Revisiting Diablo 4 Season 5: My Infernal Compass Farming and Upgrade Guide

When I first stepped into Diablo 4 Season 5, the Infernal Compass felt like the key to a very specific kind of chaos. I had already spent plenty of time in Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, and the Pit, but the Compass changed the rhythm: instead of hunting a dungeon or chasing a world event, I was choosing a portal into the Infernal Hordes. Each Compass told me what kind of fight waited on the other side, including the wave cap, and the higher the tier, the more intense the pressure. In 2026, I treat this as a focused Season 5 retrospective rather than a live-season snapshot, because Diablo 4 has moved on through later updates; still, the Compass loop is a useful example of how Blizzard layered seasonal items, crafting, and escalation into one system.

How I unlocked the Compass loop

The first thing I had to do was progress the Season 5 storyline. I could not simply stumble into the Infernal Hordes and expect a pile of Compasses. I needed World Tier 3, also known as Nightmare, and then I headed to Zarbinzet to meet Locan. Locan guided me through two quests: The Eyes of the Enemy and To the Edge of the Abyss. The first led into the second, and the second gave me my first real use of an Infernal Compass. That first Infernal Horde battle was a tutorial in pressure: waves of enemies, escalating danger, and a clear sense that the Compass was more than a ticket. After To the Edge of the Abyss, the main Season 5 quest line was done, and the farming phase began.

Where I farmed Infernal Compasses

Once the quests were finished, I treated Helltides as my main hunting ground. I fought through the event, collected Aberrant Cinders, and made a point of killing Doomsayers. Doomsayers dropped Infernal Compasses for me, and the Cinders gave me something to spend on Chests of Mystery and Chests of Steel. Those chests had a chance to contain a Compass as well, so every Helltide felt like a double dip: direct drops from Doomsayers and extra rolls from chests. When Cinder collection felt slow, I switched to Whisper Caches from the Tree of Whispers. They were not a guaranteed Compass source, but they were a steady side activity that kept my stock moving.

I also ran Nightmare Dungeons and The Pit. Both had a chance to drop Infernal Compasses while I fought through them, and they gave me a useful change of pace when Helltides were crowded or my route felt stale. The Occultist became part of my routine too: I salvaged excess Nightmare Sigils into Sigil Powder and used that powder to craft more Infernal Compasses. That crafting step mattered because it turned clutter into access. Instead of letting duplicate or low-value Sigils sit in my stash, I converted them into more attempts at the Horde.

How I upgraded Infernal Compasses

The Compasses I found most often were Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. They were fine for starting out, but I wanted the best tiers possible, so I looked for Abyssal Scrolls. These were another Season 5 material, and I found them through the same broad activities: Nightmare Dungeons, The Pit, Whisper Caches, and Helltides. I also picked them up while battling the Infernal Hordes and defeating members of the Fell Council. Once I used an Abyssal Scroll on an Infernal Compass, the upgrade was permanent. I could not reverse it, but I never wanted to. A higher-tier Compass meant a stronger Infernal Horde, and a stronger Horde meant better pressure, better rewards, and a more satisfying use of the portal.

What I would tell another player in 2026

If I were explaining this loop to another player in 2026, I would start with the order of operations: finish The Eyes of the Enemy and To the Edge of the Abyss, unlock World Tier 3, then build a stock of Compasses before worrying about perfect tiers. I would also say that Helltides are the most natural entry point because they combine direct Doomsayer drops, Cinder chests, and general combat. Nightmare Dungeons and The Pit are the backup plan, and the Occultist is the conversion valve that keeps excess Sigils from going to waste. Abyssal Scrolls are the escalation button, not a reason to hoard low-tier Compasses forever.

Because the game has continued to change since Season 5, I would not treat this guide as a live 2026 seasonal checklist. I would use it as a clear retrospective: a snapshot of how Infernal Compasses worked, how I farmed them, and how I upgraded them. The core lesson still feels relevant to me: in Diablo 4, the best seasonal systems reward preparation. I did not just need to fight the Infernal Hordes; I needed to earn the keys, manage my materials, and choose when to push the tier higher. That is the part of Season 5 that stayed with me. 😈