Diablo 4 Launch Checklist: Everything you Need to Know

This checklist was created ahead of the launch of Diablo 4 and only remains online for documentation purposes.

Introduction

This checklist is here to provide you with all the most important information around the launch of Diablo 4 and roughly the first week of the launch. It will tell you what to do and what not to do in order to be as efficient as possible without missing out on anything important. We have tried to come up with the shortest and most digestible format, and we hope it is helpful both for veterans of the ARPG genre and new players alike. We will be updating this continuously.

Diablo 4 Launch Date and Time

Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One. Can be played cross-platform.

What to Know and Do at Launch

• Classes: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, Sorcerer. Pick a build based on playstyle, class fantasy, and preference. Ranged characters might be easier for beginners, since you can stand further away from enemies and avoid damage.
• World Tier 1 vs 2 Choice: You should always level up in World Tier 1. The difficulty can be changed at any time from the character select screen or in-game in Kyovashad at the World Tier Statue.
  • World Tier 1 (Adventurer) difficulty offers a quicker and smoother campaign experience. Enemies are easier, making it the best leveling choice, as it will let you get the campaign done as quickly as possible.
  • World Tier 2 (Veteran) difficulty provides an extra 20% experience from monsters, 20% more gold, and 15% more item drops from Monsters, but it is currently simply not worth playing in while leveling up.
• Should you focus on Renown or not? This is optional, but you can unlock useful rewards (such as skill points) by completing Renown. Try to do Renown activities naturally as you go, but you can always come back later.
• Should you focus on the main quest, do side quests, do dungeons, go for Altars of Lilith, do Strongholds? Most activities give experience, so you should not hesitate to do the things you feel like doing and explore the game. Note that completing certain Strongholds will unlock NPCs or Waypoints in the area afterward. Side Dungeons can also reward Legendary Aspects for the Codex of Power that can be useful for your build (check if the Dungeon unlocks something for your class before you enter).
• Always pick up gear, sort it, and check if it is an upgrade: You can use the Blacksmith to salvage things you pick up, turning them into useful materials used to modify gear and craft. Ignore non-Magic items (always sell or salvage those) at first. After you have mostly Rare items on your character, ignore non-Rare items as well. Sell most non-useful items the first few levels to get a bit of gold, then mostly salvage for the crafting materials.
  • Enable Enhanced/Detailed tooltips in Settings to see the full range of stats on items.
  • Item Power is a good way to compare certain pieces of gear early on (for example: Weapons, because higher Weapon DPS is often better).
• Craft and use Elixirs at all times to get temporary buffs and 5% increased experience gain for 30 minutes. You can get Elixirs at the Alchemist in town or from quests.
• Upgrade your Potions at Level 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80, and 90 at the Alchemist. 
• Put Gems in your sockets to get stat bonuses and resistance. Salvage items with Gems to get them back for free. Do not pay the Jeweler to unsocket beforehand! And do not hesitate to use Gems when you find new gear as they are plentiful.
• Upgrade your Weapons at the Blacksmith to increase damage output. The first two upgrades are particularly cheap, and gold is plentiful, so do not hesitate.
• Look out for Resistances to reduce elemental damage. Use Elixirs to boost Resistances temporarily, if needed.
• Stash Legendary items for later use, to extract the Aspect for other builds, or to share between characters on the account. Only salvage Legendary items if you have no use for them at all.
• Find out where your preferred Aspects come from by looking at Dungeons on the map and go get them! The Codex includes Aspects that can be imprinted over and over at little cost.
  • Offensive: Gloves or Amulet
  • Defensive: Pants
  • Utility: Chest
  • Resource: Helmet
  • Mobility: Boots
  • Weapons are usually changed more frequently, so Offensive Aspects are more beneficial when applied to Armor (or the Amulet). This is because Weapons are the most important slot due to scaling with skills.
• Get your Mount by completing the (white) priority quest called “Mount: Donan’s Favour” that becomes available in Kyovashad after reaching a specific step in the Scosglen Campaign. Unlock more mounts by completing challenges or buying them from vendors.
• How to get the mats needed for imprinting an Aspect? Salvage items, complete Dungeons, kill World Bosses, do Strongholds. Gamble for items with Obols at the Purveyor of Curiosities and salvage the ones you do not need.
• What to do with Obols? Buy items for your weakest slots from the Purveyor of Curiosities. Also, keep a few Whispering Keys on you to open chests you find around the world. Obols are plentiful; do not hesitate to spend them.
• When to do the first Capstone dungeon and switch to WT3 (World Tier 3)? When World Tier 2 feels easy enough, do the first Capstone Dungeon (The Cathedral of Light, in Kyovashad), even if you are not yet level 50. Then switch to WT3 for more challenge, new events, and better rewards.

In-Game Tips and Tricks

Here are some useful in-game tips and tricks that are worth knowing, as they may not be immediately apparent.

• Pressing Shift allows you to attack in place without moving. Especially for ranged classes, but also for melee to ensure your character does not reposition itself accidentally.
• Use Evade (Space bar on keyboard) to avoid damage: Diablo 4 introduces a new dodge roll mechanic that allows you to quickly evade incoming attacks or reposition yourself in combat. It allows you to move through enemies, but you only travel a short distance so make sure to calculate correctly.
• Click on an Aspect within the Codex of Power to pin it on the map, showing the Dungeon where it can be unlocked.
• The damage range on a weapon is important, even for Sorcerers, as skill damage is calculated based on it.
• A 30+% increase in weapon DPS is generally an upgrade, regardless of other properties.
• Compare a 2-Handed Weapon to a combination of 1-Handed Weapon and Off-Hand by putting them on and checking the final attack power on the character sheet, but consider important affixes as well.
• Delay turning in side quests and switch to a higher World Tier before handing them in, for significantly increased XP rewards.
• If you are a completionist: write down the names of side quests you complete in each zone, as the game does not provide the possibility to keep track of all quests that you will find across Sanctuary. So, when you later want to see what you are missing, it is important to know what you have completed!
• When changing World Tier, avoid going back to town to prevent losing portals. Changing it in the character select screen keeps you close to where you logged out.
• Nightmare difficulty unlocks around level 50, and Torment difficulty at level 70, providing further challenges.