Capstone Dungeons are officially returning to Diablo 4 with Season 11, but the news is getting some strong reactions within the community. These dungeons were one of the game’s most controversial features at launch, and now, Blizzard is giving them another shot.
What Capstone Dungeons Used to Be
When Diablo 4 first released, Capstone Dungeons were mandatory checkpoints. To unlock a higher World Tier, players had to clear one of these special dungeons. It was meant to be a “proof of strength” before entering the next difficulty level.
In theory, it was supposed to make your leveling-up/progression feel more accomplished. In practice, it often just slowed players down. Many found the fixed-level design frustrating, especially if they hit the dungeon too early or were undergeared. It became one of the most disliked progression gates in the game.
When Blizzard eventually reworked the system, linking World Tier unlocks to Pit progress instead, it felt faster, better, and far more rewarding.
What Is Changing in Season 11
Now, the Capstone Dungeons are back, but not exactly as they were. They are meant to test your strength across difficulty tiers. It is still unknown if you actually need to complete them to reach the next world tier, or if this still works through the Pit.
We do know that they are necessary to access the next Ranks in the new Season Rank system, which replaces the old Renown and Season Journey systems.
Here is the full list:
- Torrid Menagerie – Level 30, Normal Tier
- Hellish Descent – Level 50, Expert Tier
- Unseen Awakening – Level 60, Torment I
- Tempest Oasis – Level 60, Torment II
- Sins of the Many – Level 60, Torment III
Each dungeon has a suggested level, but Blizzard confirmed that they do not scale with your character level. That means timing will matter. Go in too early, and you might struggle; too late, and it will be too easy.
Players Are Split
Players are hoping Blizzard finally made them feel like real milestone fights that reward effort instead of breaking the flow. At the same time, there is some worry that Capstones could bring back the pacing problems people were glad to see gone.
The main question now is if Blizzard actually managed to make them feel rewarding this time.
What is clear is that the team wants to bring back that old sense of progression, and we will know soon if Capstones are really worth it this time around.
