gem economy already involves considerable planning, so a reward earned through ordinary event progression deserves attention.

Free Rewards and Paid Cosmetics Are Not the Same Thing

One final distinction matters. The Spawn collaboration also includes premium cosmetics through Hellspawn's Guise, a limited-time Phantom Market, alongside separate shop bundles. The Crimson Cloak appearance and the Lil' Violator familiar transformation are not simply guaranteed rewards for completing the free event track.

We have previously looked at the wider debate surrounding Diablo Immortal's virtual currencies and purchasing systems. The same basic advice applies here: check which rewards are earned through gameplay and which require a purchase before committing to a particular cosmetic.

For players concentrating on free rewards, the priorities are straightforward. Complete weekly Hellspawn's Vengeance objectives, participate in Hellspawn's Bane, organize groups of at least three for The Eighth Circle and work towards four cumulative MVP results before the crossover ends.

Spawn has spent decades trying to escape the consequences of one terrible bargain with Hell. Diablo Immortal players have a rather simpler arrangement: defeat Malebolgia, collect the rewards and remember to bring enough friends.

Preferably friends who are willing to let you take MVP occasionally.

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Diablo 2 in VR Looks Like a Completely Different Game, and You Can Actually Swing the Weapons

There are certain places in gaming that most of us know better than our own neighbourhoods. The Rogue Encampment. Tristram. The corridors beneath the Monastery. The irritatingly confusing jungles of Kurast. Diablo II players have spent twenty-six years exploring these locations from above, carefully guiding tiny heroes through an endless procession of demons, skeletons and disappointing item drops. Now a group of modders has decided that perhaps we should experience those places from a considerably more uncomfortable perspective: standing directly inside them.

A new fan-made VR project called D2R PCVR transforms Diablo II: Resurrected into a first-person virtual reality experience, complete with physical sword swings, manually aimed bows, motion-controlled spells and potions that can actually be grabbed from your belt. The project attracted considerable attention following a new demonstration on October 11, and it looks less like a traditional Diablo mod and more like somebody accidentally discovered an entirely different game hiding inside Blizzard's remaster.

Diablo II Was Never Supposed to Look Like This

What makes the project fascinating is that Diablo II: Resurrected already contains detailed three-dimensional environments. The original game's famously fixed perspective may suggest otherwise, but the remaster rebuilt Sanctuary with fully rendered geometry, lighting and character models. As we recalled in our look back at Diablo II: Resurrected's original beta, the technology was designed to preserve the feel of the classic game while dramatically improving its presentation.

D2R PCVR takes advantage of that foundation. Instead of watching a Barbarian swing his weapon from a comfortable distance, you can physically move your controller to attack. Archers draw and aim their bows using their hands. Spellcasters aim magic directly at enemies, while Necromancers can summon skeletons from a viewpoint that makes their undead companions considerably more imposing.

The developers have also added physical interactions that go beyond simply moving the camera. Players can reach over a shoulder to swap weapon sets, grab potions from their belt and navigate inventory menus through VR controls. Suddenly, the familiar business of preparing for another dungeon feels rather more involved.

Two VR Projects Are Bringing Sanctuary to Life

There is an important distinction between the new D2R PCVR project and the earlier D2R VR mod developed by BodyWalkVR. The original project introduced several camera perspectives, including third-person, first-person and even a mixed-reality view that lets players place Diablo II's world on the floor of their room.

The newer D2R PCVR project builds on that work but introduces native OpenXR rendering through SteamVR or Virtual Desktop. It also expands motion-controlled combat, VR menus and physical interactions without requiring the earlier BodyWalk and FlatVR setup.

It is an interesting development for a game whose visual presentation has become part of its identity. We previously explored the controversy surrounding Legacy Graphics in Reign of the Warlock, where some players argued that preserving Diablo II's classic appearance was essential. D2R PCVR takes almost the opposite approach, using the modern graphics to reveal a world the original developers never expected players to inhabit directly.

Can You Actually Play Diablo II in VR?

Yes, although there are several important limitations. The project remains an experimental preview rather than a finished commercial release. It requires a legitimate PC copy of Diablo II: Resurrected, a suitable VR headset, motion controllers and a Windows gaming computer.

Meta Quest 3 has been tested using PC streaming through Steam Link or Virtual Desktop. Other headsets may work through SteamVR, but compatibility varies. The developers have also added experimental support for Battle.net installations alongside the Steam version.

Most importantly, the mod is intended for offline single-player only. It modifies the running game, and the developers explicitly warn against using it with online characters because of the potential risk of account penalties. This is not an official Blizzard feature, and the project is neither developed nor endorsed by the company.

Interested players can find the installation instructions and current preview releases on the project's GitHub release page.

And Then There Is the Problem of Actually Surviving

Of course, there is a rather obvious problem with experiencing Diablo II from inside your character's helmet. Diablo II was designed around being able to see large groups of enemies approaching from every direction. In first person, that information disappears almost completely.

A charging pack of Fallen might be manageable. The Stygian Dolls lurking in the Durance of Hate are another matter entirely. Burning Souls firing lightning from outside your field of vision could be genuinely terrifying, and the prospect of watching Diablo himself charge directly towards your face suddenly makes the old isometric camera seem like a remarkably sensible invention.

