Diablo 4’s Season 11 brings one of the biggest structural shake-ups to the endgame since launch. With new progression layers, redesigned capstone dungeons, and a fresh emphasis on defeating Duriel and the lesser evils, Blizzard is pushing players into a far more intentional seasonal loop. Whether you’re a returning veteran or a newcomer who wants to understand what to do first, this guide breaks down every major mechanic of the season: purified rewards, Hell Tide farming, Dural/Duriel kills, capstone dungeon rules, Diablo 4 Gold, and everything you need to know to progress efficiently.

Let’s dive into how Season 11 changes the early rush, the mid-game systems, and the long-term grind.

The Purified Section — Your New Seasonal Reward Engine

Season 11 introduces a new “purified” reward system tied directly to the lesser evils. In your seasonal interface, you’ll notice four yellow icons on the inner ring — these represent your purified section. These rewards are powerful, highly sought-after, and can only be unlocked after you kill Dural (a seasonal Duriel variant) inside the Hell Tide.

This is why, for the first time, nearly everyone will be rushing the same activity: killing Dural as fast as possible.

Why Killing Dural Early Is Priority #1

The moment Season 11 begins, every player will be sprinting toward the same objective because:

You can’t access purified rewards without killing Dural.

Those rewards come from the lesser evils, and each one provides progression-accelerating bonuses.

Other players will naturally gather in the Hell Tide zone doing the same activity, meaning you’ll have help.

If you’re worried about the fight, don’t be. In the opening hours, the sheer number of players in the zone makes the encounter much easier. Even undergeared characters can contribute enough damage to secure a kill simply by staying alive and striking during safe openings.

Why Normal Difficulty Matters

Season 11’s Dural encounter and purified progression are tuned so that players benefit most from clearing the fight on Normal difficulty first. Not only does this match you with the largest number of players, but it also ensures you get through the seasonal unlock sequence as quickly as possible.

Once the purified section becomes active, many of your seasonal loops open up — enabling smoother farming, unlocking further tiers, and accelerating your build development.

Capstone Dungeons Return — But They’re Completely Reworked

Capstone dungeons are not new to Diablo 4, but Season 11 gives them a brand-new identity.

In the base game, capstones simply served as gateways to higher World Tiers. They scaled with your character level, meaning you could never massively outlevel the content. Season 11 changes this entirely.

Static-Level Capstones: A True Test of Power

Every new capstone dungeon now has a fixed level — it does not scale with you. This creates a completely different gameplay dynamic:

The first capstone dungeon is always level 30.

If you enter at level 1, the monsters remain level 30 and will one-tap you.

If you enter at level 40, you’re significantly stronger and can tear through the dungeon with ease.

This puts real decision-making back into the hands of players. Do you enter the moment you technically unlock it, or do you take time to grind, gear up, and overpower it?

Why This Change Matters

This static-level approach accomplishes several things:

It rewards patience. The more you level, the easier these dungeons become.

It creates true milestones. You are no longer forced into content you’re barely strong enough for.

It adds mastery decisions. Some players will speedrun early, high-danger attempts. Others will wait for guaranteed success.

Each capstone is optional unless it is linked to specific seasonal unlocks. And that brings us to the new major progression gate of Season 11.

Hellish Descent — The Only Mandatory Capstone Dungeon

Although most capstone dungeons can be delayed or skipped entirely, one is not optional:

The Hellish Descent Capstone

Completing the Hellish Descent dungeon is required to unlock the Pits, a new endgame activity that forms a major part of Season 11’s loop. Regardless of your build or plans, you must complete this dungeon if you want to:

Access Pit tiers

Progress your seasonal ranks

Earn the highest-level rewards

In other words, this is the one capstone you cannot ignore.

Most players will likely overlevel it before stepping inside, especially since the static difficulty means you get stronger while the dungeon remains constant.

Skill Points and Seasonal Rank Unlocks

Another major benefit of completing capstone dungeons is the reward structure tied to each one:

Skill point rewards

Each capstone that you complete awards an additional skill point, pushing your build slightly further.

Seasonal rank progression

Some capstones unlock the next tier of your seasonal rank tree. If you want access to higher power levels, bonuses, or seasonal abilities, you’ll need to complete these dungeons eventually.

This makes capstone dungeons both optional and strategically important. You are free to approach them whenever you choose, but the benefits strongly incentivise completing them sooner rather than later.

Important Warning: You Must Complete Capstones at the Correct Difficulty

One of the most easily overlooked details of Season 11 is the requirement tied to difficulty settings.

On the PTR, players discovered the following:

If you do not complete a capstone dungeon on the difficulty it specifies, you will NOT progress.

For example:

If a capstone requires completion on World Tier II, completing it on WT I will not count.

If it specifies Tier III, doing it on Tier II will not unlock the next step.

This rule is extremely strict and easy to miss, especially if you enter a dungeon using teleport, quick join, or when grouped with players at different difficulties.

Before entering any capstone, double-check:

Your world tier

The dungeon’s requirement

That your party (if any) is synced to the right tier

Failing to do this forces you to repeat the entire dungeon, which can be a massive time loss at higher tiers.

Why Season 11’s Progression Feels So Different

The reworked capstones, purified rewards, and mandatory Hellish Descent transform Diablo 4’s pacing. Here’s why the new structure stands out:

1. There’s a shared early-game objective

Previously, early leveling was a scattershot experience. In Season 11, nearly all players converge immediately into Hell Tide to kill Dural. This creates a sense of community and momentum not often seen in ARPG launches.

2. Static-level dungeons reward build planning

For the first time, players can genuinely overpower content through preparation rather than purely scaling difficulty. This makes:

Farming

Min-maxing

Gear optimization

Early theorycrafting

more meaningful and rewarding.

3. Pits are now tied to a meaningful narrative and gameplay milestone

The Hellish Descent capstone isn’t just a gate — it’s a rite of passage into the season’s deeper systems. It represents the transition from mid-game to true endgame.

4. The season emphasizes choice

You decide when to face static-level challenges. You choose when to push purified rewards. You choose whether to go early with risk or late with overwhelming strength.

Optimal Strategy for Season 11 — Step by Step

If you want a clean, efficient start to the season, here’s the recommended path based on the system changes:

Step 1: Enter Hell Tide ASAP

Kill Dural on Normal difficulty with the crowd. Unlock the purified section immediately.

Step 2: Farm your purified rewards

The bonuses from the lesser evils accelerate your levelling and gear gains significantly.

Step 3: Level comfortably before entering capstones

Don’t rush the level 30 capstone at level 30 — wait until you have good gear, ideally around level 40 or Diablo 4 Gold for sale.

Step 4: Complete capstones on the correct world tier

A single mistake here wastes valuable time. Match the requirement exactly.

Step 5: Prioritise Hellish Descent

This unlocks the Pits and opens your season’s true long-term progression.

Step 6: Push seasonal ranks and perfect your build

With skill points and unlocks from capstones, your build finally reaches its real power curve.