How to change World Tier difficulty in Diablo 4 – what tier is best for you?

Wondering how to change Diablo 4 World Tiers? Then you have come to the right place. In an effort to cater to all skill levels and playstyles, Diablo 4 features several different difficulty levels at launch that players can change at any time. These are packaged under the World Tier umbrella.

Depending on which World Tier you opt for, you’ll see tweaks to the challenge posed by enemies, experience gain, gear drops, and how much gold you’ll get for defeating monsters across Sanctuary. Each of the World Tier comes with a character level recommendation, allowing you to ramp up the challenge as you progress towards the late game. The easiest World Tier is Adventurer, where enemies pose little threat. Opting for Torment, though, is a completely different challenge, which we go into detail below.

We’ve played through Diablo 4 extensively, and have covered our verdict of Blizzard’s game in our Diablo 4 review. Here, we’ll explain how to unlock World Tier in Diablo 4 and how to change between them on the fly. At the end, we’ll discuss what World Tier could be best for you if you’re new or returning to Diablo. Rumours suggest that World Tier 5 is also in the cards at Blizzard Entertainment. To help you meet the requirements, it’s worth learning how to get a mount in Diablo 4 and how to get gold fast in Diablo 4 so you’ve got the gear to face Diablo 4’s toughest foes.

How to change World Tier in Diablo 4

There are two ways to change World Tier difficulty in Diablo 4. You can change the World Tier difficulty at any time from the main menu character select screen when you create a new character or when selecting an existing character when you load up Diablo 4 by tapping change world tier button on the right side of the screen. 

You can also switch World Tier at the World Tier statue in the northeast of Kyovashad, the first major city you’ll come across when playing Diablo 4. It appears on the map as a bladed compass not far from the Cathedral of Light. Doing so will reload the game with enemies and drops rejigged according to which of the Diablo 4 World Tiers you choose.

How to unlock World Tiers Diablo 4

To unlock World Tier in Diablo 4, you need to complete specific dungeons on the World Tier below the one you’re trying to unlock. The lower World Tier 1 Adventurer and World Tier 2 Veteran World Tiers are unlocked by default when you start the game. Here’s what’s needed to unlock the more challenging Diablo 4 Nightmare and Torment World Tier:

• World Tier 3 Nightmare – To unlock this World Tier, you must complete the main story campaign and the Cathedral of Light Capstone dungeon in Kyovashad in World Tier 2 Veteran..
• World Tier 4 Torment – To unlock Torment, you’ll need to complete the Fallen Temple Capstone dungeon in northeastern Dry Steppes in World Tier 3 Nightmare.

World Tier	Unlock requirements	Recommended Level	Enemy details	Drop details
Adventurer difficulty	Available at the start of the game	Levels 1-50	Enemies are easy to defeat
Veteran difficulty	Available at the start of the game	Levels 1-50	– Enemies are more challenging – Monsters reward 20% increased XP – Monsters drop 15% more gold
Nightmare difficulty	Complete the campaign and the Cathedral of Light Capstone dungeon in World Tier 2 Veteran	Levels 50-70	– Enemies are more formidable – Monsters grant 100% increased XP -Monsters drops 15% more gold -Monsters overcome 20% resistance	– Sacred and Unique item drops – Nightmare Sigils drop and unseal Nightmare Dungeons – Helltides appear across Sanctuary – Champion Monsters with damage resistance auras spawn
Torment difficulty	Complete the Fallen Temple Capstone dungeon on the World Tier 3 Nightmare	Levels 70	– Enemies are more fearsome – Monsters grant 200% increased XP – Monsters drop 15% more gold – Monsters overcome 40% resistance	Ancestral and Unique item drops

That covers how to unlock World Tier in Diablo 4. Check out our Diablo 4 renown explainer guide to learn how to get more healing potions in Diablo 4 and keep your character’s health topped up during the toughest boss fights and dungeons.

What Diablo 4 world tier is best for you?

Now that you know how to change World Tier in Diablo 4, what one is best for you? If you’re new to the series, you have a choice of the Adventurer or Veteran tiers at the start of the game. We would not recommend jumping straight into Veteran if you’re still getting to grips with the game’s mechanics. Instead, we recommend Adventurer World Tier for those new to Diablo 4. To help you prepare, we’d recommend checking out our take on the best Barbarian build in Diablo 4. We’d also recommend tackling the game with friends, as this will come in handy if tackling harder enemies.

If you’re picking up the game having experienced Diablo 3 or earlier games, jump straight into Veteran. It will be a challenge, but as you’re familiar with the mechanics, you will be up to the task. Diablo 4 World Tiers impact the quality of loot you get and the experience you earn. So don’t hesitate to try a higher difficulty. Happy hunting.