Diablo 5 will rework enemy scaling so that levelling up feels meaningful again

It will still be several years before we can get our hands on it, but Diablo 5 is already offering hints about its design philosophy. As reported by Vandal, Blizzard has confirmed that it wants to change the way enemies scale in level compared to Diablo 4. The goal is simple to explain and very hard to pull off: when you level up or pick up an incredible piece of gear, you should feel it right away, in every hit and in every horde you mow down.

Why does it matter? Because it goes to the heart of any ARPG. The Diablo series thrives on that sense of growing power, of going from barely surviving to tearing through everything that moves. If the world gets stronger at the same pace as you do, that curve flattens and the reward loses its punch. The studio openly acknowledging this is, at the very least, a sign that it has listened to its community.

What you need to know

• Blizzard will change the enemy scaling system in Diablo 5 compared to Diablo 4.
• The aim is for levelling up or equipping an especially powerful item to have an immediate, noticeable effect.
• Game director Joe Shely admits that exactly how the new system will work has not been decided yet.
• The studio acknowledges that automatic scaling can undermine the sense of progression.
• Diablo 5's release is still several years away.

How scaling works today and what Blizzard wants to change

Both Diablo 4 and Diablo III rely on a system in which a large share of enemies grow in power alongside the player. The advantage is obvious: you can explore areas in whatever order you like without any of them becoming trivial or impossible, and the challenge stays more or less constant. It is a convenient solution for open worlds and for playing in a group with friends of different levels.

The problem lies on the other side of the coin. If every level you gain comes with an equally buffed enemy, the upgrade gets watered down. That is precisely the tension Blizzard says it wants to resolve in Diablo 5, although for now it only knows the direction, not the route.

Who it affects

It affects everyone who plays, but especially those who live in the endgame: the ones who optimise builds, chase the perfect item and compete in seasons and on leaderboards. For them, the value of each upgrade is the currency by which they measure the time they have put in.

Our take

Here in the Underworld Lordz newsroom we are clear on this: it is the right change. Few things kill motivation like farming a legendary item for hours only to find that, in practice, everything feels exactly the same as before. Automatic scaling solved an accessibility problem, but it did so at the expense of the power fantasy, which is exactly what makes Diablo Diablo.

That said, it pays to be cautious. Joe Shely admitting that the system is not yet defined is honest, but it also means this is a statement of intent rather than a firm promise. There are several years of development still to go, and we have seen promising ideas fizzle out along the way before. On top of that, removing scaling carelessly can bring the opposite problem: areas that become boring within minutes and content that gets burned through far too quickly. It is a fine balance.

For competitive players and content creators, a more pronounced progression system is a gold mine: clear differences between builds, highly visual before-and-after moments and more room to stand out through game knowledge. If Blizzard nails it, season races and optimisation videos will become far more compelling. If it misses, we will be back to talking about flat metas and invisible progression.

What do you think?

Enemy scaling has divided the community for years: some value being able to explore freely, while others miss feeling unstoppable. We have already made our call, now it is your turn. Would you rather have a world that scales with you, or one where every level truly turns you into a beast? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know.