Mounts are an essential part of Diablo 4 as they help players get around the enormous explorable world of Sanctuary significantly faster than if they were on foot – well, unless they have Max Movement Speed buffs. The game gives players a default mount, and some can be purchased in the in-game store. But what about players who want to spice up their horse's appearance without buying them directly from the store?
Thankfully, Diablo 4 gives players plenty of ways to earn new mounts in-game, though the selection is still limited compared to the options in the store. There are two methods of getting mounts that anyone can do without spending any real-life money: buying them with Gold from vendors, and farming certain endgame objectives. More mounts will also be available starting with Season 1, but players must purchase and progress a Battle Pass to earn those.
Stables Sell a Small Selection of Steeds & Styles
Most major cities in Diablo 4 have a normal Stable where players can change the appearance of their horse, including its breed, armor, and trophies. There are two other breeds that players can buy to complement their default Old Nell Steed, as well as one Mount Armor. The Grey Steed and Mottled Steed, and the Sturdy Saddle cosmetic, will scale in price to the player's level, even though Gold is account-wide.
But the stock doesn't appear to change between Stables. Once these extra breeds and the Sturdy Saddle have been purchased, all regular Stables will no longer have any other cosmetics for sale. There are also two Unconventional Steed Armor vendors out in the world that sell horse cosmetics as a reward for PvP activities. These are much more elaborate than the Stable Master's simple saddle, but they also require a lot more time investment.
Mounts Can Drop From World Content & Treasures
There are a number of unique mount breeds, armors, and other cosmetics that players can earn by completing world events – as well as by hunting Treasure Goblins. Treasure Goblins won't drop new horse breeds, but these walking pinatas will rarely drop Mount Armor cosmetics. Cosmetics and new breeds can sometimes come from opening chests, especially high-tier chests and Silent Chests, though this is also relatively rare.
Trophies like the Butcher's Cleaver and others can typically be earned by defeating specific bosses and World Bosses. Players who killed Ashava before the end of the pre-launch beta weekends, for example, can now equip a unique trophy to their horse that proves their accomplishment.
Bardings, saddles, and other Mount Armors can drop from most all endgame activities, including Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, and Legion events. A lot of the new armors and breeds that have been discovered since launch seem to have mostly come from Legion Events. However, it's hard to say whether they are the best way to farm new mounts and mount armors in Diablo 4 as the game's mechanics are still being dissected by fans and patched by Blizzard.
For now, free mounts and cosmetics can be earned from World Content in general, and Blizzard has yet to confirm drop rates from each activity. Head to World Bosses and Legion Events as soon as they pop up, and strap in for an hour-long Helltide to maximize your chances of getting a mount or mount armor to drop.
Mounts in the Diablo 4 Seasonal Battle Pass
The final way to earn mounts in-game without spending money in the store instead requires players to spend money on a Battle Pass. The system has been somewhat controversial in the Diablo 4 community for being yet another microtransaction, but all rewards for the free and paid versions should be cosmetic-only. Some of these cosmetics will be mounts and cosmetics, though the exact details of what these will be are still up in the air.
The first new season for Diablo 4 should be launching around the end of July 2023, and is said to bring new mechanics, collectibles, and sweeping changes to the gameplay as other seasonal Diablo updates have in the past. Until fans know what each tier of the Diablo 4 battle pass unlocks, all we know is that mounts and mount cosmetics will be included in some capacity.
Diablo 4 is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S