A new feature in Diablo 4 Season 11 could be a controversy waiting to happen

Diablo 4Season 11 is just around the corner, with many changes to the core game as well as a new season loop. Season 11 is called Season of Divine Intervention, and its main gimmick will be tied to Divine Gifts and Sanctification, a new way to enhance equipment beyond its maximum potential, thanks to additional mounts that can make a piece of gear incredibly stronger – or do almost nothing, making the item impossible to modify further. Diablo 4s new update is coming Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 8:30 p.m. PDThowever, not all Season 11 content launches on the same day, including one potentially controversial feature.

There has been some controversy within Diablo 4 since it first came out, such as some disappointing events, how the content could be unprofitable in the endgame, the speed of leveling characters, and how to access mounts. Yet another major problem came with the launch of leaderboards too Diablo 4's Gauntlet, as the first few pages were in some cases filled with impossible scores. Leaderboards also highlighted an exploit linked to Shrine fans, which worked as follows:

Players gathered Diablo 4s Shrine fans from the open world, such as Channeling or Protection, before starting a Gauntlet run.
Players then entered the Gauntlet, and the buffs would not be automatically removed.
The result was:
- An outcry to remove leaderboards or reset them every week.
- Unfair and impossible runs were discovered, with some scores exceeding the legal maximum score by miles.
- Diablo 4 builds were created to work based on specific Shrine buffs to further maximize runs.
- Blizzard had to remove those who abused the system from the leaderboards.

Now, Diablo 4's Tower in Season 11 brings back the leaderboards. While some players are excited about the feature's return, others are worried that it will once again become a mess due to exploits, bugs, and possibly pay-to-win players spending real money to get perfect gear quickly.

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A Diablo 4 feature is missing since Season 6 can't be gone for long

With the start of Diablo 4 Season 9, the game has been missing a feature for three seasons that could make a huge difference when it's reintroduced.

You may have to avoid this Diablo 4 Season 11 feature Like the Plague

Diablo 4The 2026 update plans include additional content for Season 11. This includes:

The tower: An endgame activity that requires players to complete a randomized dungeon that has multiple stages and a time limit, much like The Pit.
Top charts: Top charts in Diablo 4 will only appear as an extension of The Tower, a competitive mode with points attached to each run.

This is the first time a major content drop has been added to Diablo 4 in the middle of a season.

The tower and leaderboards will be added as “beta” features, meaning they will be tested and improved based on player feedback with each passing season. This is good news for those who enjoy challenging content Diablo 4and Blizzard could update both The Tower and leaderboards in a way that makes them more and more satisfying to engage with.

Why Diablo 4's recurring leaderboards can break the game

However, there is a risk that the top charts will become another debacle. This is because there have been several issues associated with leaderboards in the Diablo games over the years, and while Blizzard may strike the previous feats from the Gauntlet in Season 3 off Diablo 4 with a later 2026 release of The Tower and leaderboards, there may be new bugs and potential exploits. Here are some examples from the series' past:

Cheating and exploitation: These usually prove to be a solid argument for removing leaderboards in games like Diablo 4 and Diablo 3because Blizzard can't keep up with all the impossible points that have to be removed.
Bugs: Another plague for leaderboards is when scores don't appear, are accidentally deleted or inflated, or runs aren't recorded at all. This has happened in both Diablo 3 and 4.
Unfair advantage: A common complaint about series leaderboards is that some players can have an unfair advantage over everyone else. It is usually about content creators who can have access to new features early and thus have a head start when the competitive situation drops, or more often about players who pay to win.

For these reasons, even if The Tower itself turns out to be a success, which is what early impressions from the PTR agree, leaderboards could be another nail in the coffin. Competitive aspects of Diablo 4Endgame content can be great and even necessary additions, but leaderboards have a less than rosy history within the series.