Diablo 4: What You MUST Do Before the Expansion Drops

With the upcoming expansion for Diablo IV, we’re looking at one of the biggest system overhauls the game has seen so far. New difficulty tiers, higher item power, and major mechanical changes mean one thing: whether you grind naturally or choose to buy Diablo 4 Gold to speed things up, a lot of what you own right now is about to become obsolete. But not everything. This guide breaks down exactly what you should do right now to avoid losing valuable items, cosmetics, and progression before the expansion goes live.

The Big Shift: Item Power & Difficulty Changes

The expansion is increasing the difficulty ceiling up to Torment 12, alongside a massive jump in item power (900+).

What this means:

· Current gear (~800 item power) will be heavily outscaled 

· Higher item power = significantly stronger stat ranges 

· Older gear will not compete in endgame 

Example impact:

· Max Life and other core stats can nearly double at higher item power tiers

· Even perfectly rolled 800 gear becomes inefficient compared to baseline 900 gear

Bottom line:

Most of your current gear is functionally dead for endgame progression

What You Should STILL Keep

Before you go full salvage mode, here’s what actually matters:

Mythic Uniques (DO NOT DELETE)

Items like:

· Ring of Starless Skies 

· Heir of Perdition 

· Other high-impact Mythics

Even at lower item power, these can still be valuable because:

· Their unique effects are hard to replace 

· They may be upgradable, reworked, or re-crafted 

Bonus:

If you have Resplendent Sparks, you can craft new Mythics post-expansion—so keeping materials tied to these is critical.

Runes (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT)

Runes are tied directly to:

· Mythic crafting

· Future crafting systems

New runes are likely coming, but existing ones will still be part of the economy

Gems (Stockpile NOW)

With higher tiers likely coming:

· Upgrade costs will skyrocket 

· Gem fragments/powder will become more valuable

Even if current gems get outscaled:

· Salvaging them = future crafting advantage 

What You Should DELETE or SALVAGE

Non-Mythic Gear (Almost All of It)

· Anything below future item power thresholds (900+)

· Old “god rolls” → now outdated

· Legacy gear → no longer competitive 

If you’re not actively using it: Salvage it now for materials before it disappears

Old Seasonal Stash (CRITICAL WARNING)

When the season ends:

· Your stash moves to “Withdraw Only” 

· Then it gets deleted after a limited time 

If you don’t claim items: They are gone permanently

Must-Do Checklist Before Expansion

1. Finish Your Season Journey

· Unlock all free rewards

· Claim everything (even free track items)

2. Claim ALL Cosmetics

Includes:

· Season Journey rewards

· Event cosmetics (like Doom event rewards)

These are limited-time only Once gone, they may never return

3. Clean Out Your Stash

· Keep Mythics only

· Extract useful materials

· Free up space for expansion loot

4. Salvage Everything Else

Why?

· You’ll gain materials instead of losing them

· New systems (like cube crafting) may use similar resources

5. Prepare for New Crafting Systems

Incoming features suggest:

· New materials (e.g., Primordial Dust)

· Possible cube-style crafting system

· Item upgrading paths

Having a stockpile = huge early advantage

Important System Changes to Watch

Passives May Be Removed

· Items granting +skills/passives may be reworked or invalidated

· Some Mythics could change dramatically

Loot Filter Incoming

· You’ll be able to target specific item power ranges

· Makes farming high-end gear more efficient

Possible World Tier 5

· Not confirmed, but heavily hinted

· Would further push gear progression

Smart Strategy Going Into the Expansion

If you want a strong start:

· Focus on meta builds (safe investment)

· Avoid hoarding niche or off-meta gear

· Prepare to replace everything quickly 

Exception:

If a build is clearly overtuned (like Shield of Retribution-style setups), expect nerfs.

Final Takeaway

Before the expansion hits:

· Claim ALL rewards and cosmetics

· Extract and KEEP Mythics, Runes, Gems

· Salvage everything else

· Do NOT let your stash expire

If you do this right, you’ll enter the expansion with:

· A clean inventory

· Strong crafting resources

· A head start on new systems — and if you’re looking to accelerate your progress, checking out trusted marketplaces like MMOEXP for Diablo IV Items for sale can help you stay competitive

If you ignore it? You risk losing valuable items, cosmetics, and progression permanently.