Diablo 5 will change monster level scaling to make power gains feel stronger

Blizzard plans to change how monster level scaling works in Diablo 5 so character growth produces a clearer jump in power. Game director Joe Shely described the direction during a group interview with PC Gamer, saying the studio will “take a somewhat different approach” from the automatic scaling used by the two most recent mainline games.

The commitment is directional, not a finished design. Shely said the team has not fully discussed level scaling and did not outline a replacement. That leaves open whether Diablo 5 will narrow scaling, divide the world into level bands, change it by activity or use another system entirely.

Why scaling changes the feel of progression

Automatic scaling raises enemy strength alongside the player's level. It helps keep zones relevant and prevents large swings in difficulty, but it can also make a level-up or a powerful new item feel less dramatic because nearby monsters become stronger too.

Shely framed that tension as central to Diablo's power fantasy. Filling the experience bar should create an immediate payoff, he said, followed by a period when the character can tear through enemies that were previously harder. If monsters rise at the same moment, part of that payoff disappears.