While blood, guts, and gore are at the core of Diablo 4, there’s one thing that’s the true beating heart of the age-old RPG game series: good loot. Hidden away in the bowels of nightmare dungeons, or given out as a reward for slaying the Diablo 4 world boss, sometimes it feels like worthwhile gear is hard to come by in Diablo 4 – but, in reality, the drop rates are similar to Diablo 2 Resurrected.
Picture the scene: you’ve plowed your way through Lilith’s hordes, defeated her most terrifying generals, and are well on your way to facing off against the Daughter of Hatred yourself. As the final boss falls, items come spewing out of their lifeless corpse – potions, gold, and… a magic item. Well, wasn’t that anti-climactic?
While I’ve largely gotten pretty lucky with my drops, some have had their first legendary drop be for another class (VGC, I’m looking at you), or have struggled to get anything worthwhile as they delve deeper into the Diablo 4 endgame. It begs the question: is the loot drop rate in Diablo 4 really just that low?
The answer is no; in fact, it’s effectively the same as its predecessor, Diablo 2 Resurrected. As tested by Diablo creator ‘Regular Schmuck,’ the drop rate from Nightmare Dungeons effectively evens out with Diablo 2’s Chaos Dungeons – 99 items per hour for Nightmare Dungeons, and 92 per hour for Chaos runs.
By comparison, however, Diablo 4 players are more likely to pick up lower item tiers which, to borrow Regular Schmuck’s words, is a “by-product of gold actually having meaningful value within the game.” In Diablo 2 Resurrected, most of your money was spent on potions, Scrolls of Town Portal, Scrolls of Identify, and hiring mercenaries, whereas in Diablo 4 it’s an essential part of upgrading and enchanting your gear.
I, for one, miss my Legendary item from my Diablo 4 review build. It synergized perfectly with my Twisted Blade Rogue build, and carried me through the latter half of the campaign with ease. I’m yet to find a legendary for my new Sorceress that packs quite as much punch, but at least I know I will get something relatively soon – especially if I stop being afraid of The Butcher and actually take on some Diablo 4 dungeons.
To do so, I’ll need to change out my skills for the best Diablo 4 build and seek out all of the Diablo 4 Altar of Lilith locations to make sure I stand a chance against the demons that lurk in the dark.