Everything You Need to Know About Helltides in Diablo 4 (Season 3)

Introduction

Helltides are a new feature of Diablo 4 that add more challenge and excitement to the endgame content. They are region-wide events that occur randomly in the open world for players who reached World Tier 3, Nightmare difficulty. In this guide, we will explain what Helltides are, how they work, and what rewards you can get from them.

Check out our interactive Helltide Mystery Chest locations map to find the current mystery locations:

What are Helltides?

Helltides are demonic events that affect the open world of Sanctuary. They are caused by the surge in demonic activity as the sky darkens, rivers run red, and meteors fall upon the mortal realm. The very ground of the mortal realm is morphed by the infernal energy, as the veil between Hell and Sanctuary is thinning.

Lilith’s demons, who are empowered by the Helltide, are out in greater force and number. The monsters in an area affected by a Helltide also have a higher level than the player, making them more difficult to defeat. However, they also drop more loot and Aberrant Cinders, which are a special currency that can be used to open Helltide Chests in the respective region.

Helltides last around one hour and occur randomly in the open world. Furthermore, there will be a 5-minute gap in between each active Helltide. You can tell if a region is under a Helltide by looking at the map or the sky. A Helltide icon will appear on the map, as well as parts of the map being covered in red color, and the sky will have a reddish hue. Furthermore, you will see three icons for Helltide Chests on the map. One each for Jewelry, Armor, and Weapons.

How to Participate

Only players who unlocked World Tier 3: Nightmare difficulty, can participate in Helltides, as they are not available in World Tier 1 or 2. 

After reaching Nightmare difficulty, you can explore any region in the open world and look for Helltides. Additionally, Helltides can either be completed solo or with other players. 

Remember to use Waypoints to travel between regions that are under a Helltide!

Rewards

The goal of participating in Helltides is to kill as many demons as possible and collect Aberrant Cinders. Cinders are a special currency that can only be obtained from monsters killed in a Helltide, and can be used to open Helltide Chests, which are scattered throughout the region.

Chest locations for Helltides are static, but not every location will have a chest during a specific Helltide event. Furthermore, you can find better rewards by opening the bigger Helltide chests, known as Tortured Gift of Mysteries. You can find all possible Helltide mystery chest locations by following the link below.

Cinders are required to open Tortured Gifts – the chests we mentioned above – which can contain valuable rewards, such as:

• Legendary Items
• Unique Items
• Crafting Materials
• Cosmetic Items

These chests can contain items for specific slots, and to open such a chest, you need Cinders that can be obtained by slaying enemies within a Helltide zone.

Here is a quick overview of all available Tortured Gift chests that you can find on the map:

• Tortured Gift of Protection (Boots, Chest, Helm, Gloves, Pants; Requires 75 cinders)
• Tortured Gift of Jewelry (Requires 125 cinders)
• Tortured Gift of Weaponry (Requires 150 cinders)
• Tortured Gift of Mysteries (Requires 250 cinders)

Regarding the mentioned chests above, one particular chest stands out: the Tortured Gift of Mysteries. It is highly recommended to open and gather cinders for this fourth type of chest, as it offers a greater chance of containing legendary gear, as well as Uniques. However, it is also important to weigh the risk and reward, considering that it requires a higher cost in Aberrant Cinders compared to other chests. Furthermore, it is worth noting that if you die during a Helltide event, you will lose half of the cinders accumulated up to that point.

• Tortured Gift of Living Steel (Requires 275 cinders)

The Tortured Gift of Living Steel is another Helltide Chest that was introduced with Season 2, the Season of Blood.

Opening this chest will give you Living Steel (among other drops), which is a material that is needed to summon Grigoire, The Galvanic Saint. Furthermore, when fighting Grigoire on World Tier 4, he will drop Shards of Agony. These Shards are part of the materials that are required to summon the Uber Boss version of Duriel, King of Maggots.

Summary, Tips, and Tricks

Helltides are not for the faint of heart. They require skill, strategy, and preparation to survive and thrive in. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most of your time inside Helltides:

• The Tortured Gift of Mysteries & Living Steel chests will have a distinct icon colour to help you find it on the map. Look for the orange/yellow chest icon!
• Each chest can only be opened once during a Helltide, so time is limited for gathering Cinders and claiming rewards. It is important to plan ahead and prioritize which chests to open.
• Chests let you choose which items to farm – each chest matches a different item slot, which allows you to target farm items.
• There are special chests found in Helltide areas that can be broken, and that have a chance to yield a significant amount of Cinders. Make sure to always open those:

• Wretched Souls and Tortured Souls also have a chance to drop cinders, so make sure to click on those as well.
• Engaging in normal Events is highly recommended, as they spawn numerous enemies and elites that drop Cinder.
• You can teleport to town to empty your inventory, as long as you return to the Helltide zone through the portal. This time-saving strategy prevents inventory congestion.
• Remember to open the chests before the end of an Helltide event. A countdown timer will indicate the remaining time, after which the event ends and the chests disappear. Make sure not to miss the opportunity to claim your rewards before time runs out!
• Dying has a penalty – you will lose some of your gathered Cinders upon dying or exiting the Helltide event area, so it is always better to spend them!
• Helltide locations will switch, and they are only active for about an hour each time, before a reset occurs.
• You can also get loot from monsters in Helltide – chests are not the only way to obtain gear.
• Fiend Roses, the high-level crafting materials, only show up during the Helltide events.

• Use consumables: Consumables, such as Elixirs, are items that provide temporary benefits or effects that can help you survive or deal more damage.
• Team up with other players: Team up with other players participating in Helltides, and benefit from their help, buffs, revives, or loot sharing.
• Dodge: Look out for environmental hazards and dodge falling meteors!

We hope this guide helped you understand what Helltides are, and how to make the most of them in Diablo 4. Good luck, and good loot!