Diablo 4 Helltide events explained

Our Diablo 4 Helltide events guide will walk you through this important endgame system and how to unlock them as you venture through Sanctuary.

Paulo Kawanishi

Updated: May 30, 2023

What are Diablo 4 Helltide events? While a big part of players’ experience with the game is based on leveling their characters and completing the story, we know there is a lot more to be done. The next step is to venture into the endgame portion of Diablo 4, where more difficult challenges await players who want to improve their equipment with better weapons, armor, and jewels.

While players might enjoy doing all the main quests in Diablo 4, the endgame is where you can really test your builds as well as face trickier Diablo 4 world bosses. The never-ending grinding for better equipment for the Diablo 4 classes is something seasoned players of the game know – and look for – and one of the systems you’ll want to seek out are the Helltide events. We’ve prepared a rundown on what Helltide is and why you should participate in all the Helltide events you find.

Diablo 4 Helltide events are timed activities where players face stronger versions of demons with the goal of getting better loot. Helltide events happen in just one of the areas of Sanctuary at a time and last one hour.

In these zones, players can kill regular enemies or bosses, as well as end up meeting the Diablo 4 Butcher. Even though these are challenging activities, players are rewarded by having access to special chests that are only found in Helltide zones. In these chests, players can find items for specific item slots. For instance, there is a chest that only gives rings, while another one gives Diablo 4 weapons. To open these chests, players need to have a certain amount of Cinders.

You can unlock Diablo 4 Helltide events by accessing World Tier 3 after completing the campaign and World Tier 2's Capstone dungeon.

Now, when it comes to having access to Cinders and better gear, players need to be in World Tier 3. The world tier system is used to balance the difficulty of the game, and you can read more about that in our Diablo 4 world tiers guide. When starting the game, players have access only to world tiers one and two. To unlock World Tier 3, players need to finish the game's campaign and complete the Capstone dungeon at World Tier 2. We strongly suggest grinding to at least level 50 to jump into World Tier 3 if you don't want to get obliterated.

Cinders are a currency only accessible in the endgame. They drop from enemies killed in Helltide events.

Although players can't choose the item they are getting from a chest, this is one of the main methods to improve their equipment. There are a couple of rules related to Cinders though. First, players lose half of the Cinders they have if they die. These Cinders aren't dropped on the ground, so they can't be recovered.

At the same time, Cinders are only kept for the duration of and as long as players stay in the Helltide zone they were collected in. Once the one hour ends, they disappear. It's important to keep in mind that opening chests is not the only way to earn new items, since enemies can drop legendary items and even craft materials used to upgrade high-tier gear.

Now that you know all you need about the Diablo 4 Helltide events, you are prepared for the Diablo 4 endgame. Since your time killing demons in the zones affected by Hell's power during Helltide is for getting better pieces of equipment, you might want to give our Diablo 4 rarity levels guide a read to know which affixes are ideals to your build.