Diablo 4 guide - What are Strongholds?

As you explore Diablo 4, you’ll no doubt see a few Strongholds. Each of the major regions in Sanctuary will feature a few of these optional zones, some of which might feel incredibly challenging as a solo player, depending on your build. You can, however, complete Strongholds more easily as a group. While these zones are optional to complete, they’re incredibly useful as a source of exp as well as other content.

Whether it’s simply adding another place to teleport to in the land of Sanctuary or unlocking hiding dungeons, it’s worth exploring everywhere to make sure you find the Strongholds dotted across Diablo 4.

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What makes Strongholds important in Diablo 4?

Each major region in Diablo 4 has a few Strongholds for you to tackle. These areas represent a town or village that has been overrun by an enemy force. Sometimes it’s a cult, and other times you might find yourself facing bandits. What makes these zones interesting is that they don't always present the same enemies that do the same things.

For example, Vyeresz — near the Reach of Adulation — features a cult that has taken over a village. You have to explore this area until you find the source of the chaos. After that, you can work on undoing the problem in this Diablo 4 Stronghold.

Certain other villages have been overrun by demons, and it’s up to you to save everyone. Strongholds always feature combat and a boss at the end. Sometimes, these fights might feel incredibly difficult, depending on your Tier Level and how strong your solo build is. There’s nothing wrong with grouping up for these events, either.

You can only complete a Stronghold only once in Diablo 4, and it will go towards your overall map completion for the region that particular zone is located in. Other than farming up some quick gold and experience points for your characters in the game, these areas serve another purpose.

Many Strongholds will have a teleportation point to make getting back to these villages and regions later easier. Unlike Diablo 2, each part of a zone doesn’t have a teleportation point, just sitting out in the wild. They are almost all in towns.

In addition, several of the most important dungeons in this game are hidden behind Strongholds. If you’re looking to unlock all the content as well as the Legendary Aspects for each class, you’re going to want to complete them as well.

Fortunately, Strongholds aren’t exactly hidden throughout the world of Sanctuary. Unlike the Altars of Lilith, these are mostly out in the open, and once you’re close to one, you’ll see a red symbol on your mini-map to denote it.

Simply traveling through the map will eventually reveal all this extra content without necessitating much work. They are easily among the most useful things you will seek out throughout Sanctuary when Diablo 4 launches on June 6, 2023.