Players can engage with the terrifying endgame Helltide events to collect better gear and take on some of the toughest enemies.

However, understanding Helltide and how to access it may not be immediately obvious to fans. Fortunately, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about it below.

What Is Helltide in Diablo 4?

Helltide is a unique endgame event exclusive to World Tier Three and Four difficulties that dramatically alters part of a region of the map for a whole hour.

Helltide areas have stronger enemies, unique events, and rarer loot, including crucial resources like Fiend Roses. They occur once every other hour.

Helltides will affect three zones within a randomly selected region at a time. These zones will be covered in red on your map to indicate they’ve been transformed.

Helltide zones on the Diablo 4 map

It’s worth noting that some areas of the map cannot be affected by Helltide. This includes cities or hub areas, PVP areas, and the Tree of Whispers.

The Demons summoned during Helltide are far stronger than regular Demons but also drop better loot.

Players can also encounter Helltide Commanders and Bosses. These are typically significantly higher-leveled than most players but drop incredibly powerful loot, including Fiend Roses, when defeated.

How to Unlock Helltide in Diablo 4

You will unlock Helltides after you beat the Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon on World Tier 2 difficulty, which can only be completed after you finish the main campaign.

You need to be at least level 45 – 50 to beat this Capstone Dungeon. Completing this Capstone Dungeon unlocks World Tier 3, which is a requirement to access Helltides.

Players will need to switch to World Tier 3: Nightmare difficulty once they’ve unlocked it to start seeing Helltides appear on the map.

Diablo 4 World Tier 3 info with the section on Helltides highlighted

Helltide Rewards

Players can receive a number of unique rewards by venturing into Helltide-affected areas. These include:

  • Aberrant Cinder (a unique currency exclusive to Helltides)
  • Tortured Gifts of Mysteries (special chests)
  • Fiend Roses

Aberrant Cinder is a unique currency that drops from Helltide enemies. It is used to get rewards exclusively within Helltide-affected areas and will completely disappear once the Helltide event ends or you leave the Helltide-affected region.

Additionally, if you die while in a Helltide-affected area, you will lose a small portion of your Abberant Cinder.

A Tortured Gift of Mysteries inside of a Helltide-affected area in Diablo 4

Tortured Gifts are unique chests that can only be opened with Abberant Cinder and give players typically very powerful loot, including Legendaries and rare crafting materials such as Forgotten Souls.

You will be able to see exactly what category of loot you can expect to get from the chest. However, the item from that category is completely randomized.

These chests are not marked on your map, and there is one per Helltide affected zone. This means for every Helltide, there will be three Tortured Gifts for you to interact with.

Tortured Gifts move location within the Helltide-affected zones every real-life hour. So, if the Helltide begins at 12:15, you can open a second chest within the same location at 13:00.

This potentially allows you to access 6 Tortured Gifts in one Helltide. However, if the Helltide begins at 12:00, the Tortured Gifts won’t move at 13:00, as Helltides only last an hour.