As Diablo 4's Season 4 PTR wrapped its first week, the community zeroed in on one question from the upcoming itemization overhaul: will Rare items become obsolete? In the Season 4 PTR, Rare items dropped with only 2 random Affixes while Legendary items always dropped with 3. That gap led many players to assume Legendaries would always outclass Rares. The Masterworking system complicates that assumption.
Season 4's Masterworking system lets players push Tempered Legendaries through 12 tiers of upgrades. At tiers 4, 8, and 12, one random Affix receives a bonus 25% stat boost. If that bonus lands repeatedly on a single build-defining Affix, the resulting item can significantly exceed its base stats.
Because Rare items have fewer Affixes, there is a stronger case for crafting with them early in the season. Fewer total Affixes means the random upgrade at tier 4, 8, or 12 has a better chance of landing on the one Affix that matters most for the build. Estimated probability differences between Rare and Legendary Masterworking upgrades:
| Upgrade Hits Target | Rare (2 Affixes) | Legendary (3 Affixes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 of 2 desired | 33.33% | 25% |
| 2 of 2 desired | 25% | 20% |
These probabilities are from the Season 4 PTR; live values may differ after Blizzard's balance pass before the season launched.
Even Rares that are not worth Masterworking have value: they can be sold to vendors for gold or salvaged at the Blacksmith for Veiled Crystals. During the Season 4 PTR, Veiled Crystals were in high demand as the primary material for crafting upgrades, making even a low-quality Rare item worth breaking down.
While Rares are not the best-in-slot choice in the endgame, their value lies in two places: the statistical upside of fewer Affixes during Masterworking, and their role as a source of crafting materials. Both points make Rares worth picking up and evaluating rather than skipping on the ground.
Players looking to gear up fast in the current season can browse Diablo 4 item boost options to skip the early grind.
Maintained by WowCarry's Diablo 4 team. Last reviewed 2026-05-26 against Diablo 4 Season 4 patch notes.