Players discussing the project have already questioned how later difficulty levels will work when enemies attack from behind and combat becomes increasingly chaotic. The developers acknowledge that considerable testing and refinement are still required, especially for advanced skills and encounters.

That experimentation is part of what makes the project appealing. We have previously covered Diablo II mods that expand character abilities, but this one changes something more fundamental: how it feels to inhabit Sanctuary.

Twenty-Six Years Later, Diablo II Still Has Surprises

There is something wonderful about seeing a game this old continue finding ways to surprise people. Between new Ladder content and updates to forgotten items, an entirely new Warlock class and increasingly ambitious fan projects, Diablo II has somehow become one of the more unpredictable corners of the franchise.

D2R PCVR is still experimental, and whether it becomes a comfortable way to play the entire campaign remains uncertain. But the possibility alone is fascinating. We have spent decades watching Sanctuary from above. Now we can finally stand in the Rogue Encampment, look around and discover just how much detail was hiding inside that familiar little world.

And then, presumably, get stabbed in the back by a Fallen we never saw coming.

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Diablo 4 Patch 3.2.3 Fixes Prime Evil Powers, but Some Players Still Need a New Character

Diablo IV's Season 15 has given players enough secrets, returning bosses and strange equipment combinations to keep Sanctuary occupied for months. Unfortunately, it has also introduced the occasional problem that cannot be solved by hitting something with a larger axe. Blizzard's next update, Patch 3.2.3, arrives on October 14, and its most important fix addresses a bug that could permanently block a character's seasonal quest progression.

There is good news and bad news. The patch prevents the problem from happening again. It does not automatically repair characters already affected. Those players have another task waiting for them, and it involves creating somebody new.

Using a Prime Evil Splinter Too Early Could Break Your Questline

The problem involves Season 15's Prime Evil Splinters, the items associated with Diablo, Baal and Mephisto. Under certain circumstances, players could use one of these Splinters before completing the seasonal questline. Doing so could leave that character unable to finish the story or gain access to Prime Evil Powers.

That is a particularly unfortunate failure because the entire Season of Hell's Legacy revolves around those powers. As we explained in our look at the Prime Evil switching grind, choosing between Diablo, Baal and Mephisto changes which activities receive seasonal bonuses. Losing access to the powers is therefore considerably more serious than missing an optional reward.

Patch 3.2.3 prevents characters from using the Splinters prematurely. However, Blizzard says the update cannot reset the progression of characters already trapped by the bug.

How to Unlock Prime Evil Powers on an Affected Character

Blizzard has provided an official workaround, although it requires more effort than simply logging out and back in. Players affected by this particular questline bug should follow these steps:

1. Create a new character in the same partition as the affected character.
2. Complete the Season 15 questline on that new character.
3. Once the questline is completed, Prime Evil Powers will unlock for all characters in that partition.

The partition requirement is important. Normal and Hardcore characters are separate, as are ordinary and Solo Self-Found characters. Completing the questline in the wrong partition will not provide the intended unlock.

Fortunately, Blizzard does not say players must delete their original character. The new character is used to complete the progression that the original can no longer finish.

This should also not be confused with the separate issue we covered where players reached Rank 24 but still could not unlock their final Prime Evil Power. Blizzard's latest notes specifically address premature Splinter use and blocked seasonal quest progression. They do not explicitly identify the Rank 24 problem as fixed.

Horadric Cube Rerolls Are Getting Repaired

Patch 3.2.3 also addresses an irritating crafting issue involving the Horadric Cube. Several affixes could not be rerolled correctly, limiting players' ability to improve equipment even when the relevant crafting systems should have supported those changes.

The affected affixes include Impairment Reduction, Barrier Generation, +Healing and Critical Strike Damage.

These might sound like relatively minor repairs compared with an entire seasonal questline becoming inaccessible, but the Cube is central to Diablo IV's current equipment progression. We have already explored how Season 15 expanded Charm crafting and rerolling, making reliable affix manipulation increasingly important for endgame builds.

Few things improve the excitement of finding a promising item quite like discovering that the crafting system refuses to cooperate.

Baal, the Countess and Necromancer Quests Also Receive Fixes

Several additional problems are being addressed. Blizzard is correcting Tyrael's spawn position after the Baal encounter, which could make it difficult to collect the defeated boss's loot. Given how much effort players put into farming the Prime Evils, reaching the treasure and discovering that an angel is standing inconveniently close to it was probably not the intended challenge.

The Countess in the Forgotten Tower will no longer be able to pass through the fog wall and prevent progression. The Sandstone Golem in the Horadric Library is also receiving a fix for failing to respawn after a player dies during the encounter.

Necromancers benefit from a correction to Call of the Underworld, where some monsters were not dropping the Unbroken Bones required for the class mechanic quest. The update also includes unspecified stability, performance, visual and interface improvements.

What Patch 3.2.3 Does Not Fix

There is one important limitation to the update. Blizzard's published notes do not announce changes to Splinter drop rates, despite the community concerns covered in our earlier investigation into the Season 15 Splinter grind.

Nor does the patch announce a correction for the Hellfire Torch's unusual Talisman interactions. The update is focused on progression blockers, broken encounters and specific crafting issues rather than a broad balance overhaul.

For most players, Patch 3.2.3 should make Season 15 a little more reliable. For anyone whose character became trapped after using a Prime Evil Splinter too early, the news is more complicated. The underlying bug is being closed, but escaping its consequences still requires completing the seasonal questline on another character.

