Diablo 4: secret cow level discovered and technical issues

After years of speculation and several expansions, players have finally uncovered the secret cow level in Diablo 4. At the same time, however, performance issues are also being reported, especially with the new expansion, Lord of Hatred.

Introduction of Lord of Hatred

The Diablo 4 expansion Lord of Hatred was released on April 28, 2026, and has been well received by players. The expansion has been praised for its story, gameplay improvements, and endgame loop. This has led to a rise in player numbers on Steam, with Diablo 4 surpassing its previous record highs. Despite the success, however, significant technical issues have been reported.

Technical issues and memory leaks

Some players have experienced serious memory leak issues in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred on PC. These problems lead to crashes, freezes, and other performance issues, which appear to have worsened with the expansion’s release. Users have shared their frustrations on Reddit, with many saying the game keeps using more RAM the longer it stays open, resulting in stuttering and lockups. Players have to restart the game regularly to work around the issues, which is frustrating for an AAA title.

The secret of the cow level

After three years of speculation and searching, players have now found the secret cow level in Diablo 4. This has been a recurring joke in the series since the beginning. The original Diablo did not have one, but Diablo 2 introduced the Moo Moo Farm and the Cow King. Diablo 3 added an event called NTCL (Not The Cow Level). Since Diablo 4 launched, players have been looking for a similar secret, with various hints from developers, but the actual level remained undiscovered until now.

Steps to reach the cow level

To gain access to the cow level, players had to follow a complex series of steps. This included collecting specific quest items and combining them with rewards from earlier hidden quests. Eventually, the Trophy of the Faithful was obtained by placing everything into the Horadric Cube, which led players to a hidden island. There they can encounter the Cow King and a variety of enemies, as well as mythic items with unique properties.

Future adjustments and community reactions

The memory leak issues have prompted the community to call for performance improvements in the game. Players are asking for optimizations so they can enjoy the gameplay without interruptions. The discoveries surrounding the cow level have also sparked renewed interest in the game’s secrets, and there is speculation that even more hidden content may still be waiting to be found.

The combination of expansion success and technical problems shows how important it is for developers to keep working on the stability of their games. For now, though, players are excited about the new content and continue to hope for improvements.