The developers of Diablo 4 have recently reduced the amount of experience points players can gain from certain dungeons, including the game's most popular farming spot. Achieving the level cap and facing the Pinnacle Boss in Diablo 4 requires significant effort and patience. While some streamers have managed to reach this goal multiple times with different characters, most players take a more cautious approach to leveling up.
Due to the absence of Rifts from Reaper of Souls, the most efficient way to farm experience points in Diablo 4 is by tackling select Nightmare Dungeons with higher-than-average monster density. Unlike its predecessor, Diablo 4 features instances and open-world environments that are less densely packed with hostile mobs, resulting in slower gameplay that emphasizes the quality of encounters over their quantity. While many players appreciate the unique enemies found in Diablo 4, some still prefer the simple satisfaction of decimating an entire screen of enemies with just a few button presses.
Players who were ascending the World Tiers in Diablo 4 once flocked to the Ruins of Eridu in the Region of Hawezar to farm experience. This dungeon required them to "Slay All Enemies" and would spawn additional Elite packs once a certain number of enemies were killed, resulting in a significant experience gain. However, Blizzard seems to be targeting dungeons that prove to be optimal farming spots for experience, and Ruins of Eridu was no exception. Prior to this, Champion's Demise was the favorite farming spot for players. The news of the experience nerf was shared by darK_Cam on the Diablo 4 subreddit, and websites such as Wowhead covered the testing sessions. The nerf effectively reduces the number of Elites that can spawn in Ruins of Eridu, resulting in a halved experience gain for players. The latest 1.0.2 hotfix patch notes confirmed the nerf, leaving the community to search for the best alternative to leveling up in Diablo 4.
While Blizzard's commitment to addressing issues in Diablo 4 is admirable, it's important to acknowledge that players will inevitably seek out the most efficient means of progression. Merely nerfing one strategy won't solve the underlying problem, as gamers will simply pivot to the next optimal option. If the trend of reducing enemy density in popular dungeons to even the playing field for leveling continues, Diablo 4's endgame could become an arduous journey, potentially driving away a significant portion of its player base before they even reach Level 100. It's worth noting that Diablo 4 is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Blizzard, Wowhead