Sanctuary has always demanded a certain amount of repetition. Having to create another hero because the first one accidentally broke the paperwork is a rather modern variation on that tradition.

Source: Official Diablo IV Patch Notes.

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Diablo 4's Amazon Class Has Four Combat Styles: Here's What Each One Does

When Blizzard confirmed that the Amazon would return to Diablo IV, the obvious reaction was to remember Diablo II. Lightning javelins, deadly bows, absurd attack speeds and the occasional Valkyrie doing her best to keep an entire army distracted. It was a class with a very recognizable identity. But Blizzard's plans for the new Amazon are considerably more ambitious than simply recreating the character we left behind in 2000.

The Amazon is coming to Diablo IV in the first half of 2027 with four distinct combat archetypes: Champion, Skirmisher, Ranger and Commander. And following Blizzard's Diablo IV: What's Next presentation, we finally have a much clearer understanding of how each one is supposed to play.

We previously covered the Amazon's official reveal at BlizzCon 2026, but the interesting question now is no longer whether she exists. It is how Blizzard intends to make four very different styles of warfare feel like they belong to the same character.

1. The Champion: Sword, Shield and Battlefield Leadership

The Champion is perhaps the biggest surprise. Instead of relying on the familiar bow or javelin, this version of the Amazon fights in melee with a sword and shield, using buffs to strengthen both herself and her allies.

Blizzard describes her as a disciplined warrior rather than an uncontrolled berserker. That distinction matters because Diablo IV already has the Barbarian, a class that approaches most disagreements by hitting them until they stop being disagreements. The Champion is intended to be more deliberate, choosing her attacks carefully while supporting the surrounding fight.

Developers have also mentioned banners as part of the Champion's battlefield-support identity. That opens up interesting possibilities for players who enjoy melee combat with a tactical element, although the exact skills, bonuses and defensive mechanics have not yet been detailed.

2. The Skirmisher: Javelins, Mobility and Hit-and-Run Combat

For players who miss Diablo II's lightning-throwing Amazon, the Skirmisher may be the most immediately recognizable archetype. Blizzard describes her as a fast, athletic combatant who moves into danger, attacks with a javelin and retreats before the enemy can respond properly.

The important detail is that javelins are becoming a new weapon type in Diablo IV. According to the developers, the weapon allows the Amazon to attack at medium range while moving fluidly between ranged and melee combat.

That sounds like a promising foundation for an aggressive, mobile playstyle. What remains unknown is how much of Diablo II's classic lightning-javelin identity will return. Blizzard has not confirmed specific abilities such as Lightning Fury or Charged Strike for the new class, so it would be premature to start publishing builds around them.

3. The Ranger: Precision Archery Rather Than Another Rogue

At first glance, the Ranger sounds like familiar territory. She uses a bow, attacks from a distance and specializes in precision. Diablo IV already has the Rogue, of course, which means Blizzard has the interesting challenge of making two agile ranged classes feel genuinely different.

The distinction appears to be the Amazon's military discipline. Blizzard describes the Ranger as a tactical archer who picks targets and eliminates them through carefully controlled attacks. Where Rogue combines agility with tricks, traps and opportunistic combat, the Amazon's broader design emphasizes battlefield training and deliberate execution.

How that translates into actual skill rotations is still unknown. We have not seen enough information to determine whether Ranger will favor individual high-damage shots, sustained ranged pressure or some combination of the two. What we do know is that Blizzard is designing her around more than simply shooting arrows quickly.

4. The Commander: Bringing an Army of Valkyries

The Commander might be the most interesting of all four archetypes, because she takes one of Diablo II's supporting abilities and turns it into something much more central to the class.

Blizzard describes the Commander as a general who dominates the battlefield with phalanxes of Valkyries. Rather than acting alone, she calls upon the Amazon's military traditions and mystical connection to the Askari ancestors.

This is not quite the same fantasy as a Necromancer summoning skeletons from discarded corpses. The Commander is presented as a disciplined battlefield leader directing trained supernatural warriors. If Blizzard can translate that distinction into satisfying gameplay, she could become one of Diablo IV's more unusual summon-oriented characters.

For now, however, the developers have not explained how Valkyries are summoned, controlled or upgraded, nor whether Commander builds will rely primarily on their damage. Those details will determine whether the archetype becomes a genuine alternative to traditional summoners or simply a different source of supporting attacks.

Why Skovos Matters to the Amazon's Design

The four archetypes make more sense when viewed through the Amazon's history. The class comes from Skovos, a region players explored in Lord of Hatred. Blizzard says the Amazon's design rests on three central ideas: battle expertise, unrivaled athleticism and mythical magic. In other words, the Amazon is not merely a person with a particular weapon. She belongs to a warrior culture with its own traditions, tactics and spiritual beliefs.

That is a much richer starting point than the rumors circulating before BlizzCon, which we examined in our original Amazon class rumor breakdown. Back then, Skovos made the character plausible. Now the region is helping explain why her new combat styles exist in the first place.

It is also another reminder that Diablo IV still has substantial content coming. As we explored in our article about Diablo IV's future beyond traditional expansions, Blizzard is preparing to support the game through seasonal updates and additional content even as development continues on Diablo V.

When Does the Amazon Release, and Will She Cost Extra?

