Blizzard has pulled back the veil on an exciting new game mode coming to Diablo 4 called Gauntlets. Arriving March 5th alongside the game’s midseason patch, Gauntlets will provide an intense weekly challenge centered around competition on leaderboards.
Gauntlets are specialized dungeons optimized for speed-running and racking up high scores. They have a strict time limit of 8 minutes and feature packed mobs of monsters, elites, and bosses to slay for points. But simply killing everything in sight isn’t enough. With each Gauntlet dungeon featuring a fixed layout every week, players will need to carefully strategize the optimal route to maximize scores.
Two special shrines are placed in each Gauntlet – one that respawns defeated enemies and another that grants a scoring boost. Learning how and when to trigger these at the right moments will be key to climbing the weekly leaderboards.
Gauntlet Mode Brings Leaderboard Competition to Diablo 4
While Gauntlets themselves won’t drop loot, players can earn rewards from completing runs and by placing highly on the leaderboards when the week ends. All finished runs grant caches containing items, while the top weekly spots offer caches with guaranteed max-level gear and boosted chances for unique drops.
Adding to the competitive element, the leaderboards are split by class and party size, so players will only be ranked among similar groups. Top performers can earn special rewards like cosmetic mounts or getting their in-game name immortalized.
Strategic Route Planning Key to Maximizing Gauntlet Scores
Gauntlets provide Diablo 4 players with a fun new way to test their skill in an intense, time-pressured environment. With rewards tied directly to placement on the weekly leaderboards, it brings a competitive angle beyond just hunting for new loot.
The addition of Gauntlets arrives alongside major midseason patch notes that will shake up builds and skills across Diablo 4. It also helps build momentum towards the game’s upcoming launch on Xbox Game Pass on March 28th, opening it up to millions of potential new players. For those craving intense, strategic dungeon challenges, Gauntlets will soon put their talents to the test.
