Diablo 4 received a hotfix on January 28, 2026, rolling out build 2.5.3 and targeting a number of bugs that had been interrupting normal progression and endgame play. The patch is clearly focused on stability and polish rather than big balance shifts, smoothing out rough edges in activities like The Tower, the Dark Citadel, and several Season 11 systems. It is the kind of update meant to make the game feel more consistent as players push deeper into high-tier content Diablo 4 Items.
One of the more noticeable fixes addresses the Executioner monster affix, which had an audio bug that caused its sound effect to loop constantly. That issue is now resolved, and the affix has been re-enabled with its audio behaving as intended. Another frustrating problem involved Zagraal in the Dark Citadel not dropping loot, which made an already demanding fight feel pointless for some groups. Boss rewards are now functioning properly, restoring a sense of payoff after tough clears. Tower bosses were also adjusted so their health values are more consistent, reducing situations where certain encounters felt unfairly tanky compared to others.
Seasonal progression saw several welcome fixes as well. Silent Chests in Nahantu now correctly count toward the Test of Luck Season Rank objective, helping players track their progress accurately. Leaderboards are more reliable after an issue with viewing private profiles was corrected, and a bug that prevented the Recycled Works challenge from unlocking when resetting masterworked gear has been fixed. Local co-op players also benefit from fairer reward sharing, as defeating all Lesser Evils at the same time now properly grants chest loot to everyone involved.
The update also cleans up several quality-of-life issues tied to Divine Gifts and cosmetics. Other Gifts will continue gaining experience even if one reaches Rank 5, preventing progression from stalling. Locked cosmetics now display correctly instead of appearing usable when they are not, and lingering wardrobe placeholder visuals have been removed. Alongside these changes are broader performance, stability, and audio improvements that should help reduce crashes and hiccups during intense Pit or Tower runs.
The Tower itself received a number of practical tweaks based on player feedback. Tier unlocking now aligns more cleanly with progression systems like The Pit, and monster density has been adjusted to better accommodate both melee and ranged builds. Several boss exploits, such as unintended healing or invisibility, were removed, making fights feel more honest. Pylons are quicker to access after cages are destroyed, have lower health, and spawn more consistently, cutting down on frustrating streaks of bad luck. Changes to specific pylons, including improved bonuses for speed and channeling, help support a wider range of playstyles.
Small but meaningful quality-of-life improvements round out the patch. Orbs now drop instantly when enemies die and appear closer to the player, reducing unnecessary backtracking. Death behavior in the Tower has been improved so players no longer respawn on previous floors, and exit portals now appear closer after a run ends. These changes make longer sessions feel less punishing and more respectful of the player's time.
The January 28 update is a solid example of incremental polish. It removes several long-standing frustrations, fixes reward and UI issues, and tightens up endgame encounters without shaking up the meta Diablo 4 materials. As Season 11 continues and players experiment with new builds and challenges, this patch helps ensure that the focus stays on gameplay rather than bugs or workarounds. For anyone returning or pushing higher tiers, the experience should feel noticeably smoother and more reliable.
