With the release of Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim, Diablo 4 introduces a new dimension to its endgame content through Escalating Nightmare Dungeons. These challenging, consecutive dungeon experiences are intended to test the skills of even the most experienced players.
Escalating Nightmares consist of three sequential Nightmare Dungeons. Upon completing the first dungeon, a Horadric Portal opens, granting direct access to the second dungeon, followed by the third. The distinctive challenge of this mode lies in the stacking of dungeon affixes as players progress. This means that the affixes from the first dungeon carry over to the second, and by the time players reach the third dungeon, they must navigate all three sets of modifiers simultaneously.
These dungeons get even tougher on Torment I difficulty and above. Not only do the affixes pile up, but monster power scales significantly with each portal. This can lead to some truly chaotic battles in the third dungeon. If you survive all three, you’ll be transported to Exalted Astaroth’s Lair, where one of Diablo 4’s most fearsome bosses awaits.
To begin an Escalating Nightmare run, you’ll need a special item: the Escalation Sigil. These can be obtained from Horadric Knowledge seasonal rewards or from Horadric caches found in Strongrooms—though only in Torment difficulties. Once you activate the Sigil, the first dungeon begins, and the gauntlet is on.
The final boss encounter adds yet another layer of danger. Exalted Astaroth is not the same demon you fought in the campaign. In this twisted rematch, Astaroth and his mount split into two separate entities. Kill one too fast, and the other resurrects it. Combine this with the stacked affixes from the dungeon chain, and it’s clear this fight is anything but predictable.
Defeating Astaroth can reward players with unique loot including the rare Horadric Jewel, as well as Obducite, gold, and other powerful gear of Diablo 4 Items. Escalating Nightmares may not be the ultimate test of your build, but they offer a compelling and fun alternative to traditional dungeon crawling, especially for players chasing high-end loot.