Diablo 2 Resurrected PTR 2.5 is online and players can test out terror zones, a new feature that brings major changes to Sanctuary regulars. Let's take a look at the new features as well as the profound changes they could bring to the daily lives of players.

First of all, the first thing to know is that this terror zone feature is under development. This means that developers can make several changes between now and the release of patch 2.5. So do not take the information below as cash since everything can change in the coming days.

Blizzard's goal is to test what's new and wait for feedback from players. The developers will balance things out gradually and once everything works well, patch 2.5 will be rolled out to Live, which will kick off Resurrected Season 2.

Advantages Of Running D2R 2.5 Terror Zones

At present, the benefits are quite obvious. The experience gained is enormous. This is the case if you play alone, with a simple pack of elites that bring more experience than a Diablo by playing with several. If you play with 8 players in a game, the XP acquired is simply monstrous. It allows you to consider leveling up to 99 shortly after the launch of the Ladder, gaining several days on the previous record that required a team working with you. It should also be kept in mind that it is the creator of the game that determines the XP received.

Terror zones bring in so much XP that level 99 becomes possible for many players. It will no longer be necessary to farm for long months. Killing elite packs in a loop, which is easy with a teleportation spell, allows you to consider acquiring an experience that was only a sweet dream in version 2.4. With an 8-player game, you can get 1 million XP per minute at level 95. That's crazy.

At the level of loots, the RNG obviously plays its role thoroughly. That said, terror zones benefit from an improvement in the level of items you can get. Thus, any cow in the Cow Level of Diablo 2 can drop the Arm of Tyrael, one of the rarest objects in the game. The number of areas that can drop good items will clearly increase, allowing farming in places that were not very popular with players. You will indeed go from terrorized areas to terrorized areas.

With these, players will be able to accelerate very strongly the acquisition of XP while playing in various places that will change every hour. This is better than looping the same area for long days.

We will have to see what adjustments will be made in the coming days, in case Blizzard thinks that the gain in experience is perhaps too pronounced.

Best D2R 2.5 Terror Zones To Run in Diablo 2 Resurrected

Of course, some areas are more interesting than others. This is the case of the secret level of cows, the Chaos Sanctuary, and the last areas of Act 5, namely the Dungeon of the World Stone, the Throne of Destruction, and the Chamber of the World Stone. Secondly, but not far behind, we have the Sanctuary of the Arcana, Travincal, the Cathedral, and the Catacombs.

A little further on, you can rush into the Bloody Moor, the Forgotten Tower, the Prison of Hate, the Rock Desert, the Tombs of Ral Rasha, the Skinner's Jungle, the Skinner's Dungeon, the High Ice, and the levels that lead to Nihlathak. Conversely, avoid the Lower Town, the density is low and it is hardly interesting. The density is sometimes disappointing, even in areas that are usually more populated.

In any case, depending on your build, the best areas may be different. The monsters are stronger but for some builds, it is not a problem and they will go through them without the slightest glitch.

But honestly, isn't the XP gain too pronounced? Level 99 would become almost too easy for some well-surrounded players.

What Is Terror Zone in Diablo 2 Resurrected 2.5?

When you start a game, you can play as usual. However, some areas are "terrorized", which means that the level of enemies there is higher. By playing in this area, you receive more XP and potentially better drops.

Terrorized areas change every hour.

Terrorized areas are exclusive to the online mode. They do not exist (yet) in Single Player mode.

What Drops Can We Farm in Terror Zones?

I have already had the opportunity to talk several times about how drops work on Diablo 2. Feel free to re-read the articles dedicated to drops and the Treasure Class system to learn more about the mechanics that govern the items you receive after killing monsters.

D2R Terrorized Area Monster Levels

In a terrorized area, you can receive better loots (these are based on the level of the player who created the game):

Normal

Base: +2 levels (max L45)

Champion: +4 levels (max L47)

Unique: +5 levels (max L48)

Nightmare

Base: +2 levels (max L71) 

Champion: +4 levels (max L73) 

Unique: +5 levels (max L74) 

Hell

Base: +2 levels (max L96) 

Champion: +4 levels (max L98) 

Unique: +5 levels (max L99) 

In Hell mode, you can find rare items elsewhere than in the usual areas. Tyrael's Arm can drop in many areas now if they are terrorized. 

Thus, the secret level of the cows of the Hell mode can drop absolutely everywhere if it is terrorized. Any cow can offer you Tyrael's arm, which was not the case until now.

List of D2R 2.5 Terror Zones

Here is the list of areas that can be terrorized. If an area has several levels, such as the Prison, all levels are concerned.

How Do You Know If An Area Is Terrorized?

The game tells you this quite clearly via the chat window. In addition, when entering a terrorized area, you can notice it by the shake of the screen and annotation in the middle of the screen.