Diablo 4 is making a small but very welcome change to early progression in Season 11. The skill tree now unlocks much faster, which means you get into your actual build sooner without wasting points on filler abilities.
Faster Core Skill Unlocks in Season 11
Blizzard confirmed that:
- Core Skills now unlock after spending just one skill point
- The tier after that unlocks after spending two skill points total
This is a big change from how it worked before, where reaching your main skills often required several points spent in abilities you never touched again. Season 11 trims that down and gets you into the real gameplay much sooner. You can see this part from the official patch notes right here:
Diablo IV Patch Notes 2.5.0 Build #69544 (All Platforms)—December 11, 2025
- All skill slots are now unlocked from level 1.
- Progression down the Skill tree is now faster, Core Skills get unlocked after spending one skill point and then the next skill group is unlocked after spending two skill points.
What This Means for Your Early Build
This change lets you:
- Reach your key damage skill almost instantly
- Skip early skills you do not care about
- Save points for the abilities that matter later in the tree
- Get your build online faster when leveling new characters or alts
Season 11 also gives you all skill slots from Level 1, so combined with the faster unlock path, new characters no longer feel locked down or slow to start.
For anyone planning to jump into the new Diablo 4 season, early levels should feel much better and less punishing this way. Fewer wasted points, faster access to your kit, and easier build planning from the start.
