v1.02.03 is current. v1.02.00 adds the Plaguelands area and systems, v1.02.01 and v1.02.02 fix post-release issues, and v1.02.03 adds chest-drop Rune nodes, shorter selected timers and three bug fixes.
How to enter Plaguelands
The official release notes say Plaguelands is accessed through the Portal UI on Nightmare, Hell and Torment after clearing Stage 1-10 of each difficulty. Entering requires at least 30 Contamination, which is consumed while inside and recharges over time online or offline.
| RELEASED SYSTEM | OFFICIAL FACT | WHAT STILL NEEDS TESTING |
|---|---|---|
| Plague Intensity | Higher intensity strengthens monsters and increases the chance of better rewards. | The best intensity for each account, build or farm goal. |
| Corrosion | The Cube recipe consumes items and grants Contamination instead of gold; items more than 21 levels above the Cube level cannot be used. | Efficient inputs and the best Contamination route. |
| Contaminated Soulstones | Available at Plague Intensity 6 or higher and used for Contaminated Act Bosses. | Reliable drop frequency and best boss strategy. |
| Chests | Plaguelands chests are separate; dedicated Rune nodes can increase capacity and auto-open. | Current drop samples and route rankings. |
Hotfix status for Plaguelands
v1.02.01 fixed intermittent Plaguelands progress resets and sent the official Plague Fruit compensation by mail. v1.02.02 then fixed unpurchased-DLC equipment appearing from Plaguelands chests, the Slayer Axe Spin cooldown issue and unpurchased DLC characters entering formations.
| V1.02.03 FACT | PLAYER IMPACT | WHAT REMAINS OPEN |
|---|---|---|
| Two Rune nodes increase Normal Chest and Stage Boss Chest drop chances in the Plaguelands. | Recheck the Rune Tree before comparing chest routes. | The official note does not publish node values or universal rankings. |
| Normal Chest minimum cooldown on Nightmare is 4 minutes, down from 5. | Keep chest type and difficulty in every timing note. | This is not a complete drop-rate or schedule table. |
| Stage Boss Chest minimum cooldown is 6 minutes on Nightmare and 7 minutes on Hell/Torment, down from 8. | Use the stated minimums only for the named difficulties. | The chest timer reset after changing difficulty is still awaiting a later fix. |
| Chest opening, elemental-resistance penalty reset and some loading-screen freezes are fixed. | Update before re-testing affected sessions. | The announcement does not detail every environment or guarantee broader performance changes. |
Unresolved-status boundary: v1.02.01 also reported that chests may fail to respawn after a fast clear followed by a stage change within five minutes. These official hotfix posts do not confirm that separate issue as resolved.
How the known-issues notice maps to the hotfixes
The Sep 8 notice reported over-maximum stat display, Plague Zone translation problems, a Nightmare lock, incorrect Sanctuary healing and a Plaguelands progress-reset condition. v1.02.01 later lists fixes for the display issue, Nightmare lock, Sanctuary healing, Contamination text and progress reset. The broader translation status is not fully established, and the separate fast-clear chest-respawn issue remains unresolved in the latest official posts.
How the Aug 19 dev note maps to the release
| HISTORICAL PREVIEW | RELEASED STATUS | STILL NEEDS TESTING |
|---|---|---|
| Plaguelands stage type | Released as the v1.02.00 area, with Portal access and difficulty requirements. | Best intensity and route for each account. |
| Level 90 items and new Unique Stats | Released, with official item effects and source rules listed in the patch notes. | Market value and build rankings. |
| New Runes and Skin System | Released with new Rune nodes and Dusk Wanderer compensation skins. | Best Rune paths and long-term skin availability. |
The earlier dev note used the name Plaguelands and previewed the systems before release. The final notes use Contamination for the entry resource, add exact access rules, and list the live Rune, item, chest and skin details.
What to check before changing a build
- Attach the v1.02.03 label. Do not mix pre-update results with current Plaguelands results.
- Record the intensity and Contamination state. These conditions change the encounter and reward context.
- Keep chest type and difficulty visible. The v1.02.03 minimums apply only to the named chest categories and difficulties.
- Compare the same activity repeatedly. New Runes, Unique Stats and hotfixes need measured tests before a ranking is useful.
- Keep chest and market evidence separate. The official notes changed chest composition and later hotfixes reported specific chest-related issues.
Official source and related routes
Plaguelands update FAQ
What is the current Task Bar Hero version?
The current released patch is v1.02.03. It adds Plaguelands chest-drop Rune nodes, shortens selected minimum chest timers and fixes chest opening, resistance and launch issues.
What are the v1.02.03 Plaguelands chest minimums?
Normal Chests on Nightmare use a 4-minute minimum, down from 5. Stage Boss Chests use a 6-minute minimum on Nightmare and 7 minutes on Hell and Torment, down from 8.
Is the difficulty-change chest timer reset fixed?
No. The v1.02.03 announcement says that issue will be fixed in an upcoming update; it does not provide a date or version.
How do the Sep 8 known issues relate to v1.02.01?
v1.02.01 records fixes for the stat display, Nightmare lock, Sanctuary healing, Contamination text and Plaguelands progress reset issues. It does not establish that every Plague Zone translation is correct, and it separately reports a chest-respawn issue still under investigation.
How do I enter Plaguelands?
Use the Portal UI on Nightmare, Hell or Torment after clearing Stage 1-10 of that difficulty, and have at least 30 Contamination to enter from a normal area.
Are Plaguelands drop rates fully known?
The official notes describe relative chest behavior and reward changes, but they do not provide a complete universal drop table. Keep observed samples separate from official facts, including the separately reported chest respawn issue.