Diablo 4 Season 11 brings one of the biggest overhauls to the crafting system since launch-an update that dramatically shifts how players temper, upgrade, and finalize their gear. Whether you're a casual grinder or pushing high-tier Nightmare content, understanding these changes is crucial. Many mechanics from Season 10 are gone, new systems have arrived, and both power potential and item risk have been rebalanced.
This article breaks down every major change to crafting in Season 11, how it differs from Season 10, and what it means for your builds going forward.
Legendary Items Now Drop With Four Affixes Diablo 4 Items
In Season 10, standard legendary items always dropped with three affixes, forcing players to rely heavily on tempering and crafting to build high-quality gear.
In Season 11, that baseline is improved. A standard legendary item now drops with four natural affixes. For example, a helmet might roll:
Strength
Thorns
Cold Resistance
Basic Skill Damage
This gives players a stronger starting point than last season. However, this improvement is balanced by changes to the tempering system…
Tempering Has Been Reduced From Two Choices to One
In Season 10, players could add two tempering affixes to a legendary item-one from each tempering category (Offensive, Defensive, Utility, Resource, etc.). This allowed for up to five total affixes on a legendary: three natural, plus two crafted.
In Season 11, Blizzard changed this drastically:
You can now only add one tempering affix instead of two.
But your item naturally has four affixes instead of three.
So the total number of affixes remains five, but your flexibility is lower.
No more double-tempering setups
You must now decide whether to take:
a defensive temper,
a utility temper,
or another available category.
Choosing one locks out all other tempering slots.
This is one of the biggest points of contention among players: more stability, but less freedom.
Targeted Tempering Removes RNG Completely
One of the most frustrating mechanics in Season 10's tempering system was the RNG inside each tempering category. For example, choosing the Resistance temper could randomly give Fire, Cold, Poison, Lightning, or Shadow resistance.
If you didn't hit the one you wanted, you either:
reset the item (consuming rare materials), or
threw the item away entirely.
In Season 11, RNG inside tempering is gone.
You now choose directly:
Cold Resistance
Fire Resistance
Poison Resistance
And so on
If you click Cold Resistance, you will always get Cold Resistance-within a displayed value range.
If the roll is too low, you can keep rerolling as many times as you want, as long as you have materials.
This eliminates the old "craft → miss → delete" gameplay loop. You can now craft exactly what you want without fear of bricking the item.
Masterworking Has Been Completely Reworked
Masterworking received the most dramatic overhaul.
### Season 10 Masterworking
12 total upgrade levels
On levels 4, 8, and 12, one random affix was drastically increased
All other levels gave small increases to every affix
Getting +1 skill ranks (like Bash, Core Skills, etc.) relied heavily on hitting those lucky breakpoints
This system introduced both power spikes and major RNG
For many players, this is the most controversial part of the new system.
Quality Is Random (1-4 per upgrade)
Each upgrade adds between 1 and 4 Quality. You can keep upgrading until you hit Quality 20.
### Greater Affixes Still Exist - But Only One
When you push an item past 20 Quality, the next upgrade applies one random Greater Affix.
This is usually the main source of power in Season 11 gear.
You can reroll this Greater Affix repeatedly-again, as long as you have materials.
Power Limits Have Changed Dramatically
Because Masterworking no longer enhances affixes, the maximum power of many builds is actually lower in Season 11.
For example:
Season 10 Example
A helmet with +3 Core Skill ranks could be pushed to +6 with perfect Masterworking hit rolls.
Season 11 Example
A helmet with +3 Core Skill ranks stays at +3.
A Greater Affix can push it to +4, but no higher.
This means:
No more +6 skill rolls
No more triple-scaling Greater Affixes
No more massive multiplicative skill boosts
The new system is much more controlled and predictable, but undeniably less explosive.
Introducing: The New "Sanctification" System (Item Holy Upgrades)
This is the system that adds both massive potential and massive risk.
Once an item:
has been tempered
has been fully masterworked
and has its Greater Affix applied
You can bring it to the Holy Forge and "sanctify" the item.
But sanctifying an item is irreversible.
Once an item is sanctified:
It cannot be tempered again
It cannot be re-masterworked
It cannot be re-sanctifiedSanctification can do several things:
Add a new affix
Replace an existing affix
Remove a valuable affix and add a useless one
Add a special bonus (like an extra Aspect-like effect)
Add Unbreakable durability
Add massive stat bonuses
Or completely ruin the item
Sanctifying is pure RNG-this is the last place where Diablo 4 remains fully random.
