Season 11 leveling in Diablo IV can feel like you started with the brakes on. You log in, press your usual buttons, and… nope. The missing early skill points are the big reason, so don't force a heroic start on higher difficulty just to prove a point. Normal is faster right now because you're not wasting time dying or chugging potions between every pack. If you want to smooth out that rough first hour, some players will also look at buy game currency or items in u4gm options for u4gm D4 items so their build comes online without the awkward limp.

Get set before you sprint

Do the boring stuff first, because it saves you minutes over and over. Pick a leveling setup and commit to it for a while. Constant respecs feel "smart" but they're usually just you paying gold to stay mediocre. Grab a pet as soon as you can; it quietly hoovers up materials while you keep moving. Then head to Nahantu for a follower. Subo is a standout for rushing since the extra marking on your map changes how you path through zones, and you stop zig-zagging for every tiny node or stray mob.

Seasonal Journey is your real power spike

Early on, XP isn't the bottleneck. Power is. Your skill points are tied to Journey progress now, so Tier 1 objectives aren't "nice to have," they're the keys to your kit. Knock those out until your core loop actually works. Once it does, live in Helltides. The density is good, events chain well, and you're rarely stuck riding across empty space. If you roll into a seasonal effect that pops extra XP orbs, lean into it hard. It's one of those bonuses that looks small, then you watch your bar jump.

Capstones are no longer optional detours

This is where a lot of people stall: they treat Capstones like last season and keep delaying them. Don't. Aim for the first Capstone around level 30, and use the direct teleport option so you're not wasting time traveling. Clearing it matters for more than the difficulty bump; it opens up the next set of Journey challenges, which means more skill points and a much cleaner build. After that, keep farming Helltides, mix in Infernal Hordes if you've got compasses, and dip into the Undercity when you want variety.

The 30–60 grind that actually stays quick

From 30 to 60, the trick is rhythm, not drama. Don't slam your head into the second Capstone the second it appears if your damage feels shaky. Keep rotating chests, whispers, and event loops until you're consistently deleting packs. Strongholds can be a solid change of pace once you're around 50, but Helltides usually win on sheer uptime. If you're trying to keep momentum without over-farming, it's also common to top up gaps with buy D4 items when a single upgrade would stop your build from feeling scuffed mid-run.