Diablo 4 Levelling Guide: Fastest way to level up in D4

Discover how to level up fast and the best way to get maximum XP in Diablo 4

Image credit:Blizzard Entertainment

Looking for a Diablo 4 levelling guide? Diablo 4 Season 1 is here, and with it comes the need to create and level a new character from 1-100 if you want to access Seasonal content. Levelling has changed a lot since launch, and Season 1 offers the chance to level optimally thanks to buffs to XP gains, from Nightmare Dungeons for example.

In this guide, we’ll break down our full Diablo 4 levelling guide, explaining how to get from level 1-50 and 50-100 optimally so that you can enjoy clicking knowing that you are doing it as efficiently as possible.

Of course, this guide assumes that you actually care about efficiency and optimal XP gains. If you do not and just want to focus on having fun, then do whatever you enjoy most. While there are not currently leaderboards for Diablo 4 Seasonal content, this guide is for those who want to enjoy the race from level 1-100 and therefore want to progress as fast as possible.

Diablo 4 level 1-50 levelling guide

To level optimally from level 1-50 in Diablo 4 Season 1, you should have already beat the campaign on an Eternal Realm (anything made before the launch of Season 1) character. New players will, of course, need to beat the campaign, and can focus on levelling alongside completing main quests, but those returning for Season 1 should follow the points listed below:

• Collect Renown rewards for bonus XP
• Repeat Strongholds
• Play on World Tier 1
• Team up with friends in a party
• Make XP-boosting Elixirs at the Alchemist

Collect Renown rewards for bonus XP

Before doing anything, returning players should head to their Renown rewards by opening the map and entering the Renown section at the top (hit “W” while using the map on PC).

It was highly suggested that you collect all Altars of Lilith and uncover the entire Diablo 4 map before starting Season 1, as these will carry over to Seasonal characters, and it’s expected that you might be able to collect the bonus XP from the Renown rewards that these should unlock.

If that is the case, and our Seasonal alt characters get these bonus XP rewards from instantly gaining the Renown for Altars of Lilith and uncovering the map, then you can expect to immediately jump to up to level 7 off the bat.

Repeat Strongholds

While progressing from level 1-50, Strongholds offer the best XP gains . While completing Strongholds is a one-and-done activity that technically can’t be repeated, those looking for the most optimal and efficient way to reach level 50 should reach the Stronghold boss and then leave the game. After going back to the main menu, load back into your character and you should be at the entrance to the Stronghold, and find that all enemies within are reset.

From around levels 12-17, you can complete the Malnok and Nostrava Strongholds near Kyovashad, as they both have a minimum level of 15 - the lowest for any Stronghold in Diablo 4.

After reaching level 17, do the same at Onyx Watchtower , Moordaine Lodge , or Hope’s Light , all of which have a minimum level of 20. Reset and repeat these Strongholds until you reach level 22, ensuring that you do not fully complete any by ringing the bell at the end.

From level 22-32, head to Kor Dragan in Fractured Peaks and solely grind this Stronghold. That’s because this has a minimum level of 25, allowing you to make the most of the levelling curve that stays three levels above your character (enemies of three levels or higher above your character level offer the most XP per kill).

Finally, from level 32-45, repeat the Temple of Rot Stronghold. While it might not be the most exciting, this will offer the fastest route to level 45, around which you can switch to World Tier 2 and comfortably complete the Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon . This means you’ll be able to move onto endgame content on World Tier 3 as fast as possible.

Play on World Tier 1

There are four difficulties in Diablo 4: Adventurer, Veteran, Nightmare, and Torment. Adventurer, the lowest difficulty, has a base amount of XP that you will earn from killing monsters. That XP amount increases exponentially as you move onto higher difficulties. 20% bonus for Veteran , 100% bonus for Nightmare and 200% bonus for Torment .

Until you are ready to take on the Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon, we’d recommend playing on World Tier 1: Adventurer .

While World Tier 2 does grant a 20% boost, it also makes enemies far harder to kill and will slow you down while levelling from 1-50 substantially. For the most efficient levelling journey in Season 1, stick to World Tier 1. Switch to World Tier 2 when you are ready to take on the Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon at somewhere between level 45 and 50.

Image credit:Blizzard Entertainment

Team up with friends in a party

When playing multiplayer in Diablo 4, you’ll get an XP boost . This boost applies to anyone who finds and fights with a fellow player in Diablo 4’s overworld, but it’ll double if you’re in a party.

If you stay near another player in Diablo 4, you will get a 5% XP boost. This applies whenever you’re near another player, including a random person that you find running around the world.

However, if you’re near a party member, this multiplayer XP boost will double to 10%. These bonuses do not stack - it is a 10% boost overall, rather than an additional 10% on top of the original 5% - but a 10% boost to your XP gain without any need to raise the difficulty is huge.

Even better, playing Diablo 4 in multiplayer is generally easier than solo, as you’ll have more roles filled in your crew. For example, a Barbarian and Rogue pair will kill demons more efficiently thanks to the Rogue’s Crowd Control effects making the Barbarian even stronger, compared to a lone player using either class. That means faster progress through quests and dungeons, which means you’ll get XP for completing said activities at a faster rate.

Make XP-boosting Elixirs at the Alchemist

When you reach level 10 in Diablo 4, you will unlock the Alchemist merchant in all hub towns. The Alchemist is where you go to upgrade your Healing Potions, but you can also come here to make Elixirs that boost various stats.

The main effect of the various Elixirs in Diablo 4 is different. One might offer increased Armor, for example, while another increases your Dodge chance. However, there is one effect that they all have in common: Elixirs increase your XP by 5% for 30 minutes .

Thankfully, Elixirs are incredibly easy to craft in Diablo 4, making this 5% XP boost something that you can have active very often. To make Elixirs, you simply need to gather common plant materials that you’ll find while exploring, such as Gallowvines, Biteberries, and Howler Moss. Collect these materials while out exploring and completing content, and then head back to a hub to whip up some Elixirs that will boost your XP.

Diablo 4 level 50-100 levelling guide

After reaching level 50, you can switch to World Tier 3 and shift your focus almost entirely towards one thing: Nightmare Dungeons . These are the best source of XP in the endgame, and will serve as your main method of levelling up in Season 1.

Of course, many of the above points still apply. Playing with friends and using Elixirs will offer the same small XP boosts that are worth having if possible, so keep those up even in World Tiers 3 and 4.

Grind Nightmare Dungeons until you reach somewhere between level 65-70, and then head to the Fallen Temple Capstone Dungeon and complete it to unlock World Tier 4 . This will then grant another huge XP bonus for the hardest difficulty, which you can make the most of by continuing to grind Nightmare Dungeons until you reach level 100.

That wraps up our guide on how to level up fast in Diablo 4. Make sure to check out our best Diablo 4 Barbarian builds , best Rogue builds , best Sorcerer builds , best Necromancer builds , and best Druid builds , so that you’re ready to tackle the toughest difficulties and get that extra XP, regardless of which class you main.

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Diablo IV

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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