Blizzard has confirmed that the Amazon will arrive during the first half of 2027 through a dedicated Class Pack. The company has not yet announced its price, the full contents of that pack or its exact release date. More purchasing details are expected closer to launch.

Nor has Blizzard released a complete Amazon skill tree, confirmed the final Legendary item interactions or explained exactly how players will combine the four archetypes when building their characters. These are design directions, not four finished build guides.

Four Styles, One Very Different Amazon

The most encouraging thing about the Amazon's return is that Blizzard appears willing to expand the original idea rather than simply polish its nostalgia. Champion offers disciplined melee combat and support. Skirmisher brings mobility and the javelin. Ranger focuses on precision archery. Commander turns Valkyries and Askari military traditions into a battlefield identity of their own.

Not every detail is settled, and the eventual skill trees will determine how flexible these archetypes really are. But the direction is interesting. After spending years watching Diablo classes specialize in increasingly elaborate ways of destroying demons, we may finally get one whose defining quality is understanding how to fight a war.

Although knowing Sanctuary, that war will probably still involve throwing a suspicious amount of lightning at everything that moves.

Sources: Blizzard's Diablo IV: What's Next panel recap and the Official Xbox Podcast developer interview.

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Diablo 3 Season 40: Best Sanctified Powers for Every Class and Build

Diablo III Season 40 has brought Angelic Crucibles back to Sanctuary, which means the High Heavens are once again distributing weapons of questionable balance to anyone willing to slaughter enough demons. The returning Light's Calling theme introduces 21 Sanctified Powers, three for each class, and some of them are powerful enough to change how an entire build plays. Others are considerably more specialised. And a few are wonderful examples of why angels should probably not be trusted with game design.

But there is an important distinction players should understand before spending their Angelic Crucibles: the best Sanctified Power for your class is not necessarily the best one for your current build. Season 40's Haedrig's Gift sets work beautifully with certain powers, while other classes receive starter sets that have very little direct synergy with their available Sanctified bonuses. This guide explains which powers are worth chasing, which builds benefit from them, and where players should avoid wasting precious Crucibles.

If you are still getting your seasonal character established, our Diablo III Season 40 starter builds guide explains how to get your first six-piece set and begin farming efficiently. Here, we are concentrating on what happens afterward, when the angels arrive with their rather generous collection of supernatural explosives.

Best Sanctified Powers in Diablo 3 Season 40: Quick Overview

Class	Recommended Power	Best Build or Purpose
Barbarian	Whirlwind	Wrath of the Wastes farming
Crusader	Fist of the Heavens	Aegis of Valor speed farming
Demon Hunter	Strafe	Hatred-spender builds
Monk	Wave of Light	Exploding Bell builds
Necromancer	Golem Corpse Storage	Corpse-based builds
Witch Doctor	Horrify Aura	Damage amplification and survivability
Wizard	Arcane Orb	Arcane Orb builds

These recommendations are based on how the powers interact with their respective skills and builds. They are not a live Greater Rift leaderboard ranking, and specialised setups can favour different powers. The most important thing is to match the Sanctified effect to the skills and equipment you actually use.

How Angelic Crucibles and Sanctified Powers Work

Angelic Crucibles are seasonal consumables that can drop once your character reaches level 70. Using one on an eligible level 70 Legendary item Sanctifies that item, granting perfect Ancient-level affix values while preserving its original Legendary Power. The item also receives one of three Sanctified Powers available to your class. Which power appears is random, so obtaining the result you want may require several Crucibles.

You can Sanctify an item again to reroll it, but there are restrictions worth remembering. Only one Sanctified item can be equipped at a time, crafted items cannot be Sanctified, and followers cannot use Sanctified equipment. The process also replaces the item's existing stat rolls, meaning that carefully optimised attributes are not preserved. An expensive reroll can therefore produce a spectacular new ability attached to a surprisingly inconvenient collection of affixes.

For a broader introduction to the returning seasonal theme, see our Season 40 Light's Calling and Angelic Crucibles coverage. The advice here is simple: get your working build together first, keep a spare copy of important items when possible, and only start chasing a specific Sanctified Power once you know what it will accomplish.

Best Barbarian Sanctified Powers

1. Whirlwind: Best for Fast Farming

The Whirlwind power pulls enemies within 25 yards toward the Barbarian and holds them together. For Wrath of the Wastes builds, this is excellent. Whirlwind already rewards constant movement through groups of monsters, and the Sanctified effect solves one of its most irritating problems: enemies scattered across the screen when you would much rather have them gathered into a convenient pile of experience points.

The additional grouping also helps a Rend-focused Wastes setup maintain pressure against tightly packed enemies. It is straightforward, comfortable and particularly useful for speed farming. You do not need to learn an entirely new rotation, because the power enhances something the build already wants to do.

2. Hammer of the Ancients: Best for Dedicated Hammer Builds

Hammer of the Ancients strikes around the Barbarian, with every tenth cast unleashing a powerful shockwave. This is the obvious choice for a dedicated Hammer of the Ancients setup. It improves the skill's area coverage and offers additional burst potential, but it will not suddenly transform a Frenzy build into a Hammer specialist without the corresponding equipment.

3. Wrath of the Berserker: Best for Planned Burst Damage

Attacks build Tempest Rhythm stacks, and activating Wrath of the Berserker consumes 50 stacks to make nearby enemies take increased damage for 20 seconds. It is an interesting option for players who enjoy coordinating their cooldowns and maximising a specific damage window rather than constantly moving through ordinary rifts.

