New Cap of 925 Power Unveiled for Season 2 - Implications and Speculations

Diablo 4 Season 2: Item Power Cap Increase and More

Associate Game Director Joseph Piepiora recently took to Twitter to provide some clarification regarding the upcoming Season 2 of Diablo 4. One of the key changes mentioned is the increase in the Item Power cap to 925. This is a significant adjustment that is sure to have a big impact on the game's endgame experience.

New Item-Related Changes for Meaningful Progression

In addition to the increased Item Power cap, Piepiora mentioned that the development team is implementing various item-related changes to ensure players can experience meaningful progression in Diablo 4's endgame. Currently, players can easily obtain the "best gear in the game" as soon as they reach World Tier 4. This negatively affects the replayability and motivation for long-term gameplay.

With Season 2, the Item Power range of dropped items will be directly tied to Monster Level. This means that by facing more powerful enemies in World Tier 3 and 4, players will have the opportunity to obtain higher minimum and maximum Item Power Range. Each Monster Level will add 2 points of Item Power to the minimum and maximum range.

• Smoothing Out and Lengthening the Item Curve

The increase in the total Item Power cap serves a greater purpose. Piepiora's tweet indicates that raising the cap will result in a smoother and longer item progression curve during character development. The existing Item Power thresholds, such as 625, 725, and 825, will likely be pushed back with this change, providing more thresholds between Item Power 1 and 925.

This adjustment means that players who choose to challenge more powerful monsters, especially in later stages of character progression, will have a higher chance of finding more powerful items. These items will likely be upgrades compared to the previous system, thanks to the increased thresholds between Item Power levels.

• Higher Affix Values in the Future?

Many players have wondered if the increase in total Item Power will also result in higher affix values for items with Item Power 825+. Piepiora's response on Twitter was a clear "no". Given the information we have so far, this response aligns with the overall intention behind the Item Power changes. The goal is to address the lack of upgrades in later stages of character progression, which has been a major concern for the community.

While higher affix values may be introduced in a future update, they are not part of the current adjustment. However, these changes signal that Blizzard is aware of the issues surrounding endgame item progression and is actively working on improvements.

Low-Quality Gear Becomes Crafting Materials

In Season 2 of Diablo 4, low-quality gear will no longer be dropping as items. Instead, they will serve as valuable crafting materials. This change aims to improve the overall quality of dropped items and provide players with more rewarding loot.