Players need to think carefully before sanctifying an item. A single bad sanctification can destroy a perfect piece of gear permanently.
The Good News: Unique and Mythic Items Can Now Be Upgraded Too
One of the best parts of the new system is that Unique and Mythic items can be:
Masterworked to 20 Quality
Given a Greater Affix
Sanctified with random bonuses
Tempering does not apply to Unique or Mythic items, but everything else does.
This massively increases the endgame viability of Uniques.
Example:
Upgrade a Unique to 20 Quality
Gain a Greater Affix
Sanctify it for a bonus aspect or stat
You can now truly craft late-game Uniques into build-defining pieces.
Mythic Items Can Also Be Sanctified - But With Huge Risk
Mythic items are already some of the strongest in the game, but now they can be:
Masterworked
Rolled with a Greater Affix
Sanctified for bonus effects
However, sanctifying Mythic items is extremely dangerous.
You can:
Lose your best affix
Gain a useless affix
Or roll a mediocre bonus
But when it works?
You can create a Mythic item stronger than anything seen in Season 10.
Is the New Crafting System Better or Worse?
What's better:
No more RNG in tempering
You can choose your exact affixes
Unlimited rerolls as long as you have mats
Uniques and Mythics can be upgraded
Base stats get meaningful increases
More agency in Greater Affixes
What's worse:
You lose one tempering slot
Masterworking no longer boosts affixes
No more +5/+6 skill affixes
Less build potential for extreme min-maxers
Sanctification can destroy items permanently
Overall:
The system is less explosive but more stable.
Blizzard clearly wants:
fewer bricked items during tempering
fewer extreme outliers
more consistent late-game gear progression
Whether that's good or bad depends on your play style.
Final Thoughts cheap D4 materials
Season 11 introduces the most complex crafting overhaul Diablo 4 has ever seen. It reduces tempering RNG, simplifies Masterworking, and adds new pathways for powering up legendary, Unique, and Mythic items.
You gain more control-but you lose some of the high-roll excitement from previous seasons. And sanctification adds a high-stakes gamble to the top end of crafting.
Whether you're pushing Tier 100 dungeons, farming bosses, or just trying to perfect a build, mastering this new system is essential.
This article breaks down every major change to crafting in Season 11, how it differs from Season 10, and what it means for your builds going forward.
Legendary Items Now Drop With Four Affixes Diablo 4 Items
In Season 10, standard legendary items always dropped with three affixes, forcing players to rely heavily on tempering and crafting to build high-quality gear.
In Season 11, that baseline is improved. A standard legendary item now drops with four natural affixes. For example, a helmet might roll:
Strength
Thorns
Cold Resistance
Basic Skill Damage
This gives players a stronger starting point than last season. However, this improvement is balanced by changes to the tempering system…
Tempering Has Been Reduced From Two Choices to One
In Season 10, players could add two tempering affixes to a legendary item-one from each tempering category (Offensive, Defensive, Utility, Resource, etc.). This allowed for up to five total affixes on a legendary: three natural, plus two crafted.
In Season 11, Blizzard changed this drastically:
You can now only add one tempering affix instead of two.
But your item naturally has four affixes instead of three.
So the total number of affixes remains five, but your flexibility is lower.
No more double-tempering setups
You must now decide whether to take:
a defensive temper,
a utility temper,
or another available category.
Choosing one locks out all other tempering slots.
This is one of the biggest points of contention among players: more stability, but less freedom.
Targeted Tempering Removes RNG Completely
One of the most frustrating mechanics in Season 10's tempering system was the RNG inside each tempering category. For example, choosing the Resistance temper could randomly give Fire, Cold, Poison, Lightning, or Shadow resistance.
If you didn't hit the one you wanted, you either:
reset the item (consuming rare materials), or
threw the item away entirely.
In Season 11, RNG inside tempering is gone.
You now choose directly:
Cold Resistance
Fire Resistance
Poison Resistance
And so on
If you click Cold Resistance, you will always get Cold Resistance-within a displayed value range.
If the roll is too low, you can keep rerolling as many times as you want, as long as you have materials.
This eliminates the old "craft → miss → delete" gameplay loop. You can now craft exactly what you want without fear of bricking the item.