Our recommendation: Choose Whirlwind for Wastes farming and Hammer of the Ancients for Hammer builds. However, remember that Season 40 awards Horde of the Ninety Savages through Haedrig's Gift. That set primarily supports Frenzy, so none of these powers is a direct replacement for its core damage mechanics. Stick with Frenzy while gearing, then consider a different build if you want to exploit Whirlwind or Hammer of the Ancients properly.

Best Crusader Sanctified Powers

1. Fist of the Heavens: Best Overall Farming Choice

If there is one combination in Season 40 that makes an immediate impression, it is Aegis of Valor Crusader with the Fist of the Heavens Sanctified Power. Every two seconds, lightning strikes a nearby enemy automatically, and using Steed Charge temporarily increases the frequency. Combine that with equipment supporting Fist of the Heavens and the result is an extremely convenient farming setup where movement and damage work together beautifully.

There is something deeply satisfying about riding through a Nephalem Rift while the heavens deal with the monsters on your behalf. Crusader has always been fond of theatrical divine intervention, but this version requires remarkably little paperwork.

More importantly, Aegis of Valor is the Crusader's Haedrig's Gift set in Season 40. That means new seasonal Crusaders have a direct route into a build that benefits from their Sanctified Power without needing to collect an unrelated six-piece set first.

2. Blessed Hammer: Best for Hammer-Based Builds

Sanctified Blessed Hammer produces damaging energy along the hammer's path and changes its trajectory for most runes. It can be effective in a dedicated Blessed Hammer setup, but it is less attractive for players already committed to Aegis of Valor. Unless your equipment supports Blessed Hammer damage, the impressive visual effect alone is not a good reason to abandon your established build.

3. Falling Sword: Best for Experimental Setups

Falling Sword summons two Archangels that can use Consecration and Condemn. It is a spectacular effect and an entertaining way to play around with Falling Sword, although the summoned angels are subject to their own limitations and should not be treated as an automatic substitute for properly supported damage skills.

Our recommendation: Fist of the Heavens is the clear practical choice for Crusaders using their Season 40 starter set, particularly when speed farming.

Best Demon Hunter Sanctified Powers

1. Strafe: Best for Compatible Hatred-Spender Builds

The Strafe Sanctified Power automatically casts the last non-channeled Hatred-spending skill you used. This allows Demon Hunters to combine movement and attacks in particularly aggressive ways, turning Strafe into the engine for abilities such as Multishot or Impale. The result can be extremely fluid, especially when the rest of the build has been designed around the spender being triggered.

There is, however, an important trap for Season 40 players. Haedrig's Gift provides Gears of Dreadlands, which is commonly played with Hungering Arrow. Hungering Arrow is a generator, not a Hatred spender. The Sanctified Strafe power therefore does not automatically cast Hungering Arrow simply because you are using the popular Gears of Dreadlands setup. Players need an appropriate spender to exploit the effect properly.

2. Vengeance: Best Flexible Alternative

Activating Vengeance unleashes an expanding barrage of rockets that deal damage based on enemy maximum life, with reduced effectiveness against elites and bosses. This offers an additional offensive effect without requiring every build to revolve around Strafe's automatic spender mechanic. It is worth experimenting with when Vengeance already forms part of your normal rotation.

3. Cluster Arrow: Best for Dedicated Cluster Arrow Builds

Cluster Arrow becomes a piercing attack made from concentrated rays of light rather than its familiar explosive spread. This is a specialised choice for players using Cluster Arrow as a principal damage skill. It changes how the ability behaves and deserves to be evaluated with appropriate supporting items rather than compared directly with an unrelated Hungering Arrow build.

Our recommendation: Strafe offers the most interesting build possibilities, but Vengeance may be easier to incorporate when using an existing setup. Gears of Dreadlands players should not mistake the Strafe power for automatic synergy with their main generator.

Best Monk Sanctified Powers

1. Wave of Light: Best for Exploding Bell Builds

Monks receive one of the season's most unusual abilities. Casting Wave of Light summons a bell at the selected location, and attacking that bell releases its damage. Up to five bells can exist simultaneously. This transforms Wave of Light into a positioning-based mechanic where choosing where to place the bells, and how to trigger them, becomes central to the build.

With the right equipment, the power can deliver exceptional area damage. It also requires more attention than a conventional farming rotation, because summoned bells are not simply passive objects that destroy everything around them forever. They need to be triggered, and their positioning matters.

2. Way of the Hundred Fists: Best for Consecutive-Hit Setups

This power changes Way of the Hundred Fists so its combo attacks repeatedly use the second punch stage, while consecutive hits increase the skill's damage. It offers an unusual alternative for players who want to build around sustained punching rather than traditional Monk farming skills. Its usefulness is closely tied to how consistently you can maintain attacks.

3. Seven-Sided Strike: Best for Focused Targets

Seven-Sided Strike applies a prolonged spiritual barrage to one enemy for 15 seconds. It is considerably more specialised than Wave of Light because the effect can only target one enemy at a time. That makes it more attractive for specific encounters than for clearing enormous groups in ordinary farming.

