How Will the Chaos Wave Nerf Affect Diablo 4 Season 10?

Sep-18-2025

 

If you've been grinding Infernal Hordes in Diablo 4 PTR, you already know how wild Chaos Waves can get. They throw in unpredictable enemies, Aether bonuses, and high-stakes moments that can make or break a run.

 

But in Season 10: Infernal Chaos, Blizzard has decided to dial them back a little. Why? Because Chaos Waves were showing up so often that they started stealing the spotlight from everything else. The devs explained that if these events dominate, they take away from the real core of Infernal Hordes—variety, buildcraft, and strategy.

 

Instead of nerfing the fun out of them, Blizzard made changes to keep Chaos Waves rare, surprising, and valuable Diablo 4 items.

 

 

Key Chaos Wave Changes in Season 10

Here's what you'll notice this season:

Less Frequent – Instead of popping up every run, Chaos Waves now appear only once or twice depending on the length of the run.

Unpredictable Timing – No more predictable intervals; expect surprises when you least expect them.

Rarity Tweaks – Special versions like Aether Goblins will be harder to find.

Reliquary Changes – Aether on-kill chance reduced from 25% → 10%, and no longer provide free drops if a player is immune to Chaos Lightning.

Quality-of-Life Fixes – Ghosts now collide properly, and the infamous Aetheric Mass can't be healed anymore.

 

Spotlight: The Lunatic Siege

One standout Chaos Wave variant, the Lunatic Siege, actually got buffed rather than nerfed. Blizzard clearly wanted to reward players who enjoy this wave's frantic pace.

 

Now, Chaos Rifts drop significantly more Aether, making them worth the effort to close. A full-health Aetheric Mass also provides a whopping 200 Aether instead of 80. On top of that, closing one Rift can trigger another, creating escalating encounters that feel both risky and rewarding.

 

For many players, Lunatic Siege might now be the most exciting Chaos Wave to chase.

 

Infernal Hordes Feel Better Overall

Beyond Chaos Waves, the entire run structure has been polished. Season 10 also overhauled how Infernal Hordes work in general, particularly in how players earn Aether, the key progression currency.

 

Base Aether Rewards

The baseline rewards have been raised across the board.

Aetheric Masses, Fiends, and Soulspires now drop more Aether, meaning that simply fighting monsters feels more rewarding.

Aether Goblins, however, were slightly nerfed, dropping less Aether than before.

 

The idea is to make monster-killing the main source of progression, instead of relying too heavily on lucky Offering rolls.

 

Reworked Soulspires

Soulspires were previously seen as underwhelming, but Season 10 changes that.

 

Rising Spires can now appear twice per run, and they spawn at the start of waves to empower enemies.

Draining Spires grant 3 Aether instead of 1.

Corrupting Spires have been reimagined as Hungry Spires, which actively pull in players and enemies, but reward more Aether.

 

These changes mean that Soulspires now feel like meaningful objectives, rather than ignorable side features.

 

Fiends, Lords, and Hellborne

Monster interactions have also been polished. Colossal Fiends and Fiendish Legions now properly interact to summon Aether Lords, adding more layers to battles.

 

Hellborne enemies were rebalanced in rarity and strength:

Summoned Hellborne are now Legendary-tier but spawn far less often (20% chance instead of 100%).

Ambushing Hellborne were downgraded to Common, making them less threatening.

 

This ensures Hellborne encounters feel impactful, not overwhelming.

 

Boss and Offering Changes

Bosses also got reworked to be more engaging:

 

The Burning Butcher now hits harder and has more health.

Bartuc no longer goes invulnerable but uses new shield mechanics, forcing players to strategize differently.

Offerings—the items that shape each run—have had their rarities and effects rebalanced. Their descriptions are clearer, but they're also less predictable, keeping runs fresh.

 

With all these changes, Season 10's Infernal Hordes offer a much healthier balance.

Chaos Waves are still here, but they're not the main course—they're the spice. Runs feel less about luck and more about consistent rewards, while still delivering those "holy chaos" moments that make Diablo 4 exciting.

 

Players who loved the madness of Chaos Waves will still get it, just in shorter bursts. Meanwhile, those who felt frustrated by their dominance can now enjoy a more balanced grind with steady progression.