Masterworking Has Been Completely Reworked
Masterworking received the most dramatic overhaul.
### Season 10 Masterworking
12 total upgrade levels
On levels 4, 8, and 12, one random affix was drastically increased
All other levels gave small increases to every affix
Getting +1 skill ranks (like Bash, Core Skills, etc.) relied heavily on hitting those lucky breakpoints
This system introduced both power spikes and major RNG
For many players, this is the most controversial part of the new system.
Quality Is Random (1-4 per upgrade)
Each upgrade adds between 1 and 4 Quality. You can keep upgrading until you hit Quality 20.
### Greater Affixes Still Exist - But Only One
When you push an item past 20 Quality, the next upgrade applies one random Greater Affix.
This is usually the main source of power in Season 11 gear.
You can reroll this Greater Affix repeatedly-again, as long as you have materials.
Power Limits Have Changed Dramatically
Because Masterworking no longer enhances affixes, the maximum power of many builds is actually lower in Season 11.
For example:
Season 10 Example
A helmet with +3 Core Skill ranks could be pushed to +6 with perfect Masterworking hit rolls.
Season 11 Example
A helmet with +3 Core Skill ranks stays at +3.
A Greater Affix can push it to +4, but no higher.
This means:
No more +6 skill rolls
No more triple-scaling Greater Affixes
No more massive multiplicative skill boosts
The new system is much more controlled and predictable, but undeniably less explosive.
Introducing: The New "Sanctification" System (Item Holy Upgrades)
This is the system that adds both massive potential and massive risk.
Once an item:
has been tempered
has been fully masterworked
and has its Greater Affix applied
You can bring it to the Holy Forge and "sanctify" the item.
But sanctifying an item is irreversible.
Once an item is sanctified:
It cannot be tempered again
It cannot be re-masterworked
It cannot be re-sanctifiedSanctification can do several things:
Add a new affix
Replace an existing affix
Remove a valuable affix and add a useless one
Add a special bonus (like an extra Aspect-like effect)
Add Unbreakable durability
Add massive stat bonuses
Or completely ruin the item
Sanctifying is pure RNG-this is the last place where Diablo 4 remains fully random.
Players need to think carefully before sanctifying an item. A single bad sanctification can destroy a perfect piece of gear permanently.
The Good News: Unique and Mythic Items Can Now Be Upgraded Too
One of the best parts of the new system is that Unique and Mythic items can be:
Masterworked to 20 Quality
Given a Greater Affix
Sanctified with random bonuses
Tempering does not apply to Unique or Mythic items, but everything else does.
This massively increases the endgame viability of Uniques.
Example:
Upgrade a Unique to 20 Quality
Gain a Greater Affix
Sanctify it for a bonus aspect or stat
You can now truly craft late-game Uniques into build-defining pieces.
Mythic Items Can Also Be Sanctified - But With Huge Risk
Mythic items are already some of the strongest in the game, but now they can be:
Masterworked
Rolled with a Greater Affix
Sanctified for bonus effects
However, sanctifying Mythic items is extremely dangerous.
You can:
Lose your best affix
Gain a useless affix
Or roll a mediocre bonus
But when it works?
You can create a Mythic item stronger than anything seen in Season 10.
Is the New Crafting System Better or Worse?
What's better:
No more RNG in tempering
You can choose your exact affixes
Unlimited rerolls as long as you have mats
Uniques and Mythics can be upgraded
Base stats get meaningful increases
More agency in Greater Affixes
What's worse:
You lose one tempering slot
Masterworking no longer boosts affixes
No more +5/+6 skill affixes
Less build potential for extreme min-maxers
Sanctification can destroy items permanently
Overall:
The system is less explosive but more stable.
Blizzard clearly wants:
fewer bricked items during tempering
fewer extreme outliers
more consistent late-game gear progression
Whether that's good or bad depends on your play style.
Final Thoughts cheap D4 materials
Season 11 introduces the most complex crafting overhaul Diablo 4 has ever seen. It reduces tempering RNG, simplifies Masterworking, and adds new pathways for powering up legendary, Unique, and Mythic items.
You gain more control-but you lose some of the high-roll excitement from previous seasons. And sanctification adds a high-stakes gamble to the top end of crafting.
Whether you're pushing Tier 100 dungeons, farming bosses, or just trying to perfect a build, mastering this new system is essential.