Our recommendation: Wave of Light is the standout for a dedicated bell build. But Season 40's Haedrig's Gift provides Patterns of Justice, a Tempest Rush set. None of the three Sanctified Powers directly enhances its main attack, so players should avoid rebuilding their character simply because a Crucible produced something flashy.

Best Necromancer Sanctified Powers

1. Golem Corpse Storage: Best for Corpse-Based Builds

The Golem Sanctified Power allows your Golem to collect corpses within 20 yards and store up to 30 of them. Stored corpses can then support corpse-consuming abilities at their maximum corpse consumption per cast. For a class that frequently relies on corpses being available in the right place at the right moment, this is an extremely useful improvement.

Necromancers can be devastating when the battlefield is covered in bodies, but significantly less impressive when they have no corpses available and several angry demons approaching. A Golem carrying a portable supply of the deceased is therefore a perfectly sensible solution, at least by Sanctuary's standards.

2. Army of the Dead: Best for Army-Focused Builds

The Army of the Dead power continually attacks nearby enemies using Unconventional Warfare. This is an interesting option for builds that can take advantage of Army of the Dead mechanics and damage bonuses. Players should still verify how it works with their chosen Legendary powers rather than assuming every Army-related multiplier applies to the automatic attacks.

3. Death Nova: Best for Death Nova Builds

Repeated Death Nova hits summon spirits that attack enemies, with up to three spirits active. The power fits naturally into a build that already uses Death Nova as its primary damage source. It is considerably less useful if Death Nova is merely a secondary ability that rarely appears in your normal rotation.

Our recommendation: Golem for corpse-focused builds, Death Nova for dedicated Nova setups. The Season 40 Haedrig's Gift set, Masquerade of the Burning Carnival, centres on Bone Spear, so players beginning with that set should understand that none of the available Sanctified Powers directly upgrades Bone Spear itself.

Best Witch Doctor Sanctified Powers

1. Horrify Aura: Best General-Purpose Choice

Horrify becomes an aura that causes affected enemies to take 100% increased damage while dealing 15% less damage, in addition to its existing effects. For players who want an offensive advantage without abandoning their current build, this is an appealing option. Increased damage taken by enemies can complement a wide range of setups, and the defensive reduction provides welcome additional protection.

Witch Doctor is also particularly interesting because Mundunugu's Regalia is the Season 40 Haedrig's Gift set. The set supports Spirit Barrage, and Horrify provides a utility option that can be worked into a Spirit Barrage-focused character rather than requiring a complete change in playstyle.

2. Gargantuans and Zombie Dogs: Best for Pet Builds

The pet power periodically summons two Gargantuans and three Zombie Dogs. Gargantuans gain the Restless Giant effect, while Zombie Dogs benefit from all their runes. Enemies struck by Sacrifice also take additional damage from pets. This is an excellent thematic choice for summoner enthusiasts and a natural candidate for a build that makes pet damage its central strategy.

3. Locust Swarm and Piranhas: Best for Enemy Grouping

Enemies affected by Locust Swarm also become Haunted, while casting Piranhas pulls Haunted enemies within range into the pool. The effect creates opportunities to gather scattered monsters into concentrated groups, potentially improving area damage. It is powerful in the right setup but demands more deliberate skill selection than the relatively straightforward Horrify aura.

Our recommendation: Horrify is the most flexible choice for Spirit Barrage and other established builds. Dedicated pet players should seriously consider the Gargantuan and Zombie Dog power instead.

Best Wizard Sanctified Powers

1. Arcane Orb: Best for Orb Builds

The Arcane Orb power periodically creates up to four orbiting charges, producing additional orbs when the skill is cast. It also changes how charges from the Arcane Orbit rune detonate. For Wizards using Arcane Orb as their primary offensive skill, this is the most natural Sanctified Power to pursue. It rewards a build that already supports Arcane Orb damage and turns the surrounding projectiles into a more substantial part of its combat rhythm.

2. Storm Armor: Best for Convenient Extra Damage

Storm Armor charges over 30 seconds, and casting it at full charge releases a powerful thunderbolt that instantly kills a random ordinary enemy within 30 yards. Elites and bosses are not instantly killed, although they still take significant damage. It is an entertaining extra effect for Wizards who already use Storm Armor, but the ability should not be confused with an automatic Greater Rift Guardian execution button.

3. Magic Missile: Best for Experimental Builds

Magic Missile fires ten missiles and gains the Seeker rune effect. It changes a familiar basic attack into a much more substantial barrage, opening possibilities for players who deliberately build around Magic Missile. For more conventional Wizard builds, however, it may require too many changes to supporting equipment to justify using it over an effect that better complements existing skills.

Our recommendation: Arcane Orb for Orb builds, Storm Armor for a broadly convenient supplementary effect. Typhon's Veil, the Wizard's Season 40 Haedrig's Gift set, supports Hydra rather than Arcane Orb. Players using Hydra should therefore evaluate the powers as supplementary effects, not direct replacements for their principal source of damage.

Which Item Should You Sanctify First?

The ideal first Sanctified item is not necessarily your rarest weapon. It should be a useful level 70 Legendary that belongs in your current build, preferably one you can afford to reroll without destroying your only good equipment option. Weapons, jewellery and important armour pieces can all be reasonable candidates, depending on which affixes your build needs most.

