Does Diablo 4 have set items? Not yet, but maybe later

As players reach the endgame in Diablo 4, they start engaging with higher-end content and getting better gear drops, but what are they angling to collect? Diablo 3 made great use of playstyle-defining seasonal item sets, so will Diablo 4 do the same? Does Diablo 4 have set items we’ll need to collect? The short answer is not for now.

Set items have been a staple of the Diablo series, appearing in Diablo 2 and Diablo 3, and characterized by a green color. As the name implies, set items are individual items that are part of the same larger group, with fixed properties. When you equip multiple items that are part of the same set, you get a certain bonus, and the more items of that set you equip, the more bonuses you unlock. Usually, these bonuses can be game-changing, completely transforming abilities and providing a class with a different way to play. In Diablo 3, in particular, one of the biggest allures of playing Seasonal characters was unlocking the specific set that was created for that Season.

For Diablo 4, however, Game Director Joe Shely and Associate Game Director Joseph Piepiora have said that set items would not be in the game for launch, but that they will be added to the game “at some point in the future.” Apparently, they want to see how the game will play out and find the best way to include them in Diablo 4 endgame.

We already know that Diablo 4 will have seasons. Personally, given my experiences playing seasons in Diablo 3, I feel like set items are an extremely important part of that experience. Simply rolling a new character on a Season might not be enough of a draw to replay the leveling experience for that character, especially if it’s a class you’re already familiar with.

However, knowing that by completing your seasonal objectives you’ll end up unlocking a set that will completely alter how you play the game — and give you a brand new demon-slaying experience — is incredibly fulfilling. So here’s hoping that set items are added to the game sooner rather than later, and that the developers can deliver the same opportunities for fun gameplay as they did in the previous game — or perhaps even better.