After the major content update Patch 2.4, Blizzard shipped two more patches in 2016 to carry the year for Diablo 3. Patch 2.4.2 arrived in August 2016 and focused on tuning existing class sets, Legendary items and the difficulty structure. Patch 2.4.3 followed in January 2017 (with its PTR and announcement already in December 2016) and was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Diablo franchise. Together the two updates formed the foundation for Seasons 7, 8 and 9 and kept the endgame loop of Greater Rifts, Paragon and Augmenting in motion – even though no further expansion was in development.
The Context: Diablo 3 After Reaper of Souls
To place 2.4.2 correctly, you have to understand Diablo 3's gameplay model at the time. With Reaper of Souls (2014) and the removal of the Auction House, the endgame had been rebuilt entirely around the loot loop: items drop directly, sets define builds, and Greater Rifts provide the endless difficulty ladder against which every character measures itself. Patch 2.4 had brought fresh energy in early 2016 with Greyhollow Island, expanded Kanai's Cube powers and new set items. After that it was clear there would be no third expansion. Instead, Blizzard committed to a series of smaller, targeted patches to keep the game relevant beyond the seasonal resets. This is exactly where 2.4.2 and 2.4.3 fall.
Patch 2.4.2: Balance Over New Sets
The core of Patch 2.4.2 was deliberately not new content but balance. Several class sets and supporting Legendary items were reworked or buffed to make neglected playstyles competitive and to narrow the gap between top-tier builds and weak options. Rather than introducing brand-new sets, the goal was to sharpen existing tools.
The most important changes at a glance:
- Adjustments and buffs across multiple class sets and their supporting Legendary items, raising Greater Rift push potential.
- A rework of the Wizard's Twisted Sword: stacking Energy Twisters in one stationary spot was effective but dull gameplay. The change aimed to make the build more active and engaging.
- On the Barbarian, a bug with Blade of the Warlord was fixed where Fury spent with Bash failed to correctly trigger the 2-piece Might of the Earth set bonus.
- Numerous additional bug fixes to set bonuses and Legendary affixes.
Topaz, Difficulties and New Tools
Beyond set tuning, 2.4.2 brought two structural changes that influenced the entire itemization meta.
Topaz in the Helm: Resource Cost Over Magic Find
Socketing a Topaz into your helm now granted Resource Cost Reduction instead of the nearly useless Magic Find bonus. The value matched Cooldown Reduction percentage-wise and was capped at 12.5%. This turned a previously dead gem slot into a genuine optimization decision – especially for resource-hungry builds.
Torment XI Through XIII
With 2.4.2, Blizzard extended the difficulty ladder with Torment XI, XII and XIII. These higher tiers granted better loot and more experience, giving far-progressed characters an appropriate farming level again between Rifts and Bounties – an important step, since the playerbase had long outgrown the old caps through Paragon and Augmenting.
Why the Reworks Mattered
In the Reaper of Souls endgame, your chosen class set almost entirely determines your achievable Greater Rift tier. Even small percentage changes to a set bonus can reshuffle the entire class ranking on the leaderboards. With 2.4.2, Blizzard aimed to increase build diversity so players were not forced into the same build every season.
For the community this meant fresh theorycraft, renewed leaderboard competition and a reason to dust off shelved sets.
At the same time, the patch marked the kickoff of Season 7, which launched with the new itemization and the expanded Torment tiers. Seasonal players therefore experienced the changes directly in the fresh ladder race.
Patch 2.4.3: The 20th Anniversary
In December 2016 the original Diablo turned 20 years old. Patch 2.4.3 celebrated this with the nostalgic event The Darkening of Tristram. Mysterious Cultists appeared in Adventure Mode; their trail led to a portal into Tristram's past. There players explored a faithful recreation of the very first Diablo, complete with 8-bit visuals and the original soundscape – including all 16 floors of the cathedral down to the final fight against the Dark Lord (Diablo).
The event deliberately chose atmosphere over modern convenience:
- A deliberately grainy retro look with limited visibility, jerky movement and rebuilt tilesets as a direct homage to the 1996 original.
- Recognizable monsters, sound effects and the iconic cathedral music.
- Hidden references and Easter eggs for franchise veterans.
The Red Soul Shard and Other Rewards
The centerpiece reward was the Red Soul Shard – a Legendary gem that can only be socketed into a helm and is obtainable solely by completing the event. It drops from the Dark Lord at the end of the dungeon and thematically nods to the soulstone from Diablo 1. Cosmetic rewards rounded out the package:
- An exclusive portrait frame.
- A retro-styled pet.
- A nostalgic transmogrification set.
- Achievements for fully descending through the cathedral.
Impact and Legacy
The two updates kept Diablo 3 alive throughout 2016 and into 2017 even though no major expansion was in development. The set reworks and the Topaz effect from 2.4.2 shaped the meta of the following seasons and permanently changed itemization decisions, while Torment XI–XIII became the new standard for high-end farming.
The Darkening of Tristram became a fixed annual January event that has returned at the start of every year since 2017, making it one of the game's most enduring traditions. The Red Soul Shard thus became a coveted collectible farmable only once per year. Together Patch 2.4.2 and 2.4.3 set the stage for Seasons 7 through 9 and proved that Blizzard intended to keep supporting the game with smaller, targeted updates – a model that would shape the later season themes and patches all the way to version 2.7.
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