Diablo 4 Season 9 Fastest Leveling Route & Builds

Season 9 of Diablo 4 has arrived, bringing with it a new set of mechanics, changes to progression, and some of the fastest leveling opportunities to date. If you're looking to reach level 60 quickly and efficiently this season, this guide will walk you through the routes, systems, and builds that are currently leading the charge. With reworked Nightmare Dungeons, new sigils, and optimized character paths, leveling has never been faster.

Diablo 4 Season 9 Fastest 1-60 Leveling Guide

Season 9 focuses heavily on Nightmare Dungeons and their updated mechanics. These dungeons now drop experience globes which scale based on your character level, helping players level at an incredible pace. These changes have allowed some players to hit level 60 in just 1–2 hours on the Public Test Realm with optimized strategies.

Another major update is the introduction of the Forgotten Wisdom affix in Nightmare Dungeon sigils. These sigils cause enemies to drop additional experience globes, making them extremely valuable early on. Players who manage to craft or loot these sigils can skyrocket their experience gain.

Diablo 4 Season 9 Fastest Leveling Route

1. Start on Normal Difficulty

Begin your journey on World Tier 1 (Normal). Although higher difficulties offer more XP, the time spent killing slower monsters offsets the gain early on. Starting on Normal allows for faster clears and better XP efficiency until you unlock higher tiers.

2. Early Game Setup

Right after creating your seasonal character:

• Equip your pet to collect gold and materials automatically.

• Set up your cosmetics and mount for improved quality of life.

• If you own the Vessel of Hatred expansion, grab a mercenary early. They provide stat buffs and loot benefits through their barter systems.

• Complete the "Raising Spirits" side quest in Kyovashad quickly for crafting materials and a weapon upgrade.

• Loot any herb early so you can craft an elixir at level 10 for a 5% XP boost.

3. Follow the Seasonal Questline

Progress the seasonal questline until you unlock Horadric Powers. These powers can significantly boost movement speed, defense, and resource generation. After this point, you can pause the questline and focus on leveling.

4. Use Elixirs and Tempering

At level 10, start crafting elixirs for an experience boost. Once you reach level 12 or 13 and have salvaged some gear, begin tempering. Key tempers—like Lucky Hit bonuses—can provide a massive DPS increase early on.

5. Unlock Your Class Quest at Level 15

If you haven’t completed your class quest in a previous season, do it once you reach level 15. This provides two guaranteed legendaries and a significant power boost.

6. Nightmare Dungeons & Forgotten Wisdom Sigils

Once you have enough sigil powder, craft your Nightmare Dungeon sigils. You’re aiming for ones with the Forgotten Wisdom affix. These dungeons drop XP globes that grant up to 10% of your level per globe, accelerating progress like never before.

• If you're in a party, crafting sigils increases your chances of getting this affix.

• Even without Forgotten Wisdom, Nightmare Dungeons are still excellent XP sources.

7. Hell Tides and Whispers

If you don’t have the right sigils, switch to Hell Tides and Whisper Caches to gather materials and earn more sigils. Prioritize objectives that contribute to Grim Favors for maximum efficiency.

8. Strongholds from Level 50–60

At level 50, Strongholds become a viable alternative. Completing them for the first time gives a large chunk of experience, helping to close the gap to level 60 quickly. Running them on Normal is typically faster than higher difficulties.

Diablo 4 Season 9 Best Leveling Builds for Each Class

Season 9 introduces several standout builds for fast leveling, with some offering strong transitions into endgame content. The following builds are based on direct gameplay experience and planner setups from top players and content creators. Each one is built to help you get from level 1 to 60 efficiently.

1. Hydra Sorcerer

The Hydra Sorcerer is currently considered one of the best leveling builds in the game. Hydra has been reworked so that it no longer costs any resources or has a cooldown, which means you can spam it freely and continuously apply pressure. Previously, Fire Wall + Hydra was already a strong combo, but now it’s even better.

This build not only levels extremely fast but also transitions smoothly into one of the top-tier endgame builds in the game. With buffs to Hydra and supporting runes, it’s a dominant choice for both new and experienced players. If you're looking for a build you can take from level 1 straight into the late game without needing to respec, this is it.

2. Minion Necromancer

The Minion Necromancer remains a reliable and highly effective leveling option. You essentially let your skeletons do most of the work, making it a laid-back but powerful way to progress. With recent Season 9 buffs, Skeletal Mages have seen significant improvements, pushing them toward the top of the tier list.

This build is not only great for the leveling phase—it also scales well into endgame, where Skeleton Mage builds are now considered top A-tier, with potential to move into S-tier. If you enjoy summoner-style gameplay and want something powerful with minimal micromanagement, this is a solid pick.

3. Dance of Knives Rogue

This is the Rogue’s top option for fast leveling. Dance of Knives is essentially a spin-to-win build, but faster and more fluid than any Barbarian equivalent. It excels in clearing mobs quickly thanks to high movement and area damage.

However, while it shines during the leveling phase, the transition to endgame isn’t as smooth. Dance of Knives tends to fall off in higher-tier content, so you may need to switch to another Rogue build later. Still, for pure early-game speed and fun, it’s one of the best.

4. Quill Volley Spiritborn

Quill Volley is a tried-and-true Spiriton leveling build that remains strong in Season 9. It features good range, solid AoE, and now benefits from synergy with evade mechanics like Eagle Hall, allowing you to dash and unleash feather volleys for huge damage.

This build is fast, visually satisfying, and can be customized for even more mobility or damage. It’s also a great setup if you plan to transition into Thorn Spirit or Poison Puddle builds later. If you want a ranged Druid experience that’s efficient and fun, Quill Volley delivers.

5. Lunging Strike Barbarian

Barbarians are not the strongest class for leveling this season, but Lunging Strike offers a straightforward and effective path. It’s simple, reliable, and benefits greatly from early tempering options, especially Lucky Hit effects that boost damage significantly.

While Barbarians don’t have an S-tier leveling build right now, Lunging Strike is easy to play and can get the job done. It also pairs well with damage tempers that increase basic skill output, making it surprisingly strong in the early levels. If you’re set on playing a Barbarian, this is the way to go.

6. Pulverize Druid

Pulverize remains a popular leveling option, especially for players who prefer a tanky, melee-oriented style. This build revolves around smashing the ground for massive AoE damage, and it now includes a powerful puddle effect that adds even more DPS.

It’s not the fastest of all builds, but it’s dependable and has strong synergy with endgame Poison Puddle setups. If you enjoy big hits and a more methodical playstyle, Pulverize is a solid choice for getting through the campaign and beyond.