Blizzard Pays Off Diablo 4’s Longest Running Joke

Due to the way gaming culture has evolved online, there are plenty of gags, jokes, easter eggs, and rumors that have been elevated to actual placement in games. One of the most enduring is the Cow Level, a goofy hoax that was rumored to be a secret level in the first Diablo. On its surface, the concept of a Cow Level is inherently very silly for an otherwise dramatic and supernatural title like Diablo.

However, Blizzard ended up loving the gag so much that they embraced it, turning the Cow Level into a frequent secret across Diablo games and including allusions to it in other franchises. That’s why fans were so convinced that Diablo IV must have a Cow Level, despite insistence from developers that they had finally stopped doing the gag — especially because several specific items hinted at the possibility of a Cow Level. It turns out those persistent fans were right, as recent discoveries in the Lord of Hatred expansion have paid off with the gags by discovering the newest iteration of the Cow Level.

The Cow Level Has Been A Part Of Diablo Fandom Since 1997

The Cow Level has been part of Diablo fan culture for decades, even if the original concept was an online hoax that evolved into a meme. When the first Diablo came out in 1997, a fan rumor spread online that by clicking on a specific cow in the hub area enough times, players could unlock a portal to the Cow Level. The team behind the Diablo: Hellfire expansion pack thought the idea was funny enough that they included a reference to it in the code for the game, which could unlock an NPC in a cow suit. The team at Blizzard was amused enough by the concept to include a reference to it in StarCraft (where typing in the phrase “There Is No Cow Level” can automatically complete a campaign mission). It even got a spiritual successor in World of Warcraft.

Then, they actually included it in 2000’s Diablo II. Completing the game and collecting specific items gives players access to the Moo Moo Farm level, where they face off with Hell Bovines and the Cow King. Diablo III took the gag even further, with additional settings like the Pony Level, the inclusion of the Cow King’s ghost, and a new enemy boss dubbed the Cow Queen. This all meant that fans were wary when Blizzard GM Rod Gergusson claimed there was no cow level in Diablo IV, especially as they discovered mentions of supposed Cow Gods. Still, there was no clear path forward for the concept, at least until now.

How Diablo 4 Finally Got A Cow Level — And Set Up Something Even Bigger

Despite efforts by players to discover the newest iteration of the Cow Level and the clues some have found, it turns out that the most important aspects of the mission were only available in the Lord of Hatred expansion. The most recent expansion now includes secret “Cow Quests.” Completing them eventually leads players to a cow head-shaped island, where they can find more bizarre clues towards the setting — including cows standing around a sigil on the ground. Still, there was no clear way to access the level, leaving fans frustrated (and laughing) as they tried various oddball ways to crack the riddle.

The various clues and items seemingly connected to cows across Diablo IV only leaned harder into that idea, until Streamer LoatheBurger figured out the actual quest needed to unlock the gate. This brings players to the new version of the Cow Level and pits them against a restored Cow King. Defeating him earns the player the Cow King Crown. However, defeating him also unlocks the rare quest item, the Prime Rib, which references that it could be so tasty that it’s a worthy offering even “to a god.”

This has led fans to speculate that the quest line might not be done yet and that the next stage in the progression of the Cow Level would be facing off with the Cow God. It’s a truly wild level of commitment from fans and Blizzard alike to keep the Cow Level going, turning the hoax and easter egg into one of the best-kept secrets in the game. The follow-up could still be hidden in Lord of Hatred, or it could continue to expand in other expansions or potential follow-up games. Regardless, it’s exciting to see the Cow Level live on.