The Frustration of Repeating Strongholds and Waypoints in Diablo IV Season 10

With the arrival of Season 10, the Season of Infernal Chaos, Diablo IV takes its design a step further—introducing Chaos Armor, new Perks, a reworked take on Infernal Hordes, and long-awaited tweaks, such as removing awkward boss invulnerability periods.

For newcomers entering Sanctuary for the first time, these systems feel intuitive, almost as if they’ve always been part of the game. But for veterans who have invested dozens—or even hundreds—of hours in previous seasons, the process of reclaiming Strongholds and traversing the map to unlock Waypoints is starting to feel more like obligation than discovery.

Why Strongholds and Waypoints Matter

Strongholds aren’t filler—they’re central to Diablo IV’s worldbuilding. Each begins as a dangerous enclave, crawling with elite enemies, and demands players clear multiple encounters, usually ending in a dramatic showdown. Capturing a Stronghold reshapes the map itself: it might become a bustling hub with vendors, open hidden dungeons behind its walls, or create faster routes through previously hostile terrain. This lasting impact gives the world texture, making every victory feel like it truly changes Sanctuary.

Waypoints, by contrast, are Sanctuary’s fast-travel system. Without them, navigating the vast world can be slow and tedious. Unlocking each Waypoint allows players to quickly move between towns, Strongholds, and regions, which is especially important for efficient high-level farming.

Together, Strongholds and Waypoints form the backbone of exploration, efficiency, and progression in the game.

Why Players Are Feeling Burned Out

At the start of every new season, Diablo IV requires players to create a fresh character to access seasonal content. While elements like campaign skips, Paragon Glyph knowledge, and the Codex of Power carry over, Strongholds and Waypoints do not. This means even veteran players must ride across Sanctuary again, clearing the same Strongholds and rediscovering the same Waypoints they unlocked months earlier.

For many, this repetition diminishes the excitement of a new season. Instead of diving straight into fresh mechanics—like Chaos Rifts or Perk experimentation—players spend their first few hours repeating tasks they’ve already done multiple times. The sense of exploration that Strongholds once offered has given way to monotony.

Community forums have filled with complaints. Players describe this experience as “busywork” or “artificial padding,” especially since fast travel is so critical to seasonal progression. The more seasons a player participates in, the more tedious this reset becomes.

Seasonal resets are intended to create a sense of renewal, encouraging players to engage with the world instead of relying on fast travel immediately. The goal is to recapture the early-game rhythm of discovery, exploration, and the thrill of earning valuable items.

Yet this philosophy often clashes with Diablo IV’s live-service model. What once felt mysterious and rewarding can now feel predictable, turning exploration into routine rather than novelty. Repetition mainly delays players from accessing the new seasonal content Blizzard has carefully crafted.

Why It Matters for Season Longevity

The debate over Strongholds and Waypoints is more than a minor annoyance; it highlights the delicate balance Blizzard must strike between meaningful seasonal resets and respecting players’ time. In a live-service game where each season competes with countless other entertainment options, early friction can strongly affect retention.

If new content is blocked by hours of repetitive tasks, some players may simply skip the next season. Streamlining the onboarding process, however, lets fans jump straight into new experiences—whether experimenting with Chaos Perks, tackling reworked Hordes, or chasing unique drops.

The ongoing resets of Strongholds and Waypoints risk making early-season progress feel like a chore for many veteran players, instead of a fresh start with new rewards and gold to pursue. As Diablo IV evolves, refining these systems could be the key factor in whether players log in each season excited or exhausted before even reaching the latest content.