Diablo 4 players are facing one of the biggest systemic shifts the game has seen so far. With the upcoming expansion, Blizzard is introducing sweeping changes to difficulty scaling, item power, crafting systems, and even long-term progression. If you're not preparing now, you risk losing access to valuable cosmetics, inefficient gear, and potentially even progression materials that won't carry forward.
This guide breaks down everything you need to do before the expansion drops so you don't fall behind or permanently lose out on rewards Diablo 4 Items.
Major System Overhaul-Why Your Gear Is About to Change Forever
The most important change coming in the expansion is the increase in maximum difficulty to Tier 12, along with a massive overhaul of item scaling.
This directly ties into a new item power ceiling of around 900+, which dramatically increases player stats across the board.
For example:
A new unique item shows 900 item power
This confirms a major level and scaling increase (likely level 70+ requirement)
Previously strong items (700-800 item power) will fall behind significantly
What This Means in Practice
Your current gear will not scale into the new endgame.
Even well-rolled items today will become:
Statistically weaker
Outclassed by new drops
Inefficient for Torment Tier 12 content
In short: item power is becoming the new defining factor of progression.
Why Most of Your Current Gear Will Become Obsolete
The expansion introduces a much higher stat ceiling. That means older gear-especially anything below the new item power threshold-will lose value quickly.
For example:
Maximum life rolls on older gear can be nearly half of what new gear will provide
Damage stats and affixes scale significantly higher with new item tiers
Even masterworked items may not compete with baseline expansion gear
This creates a natural reset where:
Old gear becomes temporary, not permanent progression.
There are a few exceptions, but most items will be replaced quickly once you enter the new endgame.
Step 1-Finish Your Season Journey Immediately
One of the most important pre-expansion tasks is completing your Season Journey.
Why?
Rewards may become unavailable after season rollover
Cosmetics tied to progression could be permanently locked out
Free rewards exist even without purchasing the battle pass
Make sure you:
Claim all Season Journey rewards
Complete all seasonal objectives
Unlock any pending cosmetic tracks
Even if you're not fully invested in the season, these rewards are limited-time only.
Step 2-Don't Miss Limited-Time Event Rewards
Seasonal and event-based content is another major source of FOMO (fear of missing out).
One example is the Doom currency event, which offers exclusive cosmetics.
Key points:
These events expire when the season ends
Remaining time is extremely limited (roughly days, not weeks)
Rewards will not necessarily return in the future
If you have unfinished event progression:
Prioritize it immediately before expansion launch.
Step 3-Clean Up Your Inventory (But Don't Delete Everything)
With the new expansion approaching, stash management becomes critical.
However, not everything should be deleted blindly.
Items You SHOULD Salvage
Low item power gear (especially under ~800)
Unused rare or legendary items
Old builds you no longer use
Duplicate gear with worse rolls
These items will:
Become outdated instantly
Take up valuable stash space
Provide crafting materials instead
Items You SHOULD KEEP
Mythic Items (VERY IMPORTANT)
Certain mythics will remain valuable even after the expansion.
Examples:
Ring of the Starless Skies (resource cost reduction remains strong)
Andariel-style or crit-based mythics (hard to replace effects)
Even if item power becomes outdated:
Unique effects may still be meta-defining.
Step 4-Be Careful With Mythic Salvaging
Mythics are in a strange position going into the expansion.
Why?
They may receive stat reworks
Some could scale to new item power automatically
Others might become obsolete or "bricked" depending on system changes
A key example is:
Items granting passive skill bonuses may lose value if passives are removed in the expansion system overhaul
The Safe Approach:
Do NOT salvage mythics yet
Store them until expansion changes are fully confirmed
Prepare to recraft using sparks if systems change
You may also gain the ability to:
Recraft mythics at higher item power using existing crafting materials.
Step 5-Save Your Runes (Extremely Important)
Runes are expected to remain a core crafting component in the expansion.
Why they matter:
Used to craft mythic items
Likely required for new recipes
May interact with new crafting systems
If new mythics are introduced:
Runes will likely determine accessibility to top-tier gear.
Do not waste them before expansion launch.Step 6-Prepare for New Gems and Higher Costs
Another major change involves gem scaling and crafting cost inflation.
Current system:
Gem upgrades already cost tens of thousands of materials
Higher tiers may cost significantly more
Expansion speculation suggests:
New gem tiers will be added
Crafting costs could scale into extreme ranges
Resource farming will become more important than ever
Recommendation:
Keep current gems if needed
Salvage extras for crafting powder
Expect major economy inflation in gem crafting
Step 7-Understand Eternal vs Seasonal Item Transition
A critical system many players misunderstand is how items move between seasons.
On Eternal realms:
Items go into a "Withdraw Only" stash
These items cannot be used in new seasonal content
They will not scale into new expansion systems
This means:
Old seasonal gear does NOT carry into the new meta effectively.
Even if you keep them, they become legacy items only.
Step 8-Watch for the New Crafting System (The Cube)
The expansion introduces a new crafting system involving a "cube-like" mechanic.
Key components include:
Common item upgrading systems
Unique item transformation paths
New materials like Primordial Dust
What this suggests:
Gear upgrading will become more deterministic
Salvaging will play a bigger role in progression
Base item types may matter more than before
Because of this:
Salvaging unused gear now may still be valuable for future materials.
Step 9-Meta Builds Still Matter (But Expect Shifts)
While preparing, it's important to remember:
Current meta builds may not survive the expansion intact
Some builds will scale better with new item power
Others may be nerfed or redesigned
One standout example:
Certain shield-based builds are currently overperforming and may be adjusted
Advice:
Don't overcommit to one build
Focus on flexible gear and adaptable playstyles
Expect full meta reshuffling after launch
Final Checklist-What You Should Do Right Now
Before the expansion drops, make sure you:
Finish Season Journey rewards
Complete limited-time events
Claim all cosmetics
Salvage low-value gear
Keep all mythics (do NOT delete yet)
Save runes for crafting
Clean stash space for expansion loot
Prepare for new gem scaling system
Final Thoughts buy Diablo IV gold
The Diablo 4 expansion represents more than just new content-it's a full system reset of item progression, difficulty scaling, and endgame structure.
Most of your current gear will not carry forward in a meaningful way, but your preparation now determines how smoothly you transition into the new endgame.
Links
ETc|Discord