The excitement of a loot-driven action RPG diminishes when adversaries are easily dispatched and only numerical increases are observed. In the current iteration of Diablo 4, character upgrades often feel superfluous as much of the game does not demand significant power enhancements.

This presents a challenge in a genre where progressive power acquisition serves as the primary motivation for seeking improved gear. Many players, including myself, tend to disengage from Diablo 4 seasons once character power reaches a point where item upgrades offer only marginal statistical improvements. At this stage, the primary objective often becomes maximizing speed for leaderboard rankings in new, limited-time dungeons.

Blizzard intends to address this imbalance with the forthcoming Lord of Hatred expansion, scheduled for release next month. The solution draws inspiration from Diablo 3, expanding the existing four difficulty tiers—Torment levels—to a total of twelve. This revelation came from Associate Game Director Zaven Haroutunian during an interview with YouTuber Wudijo, and was further elaborated upon in a separate discussion with PC Gamer by two designers in January.

Wudijo highlighted the discrepancy between a character's item-derived power and their skill tree progression, noting how quickly players can achieve damage figures in the billions. Haroutunian acknowledged that while "large numbers provide a sense of accomplishment for players," the game currently doesn't necessitate such extreme power levels.

The introduction of eight new Torment tiers in Lord of Hatred aims to re-establish the relevance of ongoing power accumulation. Haroutunian stated, "Consequently, all the power you acquire can be utilized effectively."

Colin Finer, the Design Director of Systems, explained to PC Gamer that the development team views these new Torment tiers less as traditional difficulty settings and more as integral stages of game progression. He elaborated, "Philosophically, our aim is for difficulty to be an opt-in risk/reward mechanism, which is where meta-progression plays its role. Torment can be considered your baseline; you will consistently advance through it, and this process is now more granular within the twelve Torment levels, with less drastic increases between them."

In Diablo 3, it was common to bypass several Torment tiers upon achieving significant power spikes. However, game designer Aislyn Hall indicated that the team desires a "very clear progression through each tier as you discover various enhancements for your build" in Diablo 4. The highest tier, though, is designed to be an aspirational goal, not a prerequisite for enjoying the game. Hall humorously remarked, "It's going to be exceptionally challenging."

Haroutunian also informed Wudijo that the increased loot drops from higher Torment tiers are a contributing factor to the inclusion of a loot filter in Diablo 4 with the expansion. While more items will drop, players will have the ability to customize the filter to display only valuable items, which may include weaker pieces that can be enhanced through the new Horadric Cube crafting system introduced in the expansion.

If Blizzard's vision materializes as intended, players should encounter fewer progression plateaus than currently experienced in Diablo 4. There will be a compelling incentive to pursue superior gear, and the impact of those upgrades will be genuinely felt. While it is likely that a point will still be reached where no in-game challenge remains, as is typical for Diablo titles, achieving this state weeks into a season, rather than days, would represent a substantial improvement.