In the open world Diablo 4 map, unexplored regions of Sanctuary are going to be introduced for the first time in the series. You’re going to traverse from desert to cold areas, visit decaying cities and try to survive poisonous swamps. Each place in the world of Diablo 4 is hostile, having its own perils and problems that you must deal with to progress in the game.
Diablo 4 explores a part of the world of Sanctuary that even experienced players haven’t visited previously to create a new experience with the game. In this new entry in the Diablo series, you will have more freedom in terms of where you want to explore and when you’re going to do so. Activities like the Diablo 4 Fields of Hatred or Diablo 4 world bosses are spread around the huge map size. To make this open-world approach work more effectively, all the new regions are close to one another in contrast to previous Diablo games.
Diablo 4 map
The Diablo 4 map of Sanctuary is 10 to 20 times larger than the map in previous instalments in the series and contains five main regions. It is also open-world for the first time in the series.
The full map looks as follows, thanks to the full scale being shown by mapgenie.io.
During a panel in BlizzCon 2019, John Miller, Diablo 4’s art director, explained that the game has been designed to be open-world with every region geographically connected. This decision led to Diablo 4 having a larger map size than any of the previous games.
To make the world feel dangerously alive, the open world of Diablo 4 has a combat-focused design. As a result of this, you might have to fight enemies while you’re traversing the map. On the other hand, it’s important to keep in mind that, even though you can explore the regions more freely now, the game’s story is still linear, giving players only the option of choosing the order they will go through the campaign.
Diablo 4 regions explained
When it comes to the places you have access to, there are a total of five different regions in Diablo 4’s map:
- Scosglen
- Dry Steppes
- Fractured Peaks
- Hawezar
- Kehjistan
As mentioned, all of these regions are connected due to the game’s open-world design. In each region, players will have different experiences, since each biome is structured around a specific concept. Some of them are not new for the series – poisonous swamps or cities controlled by religious fanatics for example – but no place is like the other in Diablo 4. Even regions we’ve visited before in the series, such as parts of Kehjistan during the Diablo 3 story, have been designed from the ground up for Diablo 4.
During a panel in 2019 BlizzCon, members of the development team also announced that players will end up accessing Hell in Diablo 4, although it’s unclear whether it’s going to be a complete region separate to the main map, or a dungeon of sorts.
Below you can find a brief explanation of each of the regions in the game.
Scosglen
The region of Scosglen is in the north of Sanctuary, facing the Frozen Sea. This a green area and the land of the Druids. You shouldn’t make the mistake of taking it as a friendly place though. The dark forests of Scosglen are described as a savage place, where nature is taking over the place, and creatures, such as werewolves, make your journey into these woods a dangerous endeavour.
Dry Steppes
Southwest of Scosglen, you will find the region of Dry Steppes, full of canyons and geysers of boiling water. This cruel place carries the scars of a war that ravaged the region. As a result, folks living in Dry Steppes will fight to survive by any means necessary. From mercenaries that will fight for a chance of receiving a coin of gold to mages using dark magic, the conflicts in Dry Steppes are still constant.
Fractured Peaks
If you want to fight demons in cold long corridors of old gothic cathedrals, Fractured Peaks are the place you are looking for. The people in this place must survive not only the deadly coldness but also the evil creatures lurking in the gloomy caves underground in the city. They live in constant fear, barricading their doors once the sun is set.
Hawezar
What can represent a decaying world in a dark fantasy setting better than a place full of swamps that can poison you? Hawezar is this type of place in Diablo 4. A diseased land where people go only to be forgotten by the world. At the same time, the inhospitality of Hawezar makes it a safe place for witches to hide.
Kehjistan
The region of Kehjistan is known by those who have played the previous instalments of the series, but now you can experience this desert region dominated by Lilith’s agents. Although this is a historically important place in Sanctuary, you will find it battered by hopelessness in the people’s eyes brought by many wars and constant attacks of demons.
Diablo 4 map points of interest
In order to make the world of Diablo 4 even more interesting so you can spend hours exploring it, there are many points of interest you get to look for in each region. Here are the Diablo 4 points of interest:
- Towns
- Strongholds
- Dungeons
- Waypoints
- Shrines
- World Bosses
- Altars of Lilith
Firstly, there are towns and strongholds. Towns are going to work as important hubs in Diablo 4, where players can interact with other players and NPCs from whom they can accept quests or buy/sell items. On the other hand, across the regions, there are strongholds, small settlements dominated by enemies. In case you clean a stronghold up by defeating all enemies, they will become safe places for you and your party, where certain NPCs can be found. There is even the chance of finding the entrance of a dungeon in one stronghold, so completing these can be quite useful.
While in towns and strongholds, you can also access Waypoints which work as a fast travel system in Diablo 4. Across the regions there are also Shrines which are places that grant you temporary buffs. And as you travel through the regions, you may eventually stumble upon World Bosses which are gigantic enemies which will require more than just your brave soul to be defeated. Since they randomly spawn, you should take the opportunity to kill one of these bosses and get better gear for your character.
Diablo 4 Altar of Lilith locations are scattered through the map. These are collectible statues that will grant you a permanent stat increase for the characters on your account. Altar of Lilith are also a great way to level up your renown in each region, so they’re definitely worth hunting down.
There you have it, all about the Diablo 4 map and everything else you will find in the five regions of the game. Now, another important aspect of the story you’re going to write in the world of Diablo 4 is the kind of character you’re going to create. So, be sure to check our guide on Diablo 4 classes to pick the best one for your journey!