The cost of crafting Masterworking transmutation caches was significantly reduced in Diablo 4’s May 19 update. While some players believe this is a good change, others aren’t sure if it’s enough to reduce the significant gold grind.
Masterworking, which improves an item’s affixes by upgrading individual ranks using three crafting materials: Obducite, Ingolith, and Neathiron, can be refined and exchanged at an alchemist for transmutation mastering caches. Previously, this cost up to six million gold. But now, after the May 19 update, it only costs up to 60,000 gold to craft the most expensive Large Ingolith Cache at the alchemist.
Although this is a welcome improvement, as PC Gamer reported, many players aren’t sure if this is a good change or if it’s still insufficient. Even Joseph Piepiora, Diablo’s associate game director, commented on X (formerly Twitter) on May 20 that the devs will continue to review the gold economy. So, it’s likely that more gold changes will be dropping soon in Diablo 4. But, as players mentioned in the Diablo 4 subreddit, grinding for gold is still tedious, even with the May 19 changes, and getting enough gold to buy multiple transmutation caches will still be time-consuming.
Before this update dropped, we would have agreed. The grind for gold for these caches was abysmal. But now that the large cache only costs 60,000 gold, it’s achievable, even if you want to craft multiple caches. But there are some great gold farming avenues. You can get a significant amount of gold if you complete a couple of dungeons, whisper dungeons, or even defeat the Helltide boss a few times. It is still a grind. But honestly, with how fast these bosses spawn and the sheer number of mobs, it’s fast-paced, and you don’t really notice the time because you’re focused on killing and surviving. At the end of your run, you have gold, items to salvage, and items to sell for even more gold.
So yes, it’s still a grind for gold. But it’s less horrendous now after this May 19 update.
