Welcome to our guide on strongholds in Diablo 4. This guide will help you understand what strongholds are, how to locate them, the rewards associated with them, and tips on how to successfully complete them.
Strongholds in Diablo 4 are bastions of evil located around the game world. Each stronghold has its unique location, storyline, objectives, puzzles, and bosses. You can identify them on your map by looking for a red skull icon. They are designed to be both challenging and rewarding, having a higher level than the surrounding areas and offering valuable loot and Renown.
To start a stronghold mission, simply approach its entrance and interact with it. This can be done solo or with other players. Once you enter, a progress bar will be displayed at the top right corner of your screen, beneath the minimap. This bar shows your current objective and the progress you’ve made towards it.
Completing a stronghold requires you to follow objectives and clear all enemies and obstacles. Objectives can range from solving puzzles and destroying objects to activating switches or defeating bosses. After completing all objectives, the stronghold is conquered and becomes a public space where other players can be seen. Successfully conquering a stronghold provides experience, rewards, and Renown.
During the Diablo 4 beta, three strongholds were identified in the Fractured Peaks region: Malnock, Coredragon, and Nostrava. Each stronghold has a unique theme and story that relates to the zone in which it’s located.
- Malnock: Located to the east of Kiora’s Shade, the city at the center of the Fractured Peaks, Malnock is a frozen village controlled by the Ice Clan Storm Callers. The objective here is to eliminate all the Storm Callers and face their Champion Frost Horn.
- Coredragon: Situated above Menistad in the northern section of the Fractured Peaks, Coredragon is an ancient cathedral corrupted by vampiric forces led by Nilcar The Forgotten Bishop. To purge the corruption, players must destroy its sources and then enter the archives to confront the boss.
- Nostrava: Found north of Novesque, the starting location of every character in Diablo 4, Nostrava is a small village overtaken by cultists who worship Lilith, the main antagonist of Diablo 4. The objective here is to investigate the village, destroy Demonic Effigies, and rekindle The Wanderer’s Shrine.
Rewards from completing strongholds assist in leveling up faster and accumulating more currency for events. Additionally, each conquered stronghold unlocks new features or content in each zone, such as waypoints, side dungeons, towns with NPCs and vendors, side quests, and more.
We hope this guide has provided valuable insights into strongholds in Diablo 4 and how to successfully conquer them.