Helltides Guide (Rewards, Locations, and More)

This guide was created by Shugo.

Diablo 4 Helltides are high risk, high reward timed activities within the end game.

They spawn across the different regions and allow you to unlock hidden chests, known as Tortured Gifts, that have a high chance of dropping legendaries.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Helltides!

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What is a Helltide Event?

A Helltide is a timed event which occurs every hour and fifteen minutes, and lasts for one hour. During this time, a fixed area of the map will be outlined in red covering part of one region. Before the event begins, there will be an in-game announcement to inform players. Once live, an active timer will appear on the afflicted region, along with another timer displayed on your UI once you arrive in the area.

Helltides are one of the best methods to farm powerful gear, but more importantly, are the only way to acquire valuable crafting materials such as the Fiend Rose and Forgotten Souls. These materials are absolutely vital for the end game, as they are used to upgrade gear to the max level, and reroll for better affixes.

When you enter a Helltide, you’ll immediately become immersed in what feels like a demon war zone. Meteors shower from the sky as hordes of demons rush towards you. Enemies are set to always be a few levels higher and overall mob density is greater than normal, adding to the challenge. Make sure you come prepared, and if possible, bring a friend (or a group)!

In order to participate in a Helltide event, you must have unlocked and set your difficulty to Nightmare; World Tier III. This requires completing the Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon on Veteran difficulty, which is available after completing the campaign. Other than that, simply keep an eye out in-game, or search online to find out when the next Helltide will take place!

Helltides will spawn in a predetermined area within one of the five regions. Each Helltide afflicted area consists of four zones. Here’s a breakdown of the locations!

Fractured Peaks

• Frigid Expanse
• Kor Dragan
• Malnok
• Sarkova Pass

Scosglen

• Deep Forest
• Hope’s Light
• Northshore
• Tur Dulra

Dry Steppes

• Khargai Crags
• Temple of Rot
• The Onyx Watchtower
• Untamed Scarps

Hawezar

• Dissmil Foothills
• Eriman’s Pyre
• Fethis Wetlands
• Ruins of Rakhat Keep

Kehjistan

• Amber Sands
• Dilapidated Aqueducts
• Ragged Coastline
• Southern Expanse

We recommend using our interactive map tool with Helltides locations with timers to make your life easier.

During a Helltide, the goal is to collect as many Aberrant Cinders as possible, then exchange them at reward chests known as Tortured Gifts. Acquiring Aberrant Cinders is pretty straightforward. They drop just by killing monsters, but can also be found in greater quantities when you slay stronger enemies. Local events are an excellent way to quickly farm Cinders, as you will face numerous demons at once in a short time span. Another benefit to events is that they attract other players, making it even easier to clear enemies, or even get carried if you’re new and under-geared for World Tier III. Plus there’s Obols. Everyone loves Obols.

Certain destructible items will emit a red glow, indicating that there’s Aberrant Cinders within. If you see them, they’re worth clicking on as an easy (and safe!) source of Cinders.

You may also come across Helltide exclusive events that are definitely worth the time. Occultists can gather to perform a ritual, and it’s your job to stop them. As you slay them, portals will appear and spawn more demons, until eventually their commander will appear to try and put an end to it. Defeating this boss is a great source of Forgotten Souls, so if you’re strong enough or have the help to take it on, I highly recommend it.

Additionally, there’s a roaming boss that can spawn within the afflicted region. Just like the commander, it’s another great source for Forgotten Souls. Plus, defeating either of these bosses also gives you a great chance at some extra legendaries!

While Aberrant Cinders are relatively easy to acquire, they can also be easy to lose! Dying in a Helltide is extremely punishing, as half of your acquired Cinders will evaporate. This means it’s even more important to focus and not take too many risks. Keep those emergency cooldowns ready, because among all the chaos you’ll certainly need it!

Lastly, do note that Aberrant Cinders can not be saved. Once a Helltide ends, all remaining Cinders will disappear. However, if you need to return to town or leave the Helltide for any particular reason, you can do so safely and retain your Cinders. So long as the event timer is still active, they will remain. So feel free to hit up the vendors in between and pop back into action!

Quick tip: you can farm Helltides much faster and in a much more efficient way by using a highly optimized build!

Across the map you will find various types of Tortured Gifts. Each one applies to a specific gear slot, making Helltides a fantastic way to target farm items. These chests come at different intervals, requiring a certain amount of Aberrant Cinders in order to unlock them. The cheapest ones cost 75 Cinders, followed by 125 Cinders, 150 Cinders, and the “Mysteries” chest at 175 Cinders.

Here’s a list of all the common types of Tortured Gifts.

75 Cinders:

• Tortured Gift of Helms
• Tortured Gift of Chest Armor
• Tortured Gift of Handguards
• Tortured Gift of Legguards
• Tortured Gift of Boots
• Tortured Gift of Rings

125 Cinders:

• Tortured Gift of Light Weaponry
• Tortured Gift of Amulets

150 Cinders:

• Tortured Gift of Heavy Weaponry

Most of these Tortured Gifts appear on the map, allowing you to check which gear piece is available and where. However, the most valuable chest, the “Tortured Gift of Mysteries” will not appear on the map, and will only appear once you are nearby it. While this chest doesn’t focus on a specific slot, it nearly guarantees multiple legendary drops when opened; including a chance at Unique items!

Whenever possible, your priority should be to farm events and clear large packs to accumulate 250 Cinders. While doing so, keep an eye out for the elusive Tortured Gift of Mysteries so that you have an idea where to backtrack to later (or check online if you like).

Overall, it’s typically not worth spending Cinders on the 125 or 150 Tortured Gifts, unless you really need that particular gear piece. There is far more value in the Tortured Gift of Mysteries, especially considering the minimal cost difference. Opening some 75 Tortured Gifts is a fine choice if you lack the time (or power) to collect all 250. After all, it’s better to get at least something than die and lose all those Cinders!

For those ready to take on the real grind, it’s indeed possible to open multiple Tortured Gift of Mysteries in a single Helltide event. Different zones can contain their own chest, but what’s even better is these chests have a respawn time. These Mystery Gifts respawn on the hour, which makes these events even more variable. Due to the hour and fifteen minute cooldown timer, this means some Helltides will have their reset split halfway at 30:30, while others could be 15:45. Pay attention to the time before you get started, because if you’re efficient enough, you’ll be able to double-dip, rinse, and repeat. Happy hunting!

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