How does level scaling work in Diablo 4?

Diablo 4 Level Scaling explained

Diablo 4 is not just your typical action role-playing game, and its advanced approach to level scaling proves that point. Level scaling is simply a game mechanic that matches the power level of enemies to your character. In other words, while a quest can exceed your character’s level, you character can’t easily outlevel a quest.

However, Diablo 4 takes level scaling to the next level. This might lead you to wonder how level scaling works when you play with friends at different levels. This guide contains all the answers you’re looking for and covers every aspect of what approach the game developers have taken regarding level scaling.

In single-player mode, level scaling works in the usual way. As you progress, the enemies you encounter will match your level. However, there’s an option to skip the campaign once you’ve completed it, which allows you to freely explore the game world without any locked content. This means you can level up faster than before, though you’ll want to make sure you don’t step into high-level content before you’re ready for it.

In multiplayer mode, the enemies scale according to each player’s level. In other words, if you’re level 20 and your friend is level 10, both of you can play together in the same world at the same time, and the enemies will adjust to each of your respective levels. The great thing is that none of the players’ gameplay is limited just because they are at different levels. Both players will receive relevant loot while contributing equally to combat despite their difference in strength.

World Tiers explained

You’ll also want to keep World Tiers in mind, especially when it comes to level scaling. World Tiers determine the overall difficulty of the game and resembles the usual spread of Easy, Medium, Hard, and Extreme difficulty levels. At the start, you can choose between Tier 1 and Tier 2, where the monsters won’t exceed Level 50. The last two tiers can be unlocked by beating specific dungeons. Rewards will become rarer as you increase the tier, but the difficulty will become harder to match.

That’s all you need to know about level scaling and how it functions in Diablo 4. If you’re new to the game, we suggest reading our guide on the available classes you can play. And if you’re already making progress, you might find our guide on defeating Astaroth helpful. Make sure to check them out.