Diablo 4: What is Crowd Control

An important feature of combat in Diablo 4 is Crowd Control, a category of effects that all affect movement in some way. If an ability can impede, control, or limit an enemy’s movement, there’s a good chance it’s thanks to one of the many Diablo 4 CC effects proccing.

Many weapon modifiers buff damage to CC’ed enemies, and limit incoming damage while under the effects of Crowd Control oneself. In World Tiers 3 and 4, CC is rampant, so it’s important to know what you’re up against and how to reduce – or entirely avoid – the effects of CC.

Updated April 3, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: The base Diablo 4 crowd control status effects have barely changed since the launch of the game, though this guide previously lacked an important D4 CC effect: Taunt. Especially in multiplayer situations, Taunt is a D4 crowd control effect that only Barbarian players can inflict on enemies. The Taunt effect forces enemies to focus exclusively on attacking the person who cast the Taunt, and during that time it counts as being under the effects of crowd control. This guide has been updated to include this important, but Barbarian-restricted, ability, as well as to include more details on the other types od Diablo 4 crowd control.

All 12 Types of Crowd Control in Diablo 4

In total, there are 12 types of CC in Diablo 4, including obvious Crowd Control effects like Chill and Immobilize, but also some not-so-obvious ones like Pull In and Tether. All CC effects in Diablo 4 will proc modifiers that are based on CC during their duration and no longer.

As a few examples, while an enemy is running away while Feared, while Frozen in place, or while briefly Knocked Down, CC buffs will apply.

Chilled Effect

When the Chill effect is inflicted, the target’s movement speed will be lowered. Chill stacks can build up and eventually Freeze a target, which completely prevents movement and can cause many abilities to deal increased damage.

The Chill effect is primarily used by the Sorcerer and Rogue classes.

Dazed Effect

When a target becomes Dazed, they are unable to attack or use abilities until the effect disperses. If players are Dazed, their screen becomes obscured.

The Daze effect is primarily inflicted by the Rogue class. As useful as this skill is, it is restricted to just this one class.

Feared Effect

When a target is Feared, they will stop everything and will run in the opposite direction of the ability’s caster. This is impeded by walls and the Immobilized effect, which roots enemies in place.

Fear is primarily used by the Necromancer class (on certain Aspects), but also is featured on the Butcher’s Cleaver unique item.

Frozen Effect

When a target becomes Frozen, they are unable to take any actions while stuck in place. This is commonly inflicted by players and enemies alike, and can be frustrating to deal with. However, abilities that break players out of Frozen (such as those that grant Immune or Unstoppable) remain usable even while Frozen.

Frozen is primarily inflicted by the Sorceress and Rogue classes, and by enemies as well.

Immobilized Effect

When Immobilized, a target can’t move, but can still use abilities and attack. This keeps all affected enemies at arm’s length for ranged attacks, though it does nothing to impede their own ranged damage.

The Immobilize effect is primarily used by the Druid class, but it also is featured on Aspects, Uniques, and select skills in every other Diablo 4 class.

Knockback Effect

When a target is Knocked Back in Diablo 4, they will be sent a short distance away from the caster. This can be inhibited by walls, though the effect still prevents movement for a moment even if the target isn’t pushed at all. As long as the target is Knocked Back, they will be briefly paused.

Knockback is primarily inflicted by the Rogue, Druid, and Barbarian classes.

Knockdown Effect

While Knockback will push enemies away, Knockdown instead paralyzes targets for a moment in place, giving about a second of CC. Knockdown also interrupts the target, which can be invaluable in preventing non-boss enemies’ strongest attacks and spells.

Knockdown is used primarily by the Druid and Rogue classes. Strong enemies will sometimes be able to Knock Down the player, too, but these are usually well-telegraphed and easily avoided.

Pull In Effect

Some abilities can Pull In enemies to a location, whether towards the caster, or towards a fixed point. Some enemies – usually those wielding giant hooks, like The Butcher – can pull players into melee range with their long-ranged abilities.

The Pull In CC is primarily used by the Barbarian class, though some other classes like Necromancers and Rogues have access to the Pulled effect through items and modifiers, too.

Slowed Effect

The Slowed effect can be inflicted by various abilities at different strengths. One ability may Slow enemies only a little bit, while others Slow enemies by upwards of 70%. This ability is particularly useful in PvP and when pulling a lot of enemies at the same time, though it’s not quite as effective as some other Diablo 4 Crowd Control effects.

Slow is available to every class in Diablo 4, either through the Skill Tree or a variety of Aspects and Uniques, but is primarily used by the Sorceress and Rogue classes.

Stunned Effect

When a target is Stunned, their attacks are interrupted, they are rooted, and they can’t attack or use abilities save for those that break the Stun. This effect can last for different times when procced by different abilities, but typically lasts for no more than a few seconds.

Stun is available to every class in Diablo 4, either through the Skill Tree or Aspects and Uniques, though enemies can also inflict Stun on players.

Taunt Effect

When an enemy is Taunted in Diablo 4, they are drawn to the source of the Taunt’s caster and forced to attack them. There are no enemies that can Taunt the player to attack a specific target. In fact, players are the only ones who can inflict the Taunt status effect, and only on non-boss enemies.

Barbarians gain the ability to Taunt enemies with the Challenging Shout ability, which forces nearby enemies to attack the Barbarian, who gains 40% damage reduction, for six seconds.

Tether Effect

A target is Tethered when an ability limits their movement to a small area around a point without rooting them in place. The Tomb Lord dungeon boss, and several other enemies in Diablo 4, will use abilities that proc Tethered. These appear with a circle on the ground and will launch out a kind of chain towards the player when they step inside its bounds.

The Tethered effect is primarily used by enemies in Diablo 4. To break being Tethered, you must become either Immune or Unstoppable with the use of abilities or consumables, or you will have to wait until the duration ends.

Diablo 4 Changes How Crowd Control Works vs. Bosses

Though some debuffs affect bosses the same way they affect normal monsters, Diablo 4‘s Crowd Control effects instead build up a Stagger bar. Below bosses’ health meters is a bar that will slowly grow outward as players inflict more CC damage to them. When the Stagger meter reaches its limit, the boss will be stunned for about 10 seconds.

It’s considered to be under the effects of every Crowd Control effect at once while Staggered. Though it might not seem like CC does much against bosses, this window can prove invaluable in the race to down a World Boss in time, and gives builds centered on buffed damage on CC’ed enemies a time to let loose.

How To Counter CC Effects In Diablo 4

There are two things players can do to lessen the effects of Crowd Control in Diablo 4: use abilities that grant Unstoppable or Immune, and prepare beforehand with resistances and modifiers for self-defense.

The Unstoppable effect will immediately break all forms of CC on its caster (or target), while Immune makes players completely immune to all effects. Of the two, Immune is the better, but it’s much more rare.

Unstoppable can be generated by every class in some fashion, though some builds – like Pulverize Druids – have much easier access to it.

Modifiers on equipment can help to mitigate Diablo 4 CC effects. There are a plethora of effects that reduce damage while affected by Crowd Control, reduce the amount of time spent CC’ed, and more. Pay careful attention to the secondary modifiers that roll on dropped equipment, as these can have a huge effect on a player’s ability to deal with CC in higher Diablo 4 World Tiers.