Diablo 4 is known for its grinding, but the hunt for Stygian Stones has caused a fracture in the community as some players suggest drop rates should be increased.
Diablo 4 Season 4 is in the early stages of winding down as we prepare for a much shorter Season 5. The Season of Loot Reborn certainly lived up to its name, bringing about a number of drastic changes to the base Diablo 4 experience that will carry into the future.
The introduction of more powerful ‘uber’ versions of the farmable endgame bosses with improved loot tables is one of these persistent changes. However, summoning them requires the usual materials as well as the new Stygian Stones.
The drop rates of these Stygian Stones are currently a matter of debate for Diablo 4 players. Initially raised by Reddit user yxalitis, complaints about the rarity of Stygian Stones appear common –though not everyone is troubled by it.
The most reliable way to farm Stygian Stones is by attempting to clear the Artificer’s Pit, but depending on what level you’re pushing, Stygian Stone drop chances can be as low as 5%. This can make challenging Diablo 4’s uber bosses for Unique gear a bit of a hassle.
“Why put something into the game that adds excitement and flavor, and then limit the drop rate so low that most players won’t ever see more than the ones the Iron Wolves quest gives you,” yxalitis asked. Another player agreed stating, “They never even should have had the Stones in-game. Just leave it as [three] times the materials and that’s it.”
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Others took a more measured approach, allowing for the difference in situations between hardcore and casual players.
“The drop rates for Stygian Stones do seem abysmally low as a casual player but it may not be as big of an issue for people maining Diablo 4,” one user added. “Maybe the new horde mode in Season 5 can up the drop rate a little.”
More dedicated Diablo 4 denizens seem fine with the rarity of Stygian Stones given that grinding is a key part of the franchise’s identity and the trade-off for challenging Tormented Echoes is worth it. “Can we please have some grind to the game?” a player interjected. “If you are getting Ubers at a 10% drop rate you better have to spend a lot to get that.”
The topic has been raised a few times since the introduction of these new boss variants. Hopefully, Blizzard can find a happy medium in Diablo 4 Season 5 that walks the tightrope between the two opinions on Stygian Stones.