What’s New in Season 9 for Leveling?

Season 9 introduces key changes that affect XP farming:

Increased XP from Helltides and Grim Favors

New Blood Harvest zones with elite density

Seasonal Blessings that boost XP gain

Dark Glyphs offering bonus experience in Nightmare Dungeons

Event XP scaling adjusted to benefit all party members equally

With these tools in hand, players now have more freedom to tailor their XP route based on playstyle and efficiency.

The Optimal Leveling Route: 1–100 Breakdown

Levels 1–50: Campaign Skip → Whispers and Strongholds

Skip Campaign (if unlocked from a previous character)

Start in Kyovashad and head straight to:

Strongholds (huge XP, map unlocks, and Renown)

Whispers of the Dead (seasonal tasks, favors, and fast XP)

Blood Harvest Zones (dense elite packs + event XP)

XP Tips:

Stack Season Blessing: Urn of Aggression to boost monster XP

Complete Tree of Whispers turn-ins for XP and materials

Do public events and Legion events whenever available

Best Dungeons for 1–50:

Anica's Claim (Fractured Peaks)

Guulrahn Canals (Dry Steppes)

Champion’s Demise (Kehjistan)

These have short layouts, high elite density, and fast respawn loops.

Levels 50–70: Nightmare Dungeon Farming Begins

Once you hit World Tier 3, begin running Tier 1–10 Nightmare Dungeons:

Equip your first Paragon Board and start unlocking Glyph XP

Target dungeons with glyph farming layouts (compact, elite-heavy)

Top Nightmare Dungeons for XP (Tier 10–30):

Uldur’s Cave

Iron Hold

Faceless Shrine

Mariner’s Refuge

Efficiency Tips:

Run dungeons 5–10 levels below your current level for speed

Focus on fast clear over max tier — XP/min is more important than XP/kill

Keep upgrading your XP glyph (e.g., Control, Exploit, Territorial)

Levels 70–100: Glyph XP and High-Speed Dungeon Loops

This phase is where most players slow down — but you can keep the momentum with this method:

Farm Tier 30–50 Nightmare Dungeons (WT4)

These give excellent Glyph XP and monster XP

Clear speed > dungeon level for XP gain

Reset fast dungeons and avoid lengthy layouts

Seasonal Event XP (Optional)

Blood Harvests are still viable for quick elite clears

World Bosses and Legion Events give bonus XP and gear

Bonus XP Tip:

Equip Elixir of Learning (5% XP bonus for 30 mins) and Urn of Aggression seasonal blessing maxed out for even faster leveling.

Group vs. Solo Leveling: Which is Faster?

Group Farming (2–4 players)

30–40% faster than solo when organized

Dungeon enemies scale with group size, but clear time improves dramatically

Best used in Nightmare Dungeon loops

Assign roles (1 support, 1 tank, 2 nukers) for faster clears

Solo Farming

Slower, but more control over route, mobs, and loot

Best for players grinding Nightmare Dungeons while focusing on glyph XP

Focus on speed-clearing lower tier dungeons efficiently

Power Leveling a New Character (Alt Method)

Want to skip early levels? Here's how:

Have a friend in WT4 run you through high-tier dungeons or Helltides

You gain scaled XP from proximity kills

Combine with Elixir and Whispers turn-ins for rapid gains

You can go from Level 1 to 50+ in under 2 hours with a strong booster.

Seasonal Mechanics for XP Boosting

Season 9’s Seasonal Blessings are your secret weapon:

Best Blessings to Prioritize:

Urn of Aggression – Increases monster XP (must max first)

Urn of Prolonging – Extends Elixir duration

Urn of Reclamation – Increases material drops (for crafting gear upgrades)

Earn Blessings via Smoldering Ashes, unlocked on the free Season Journey track — no pay-to-win required.

Extra Tips for Max Efficiency

Use Mount upgrades for fast travel between zones

Always pop Elixirs before farming dungeons or events

Turn in 10 Grim Favors to the Tree of Whispers often for bonus XP

Clear Strongholds as early as possible for Renown and XP

Save high XP glyph dungeons (like Mariner's Refuge) for Tier 30+ grinding

Final Thoughts: Reaching 100 Fast

Reaching Level 100 in Season 9 can be done in as little as 30–40 hours of efficient play using the strategies above. Whether you’re going solo or with friends, focus on:

High-kill-density dungeons

XP Glyph optimization

Event stacking

Using your Season Blessings

Combine all of these and you’ll be seeing Paragon 100 long before the rest of Sanctuary catches up.

Good luck, wanderer — and cheap Diablo IV gold may your XP bar never stop glowing.