Unlike most other games, you can’t just switch your game to higher difficulty in Diablo 4. By default the first two difficulty levels are available and two are locked for every character. In order to increase difficulty, also known as upgrading your world tier, in Diablo 4, players have to fulfill certain tasks. These tasks come in the form of Capstone dungeons in Diablo 4 and you are only able to advance to World Tier 3 and 4 after finishing those.
What are Capstone dungeons in Diablo 4?
If you don’t know already, capstone dungeons are basically unique dungeons that have only one purpose, allowing you to unlock higher world tiers. While regular dungeons scale based on your difficulty and levels and reward you with Aspects, capstone dungeons lack all of that.
Unlike regular dungeons, capstone dungeons in D4 also don’t have any nightmare versions. So these dungeons are pretty static compared to all the others in the game. Most players will only ever do each capstone dungeon once per character just to unlock Tier 3: Nightmare and Tier 4: Torment in Diablo 4.
The enemies you face in a capstone dungeon will all be according to the dungeon level instead of the player level.
There are two capstone dungeons in Diablo IV as of now. Cathedral of Light at level 50 unlocks World Tier 3 while Fallen Temple at level 70 unlocks World Tier 4. You can only go to these capstone dungeons as long as you are in the world tier below what the dungeon unlocks.
How to access Cathedral of Light Capstone dungeon
The Cathedral of Light is the first Capstone Dungeon you can encounter. The Cathedral of Light capstone dungeon is within the city of Kyovashad. Just take the Kyovashad waypoint in Fractured Peaks and make your way to the Cathedral of Light past the World Tier statue.
The Cathedral of Light capstone dungeon can be used to unlock World Tier 3: Nightmare. However, all of these enemies that you come across in this dungeon are level 50 so make sure you’re packed tight for this journey. Keep your armor at maximum and your level at least 45.
The quest to complete Cathedral of Light and unlock World Tier 3 in D4 is given to you by the Tree of Whispers once you reach level 50. However, you can do this dungeon even before that quest if you feel like challenging yourself.
The first boss encounter in Cathedral of Light will actually consist of 4 bosses, which will make their move on you all at once. These enemies are named; Sacred Physician, Grand Inquisitor, Lord Commander and Devoted Champion.
After you have defeated them, your next battle will be with The Curator in the final area of the dungeon. Beware of the Curator’s attacks as he can perform unique attacks only bestowed to him.
There are 5 attacks that he will use which include; Area Slash, Area Slash Combo, Spirit Domes, Spawning Minions, and Bone Wall (Phases 2 and 3). Make sure you have invested points in the right skills that will help you in countering these attacks.
How to access Fallen Temple Capstone dungeon
The Fallen Temple can be found on the northeast side of Chambatar Ridge. It is east of the Temple of The Primes. The nearest fast travel to this location is Fate’s Retreat waypoint in Dry Steppes from where you can travel east to get to this dungeon.
The Fallen Temple is the second Capstone Dungeon in D4. Clearing this dungeon will allow you to unlock World Tier 4: Torment. And if things weren’t already tough, this dungeon is set at level 70. This dungeon is even harder to clear than the Cathedral of Light.
When you’re done, the dungeon will lead to a lower level. The elites will increase in numbers and their debuffs will become stronger. It is a wise idea to lead the elites away from the crowds of enemies. That way you can only focus on them and not worry about dealing with extra debuffs that can cause you to die.
The final boss you will face in Fallen Temple capstone dungeon is Elias, Hatred’s Remnant. You have already fought Elias multiple times in the campaign and his tactics are the exact same here. The only difference is that this time, Elias is a lot stronger and a level 73 boss.
The lower Elias gets in health, the deadlier his attacks will become. So you have to be extremely careful in the late stages of this fight.