Because Sanctification replaces existing rolls, using a perfectly optimised item without a spare is risky. If the new power is wrong, or the resulting affixes do not support your build, you may end up with something that looks impressive but performs worse. Start with an extra copy of an essential Legendary when possible and pay attention to important attributes such as Critical Hit Chance, Critical Hit Damage, Cooldown Reduction and resource management.

Players should also remember that only one Sanctified item can be equipped at a time. You can create and store additional Sanctified items, but you cannot combine multiple Sanctified Powers by equipping several of them simultaneously. Choose one effect that meaningfully improves your character and let the rest of your equipment support it.

Best Sanctified Powers for Speed Farming vs Greater Rift Pushing

Speed farming and Greater Rift pushing are two different jobs, and Sanctified Powers should be evaluated accordingly. For farming, players benefit from effects that reduce downtime, group monsters and allow attacks to continue while moving. Whirlwind Barbarian and Fist of the Heavens Crusader are good examples because their powers improve the flow of combat rather than demanding elaborate preparations before every fight.

For more demanding Greater Rifts, the equation becomes more complicated. A power that looks spectacular in Torment XVI may contribute less when enemies survive longer and every defensive decision matters. Powers supporting concentrated damage, controlled enemy positioning or a specialised build's main skill can become more attractive. Before committing to a high-level Greater Rift setup, make sure your chosen power works with the actual damage multipliers, cooldowns and resource requirements of that build.

For Season Journey progression, the most efficient farming build is often more useful than an experimental high-damage setup. Our look at why Diablo III still works in 2026 explored how the game's remarkably fast seasonal progression remains one of its greatest strengths. Light's Calling reinforces that appeal, giving returning players another reason to assemble a build quickly and enjoy the familiar chaos.

Common Angelic Crucible Mistakes to Avoid

• Sanctifying your only excellent item: Keep a spare when possible, because the original affix rolls will be replaced.
• Chasing a power your build cannot use: A Strafe power does not automatically improve Hungering Arrow, just as a Wave of Light power does not directly strengthen Tempest Rush.
• Expecting the power you want immediately: Each class has three possible Sanctified Powers, and the result is random.
• Trying to equip multiple Sanctified items: Only one can be equipped at a time.
• Assuming the seasonal equipment is permanent: Sanctified items and Angelic Crucibles do not transfer into non-seasonal play at the end of the season.
• Ignoring your existing equipment: The strongest effect on paper may be weaker than a more modest effect that actually works with your Legendary multipliers.

Final Verdict: Which Sanctified Power Is Best in Season 40?

For players who want a practical recommendation rather than endless theorycrafting, Fist of the Heavens Crusader is one of Season 40's most attractive combinations. Aegis of Valor is available through Haedrig's Gift, the Sanctified effect works directly with the skill the build wants to use, and the result is exceptionally convenient for farming. It is a natural starting point for anyone who wants to take advantage of Light's Calling without building an entirely new character around an awkward interaction.

Barbarians should look toward Whirlwind if they are willing to move beyond their starter Frenzy setup, Monks can explore the distinctive Wave of Light bells, and Necromancers have some entertaining options for making corpse-based gameplay less dependent on what happens to be lying on the ground. Witch Doctors benefit from the flexible Horrify aura, while Demon Hunters and Wizards need to pay particular attention to whether their chosen powers actually support their primary skills.

Ultimately, Season 40 is not about equipping the most impressive-looking Sanctified Power. It is about finding the one that makes your existing build better, faster or more enjoyable. The angels have supplied 21 ways to break the usual rules of Diablo III. You only get to equip one at a time.

Which, considering the consequences of giving Nephalem unlimited divine power, is probably a wise precaution.

Official reference: Diablo III Season 40: Light's Calling Preview and Blizzard's original Sanctified Powers patch notes.

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Diablo Immortal Twisting Torments Guide: How to Farm Weekly Legendary Rewards

Tuesday is becoming a particularly unpleasant day to visit Lut Gholein. In Diablo Immortal, Andariel and Duriel have apparently decided that sharing the surrounding desert is unacceptable, and their disagreement now takes the form of a weekly invasion involving empowered demons, corrupted altars and, fortunately for the rest of us, Legendary equipment. The event is called Twisting Torments, and if you are looking for another reliable weekly activity, it deserves a place on your schedule.

Introduced with the Made to Suffer update, Twisting Torments takes place in the Rocky Waste outside Lut Gholein. Every Tuesday, either Andariel or Duriel invades the region, bringing specially empowered enemies and a series of altar encounters. The objective is straightforward: defeat enemies at three altars, destroy the altars, summon a Lieutenant and defeat it to collect rewards. The challenge comes from the additional enemy mechanics, which can make an otherwise routine desert excursion considerably more dangerous.

When and Where Does Twisting Torments Spawn?

Twisting Torments takes place every Tuesday in the Rocky Waste subregion outside Lut Gholein. According to Blizzard, the event remains available throughout that Tuesday rather than appearing during a single short time window. That makes it considerably easier to fit into a normal playing session, particularly for players who cannot organize their lives around the exact moment a demon decides to emerge from the ground.

For the upcoming rotation, the next scheduled event day is Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Blizzard has not published a fixed alternating schedule identifying which Lesser Evil will invade on each individual date, so check the active event information in-game to see whether Andariel or Duriel is currently responsible for the trouble.

