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Lilith entering the gates of Hell in Diablo 4
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Should you play Diablo 4 season one in World Tier 1 or World Tier 2?

A tough decision right out of the gate

Season one of Diablo 4 is in full swing, and players are starting their new characters in the Seasonal Realm to take on the Malignant corruption in Sanctuary. Whether you’re just starting out or already a few quests deep, though, you might wondering just how important your World Tier is.

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Since every player had to make a new character, everyone is starting back at square one and will only have access to either World Tier one or two. When you first load up your season one character, you need to decide which World Tier to play on, but you can also change this at any time throughout the season. The big question on many players’ minds is whether or not it’s more beneficial to play on World Tier one or World Tier two.

In this guide, I will explain which World Tier is better for overall grinding in season one of Diablo 4.

Playing on World Tier 1 or World Tier 2 in Diablo 4 season 1

When Diablo 4 first launched, many hardcore players immediately jumped on World Tier two due to the extra XP and gold you gain from killing monsters. Of course, the enemies are tougher to kill in exchange for this boosted XP. On World Tier one, the enemies are a little easier and you will level up at the normal rate.

While it might sound appealing to hop on World Tier two and start earning more XP, I have always been of the belief that the extra time you spend killing the beefed-up enemies actually costs you more during the early stages of leveling. When playing on World Tier one, you can blast through pretty much any enemy as long as you know what you’re doing and construct a semi-decent build. You won’t die nearly as much, you will kill enemies quicker, and you’re only slightly less XP than you would be earning on World Tier two.

Related: How to get the Aspect of Plunging Darkness in Diablo 4

Comparatively, World Tier two enemies take longer to kill and will usually slow you down quite a bit when you’re working through the early levels. While you’re earning more XP and gold, I don’t believe it’s worth the added time you spend killing enemies.

But this only remains true up until around level 30 to 35. When you hit this level range, I recommend switching from World Tier one and then moving up to World Tier two. At level 30 to 35, you will start to unlock the true potential of your character’s build and can really start to dismantle enemies, no matter how strong they are.

When you’re just starting out, your lack of skills and weaker weapons make the tougher enemies more difficult to kill. Fast forward 30 levels, though, and your character is able to kill enemies much faster, even on World Tier two. You can also make use of the boosted XP and gold better when you start to reach level 30. For example, you’re not really thinking of upgrading a weapon at level 12, but you will start to upgrade gear at the higher levels. At this point, you can switch to World Tier two and earn that extra gold you need to begin upgrading.

Of course, if you’re someone who likes to go full-throttle all the time, then I simply recommend switching to World Tier two at the start of Diablo 4 and never looking back. Alternatively, if you’re someone who’s still new to Diablo, then remaining on World Tier one for the duration of the campaign is perfectly fine as well.

If you’re somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, then you should start out at World Tier one to blow through the early missions and then switch to World Tier two once you get past the middle part of the campaign.


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Author
Image of Joey Carr
Joey Carr
Joey Carr is a full-time writer for multiple esports and gaming websites. He has 6+ years of experience covering esports and traditional sporting events, including DreamHack Atlanta, Call of Duty Championships 2017, and Super Bowl 53.