The Rocky Waste is part of the expanded Lut Gholein region introduced through Diablo Immortal's Nation in Agony storyline. As we covered in our earlier look at the Made to Suffer update, the region has become the center of an increasingly unpleasant struggle between Pain and Anguish.

How to Complete Twisting Torments

Unlike a traditional dungeon, Twisting Torments revolves around objectives in the open world. Blizzard describes a simple sequence involving three altars and a Lieutenant encounter, with empowered monsters defending the sites.

1. Travel to Rocky Waste: Enter the subregion outside Lut Gholein on Tuesday while Twisting Torments is active.
2. Locate the event altars: Find the three altar objectives associated with the invasion.
3. Defeat the defending enemies: Clear the empowered monsters at each altar while avoiding their special affixes.
4. Destroy all three altars: Complete the altar objectives to trigger the next stage.
5. Defeat the Lieutenant: Once the three altars are destroyed, a Lieutenant appears. Kill it to receive the event rewards.
6. Check your weekly rewards: Make sure you have received the available Legendary equipment reward before treating the week's event as complete.

There is no need to invent an elaborate farming route before understanding the basics. The essential requirement is completing the three altar objectives and defeating the resulting Lieutenant. Blizzard has not specified a universal altar order, so players should follow the active objectives and their positions in the game rather than assuming there is one mandatory route through Rocky Waste.

Andariel vs Duriel: Understanding the Special Enemy Affixes

Twisting Torments is not simply another excuse to fill the desert with ordinary monsters. Enemies empowered by the two Lesser Evils receive additional affixes reflecting their masters' particular interests. Andariel's influence includes Chains of Anguish, while Duriel's followers can bring Pain Burrows that spawn maggots.

These mechanics change how players should approach the altar fights. Against enemies using Chains of Anguish, prioritize positioning and avoid becoming trapped among several empowered monsters. Builds with mobility skills and reliable area damage should have an easier time repositioning when the battlefield becomes crowded. Against Pain Burrows, pay attention to newly spawned enemies rather than focusing exclusively on the largest target. Additional monsters can quickly turn a manageable fight into a mess, especially when several effects overlap.

For melee characters, the sensible approach is to avoid standing in dangerous effects simply because a skill rotation is almost finished. Ranged builds should make use of their ability to reposition, while characters with strong area damage can concentrate on clearing groups around the objectives. These are practical combat recommendations rather than confirmed requirements for particular classes or builds.

How to Get the Weekly Legendary Equipment Reward

The main reason to participate in Twisting Torments is the additional loot. Blizzard confirms that defeating the Lieutenants associated with Andariel and Duriel provides increased rewards, including a weekly Legendary equipment drop.

That makes the event particularly appealing to players who want another source of Legendary equipment without committing to a lengthy activity. Completing the altar sequence and defeating the Lieutenant can fit naturally alongside other weekly progression objectives, although the exact time required will depend on your character, difficulty and the number of players participating.

There is an important distinction between a weekly reward and unlimited Legendary farming. Blizzard confirms the weekly Legendary equipment reward, but does not establish that every additional Lieutenant kill will award another guaranteed Legendary item. Players should therefore avoid assuming that repeatedly completing the event will produce guaranteed Legendary equipment indefinitely.

The sensible strategy is to secure the weekly reward first. If you continue participating afterward, treat any additional loot according to the event's actual in-game reward rules rather than expecting another guaranteed Legendary drop.

Best Builds and Skills for Twisting Torments

Because Twisting Torments features groups of empowered enemies rather than only a single stationary boss, builds that combine area damage, mobility and survivability should feel comfortable here. The ideal setup is one that clears altar defenders efficiently without becoming vulnerable to chains, spawned monsters or overlapping enemy effects.

Barbarians and Crusaders can benefit from durable close-range setups, while Demon Hunters and Wizards may prefer builds that maintain damage while repositioning. Necromancers can use minions to help occupy enemies, and other classes should prioritize familiar farming builds with dependable area damage. There is no verified evidence that one specific class is mandatory or universally fastest for this event, so changing an otherwise effective build solely for Twisting Torments is probably unnecessary.

Players who are still developing their equipment should also remember that improving overall character power often matters more than chasing one perfect event-specific skill combination. Diablo Immortal's progression systems have become increasingly flexible, including the Progressive Normal Gem upgrades introduced with Made to Suffer, which allow players to receive incremental improvements starting at Rank 6.

Is Twisting Torments Worth Doing Every Tuesday?

For most active Diablo Immortal players, Twisting Torments is worth considering as a weekly activity. The event has a clearly defined objective, remains available throughout Tuesday and offers an additional opportunity to earn Legendary equipment. It also makes use of the expanded Lut Gholein region rather than sending players into another isolated menu-driven encounter.

More importantly, the weekly structure makes it relatively easy to remember. Visit Rocky Waste on Tuesday, destroy three altars, defeat the Lieutenant and collect the available rewards. Players interested in the broader Nation in Agony storyline also get another opportunity to experience the growing influence of Andariel and Duriel outside the city's walls.

Whether it becomes an essential part of your weekly routine depends on your equipment needs and how much time you want to spend farming. But for players still searching for useful Legendary upgrades, an extra scheduled source of equipment is rarely a bad thing.

And if you happen to encounter Duriel, remember that this is the same demon who has spent decades making Diablo II players miserable. Some traditions are apparently too important to abandon.

Source: Blizzard's official Made to Suffer update notes.

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