PS5 & PS4 Console – 0.2–0.3s Freeze When Deckard Cain Identifies Items (Offline, Post-3.0)

Console Bug Report
1

Platform:

  • PS5 (Native Version)

  • PS4 Version running on PS5 (Backward Compatibility)

Mode:

Offline (Single Player)

Game Version:

3.0 (Reign of the Warlock update)

Issue Summary:

Since the 3.0 update, the game consistently freezes for approximately 0.2–0.3 seconds when Deckard Cain identifies multiple items. This did not occur prior to the expansion update.

The freeze also occurs periodically during gameplay (e.g., entering portals, teleporting shortly after area transitions), but is most consistently reproducible during Cain identification.

Reproduction Steps:

  1. Load any offline character (migrated or non-migrated).

  2. Kill enemies and pick up multiple unidentified items.

  3. Open a town portal.

  4. Speak to Deckard Cain and identify all items.

  5. Observe a consistent 0.2–0.3 second freeze during identification.

Additional Notes:

  • Occurs on both migrated (ROTW) and non-migrated characters.

  • Occurs on both PS5 native and PS4 backwards compatibility builds.

  • Performance mode (only an option on PS5 build) slightly improves overall smoothness but does not remove the freeze.

  • Issue did not exist prior to 3.0 update.

  • Makes Hardcore mode unsafe due to periodic stalls during gameplay.

7 Likes
2

Can confirm this on my ps5 as well. I feel like playing HC chars is too risky now, just like you mentioned. Too bad all my offline chars are HC.

5 Likes
3

I too feel a slight delay with items. I think this has to do with Chronicle or Loot Filter working in the background.

3 Likes
4

I can confirm I have this same gameplay experience
I do not have Reign of the Warlock. But eversince 3.0 update the game has had this really bad stuttering or a hitch during gameplay OFFLINE. Not only during decard Cain identifys.

I play exclusively OFFLINE (even removed internet connection)on base ps5 and this new offline “lag” has been killing my experience. This never happened before. Blizzard please fix this…

It happens in the middle of battle, a slight LAG hiccup AND it happens after EVERY character level up. I deleted my 99 HC offline sava data, I mean every character. 1000s of hours invested… I deleted and re installed… I do not have ps plus so I did this as a last resort. I don’t know what to do.

Please fix this offline lag stuttering hitching hiccuping garbage

I have a similar post just like this. Also on reddit, hoping it will get attention

Edit: this is a big problem.

3 Likes
5

On the General forum side. The Devs are looking into these bugs we’re experiencing. Just keep reporting unusual behavior before Season start.

3 Likes
6

Seriously plz fix this, you now have people reporting it is happening on non-rotw chars ever since the update too.

I said Cain identification is any easy trigger for it, but did mention it’s occurring sporadically throughout play in general. The game is unplayable like this. It feels so choppy that I can’t bring myself to enjoy a game I’ve been waiting 25yrs for more content in…

Please don’t ignore this one of all things - this is serious impact to the playability. I’ve made sure that the console software is fully updated and also the game updates for any minor hotfixes and it still persists. I did a safe mode cache clear and database rebuild too. Nothing. 3 days since release and I have only played 30mins because of this and I was playing 3-4hrs daily leading up to it. It’s just too noticeably slow and skippy.

New Update on this (2/15/26):

  • Another “100%” trigger for this hitch, but out in the world, is just after entering the Tristram portal.
  • Also as others have said, this is typically when ID’ing items, making other general “transactions” etc.
  • But, and perhaps more importantly, I have captured gameplay now with a message that I have never seen in my life before… while IDing at Cain I saw something pop above his head briefly. With a snap record of the last 15s and a frame by frame replay, it seems to have said “Waiting For Confirmation Of Transaction.” above his head. I have to wonder if other movements/moments in the game whether in the world or in town have this game state where a “transaction” of some sort must be verified before it proceeds (entering a portal, speaking to a vendor, adding an item to the chronicle, etc etc) and normally we just experience a hitch but really what’s happening is some sort of slowdown in the normal transaction process that is no longer instantaneous like it was in the past.
3 Likes
7

Can’t reproduce. Check your hardware maybe?

8

This is not a hardware issue lol. Something that’s never happened before for 5yrs across PS4 and PS5 on this game- and suddenly occurs the day the next xpac releases and the game patch updates- and happens for people using both nonxpac chars and xpac versions- on both ps4 backwards compatible version and ps5 versions, and offline….

Are you trying to reproduce it offline? If it was just me I would say sure maybe my console is starting to go, but this is getting traction both here and on reddit so it’s not just me- and everyone reporting it as specific to the recent updates…. Ya sry, that’s software!

5 Likes
9

Keep this post alive. Issue still unsolved

4 Likes
10

yes, offline is good, even on weaker switch 2. It might be your and redditors internet connection to bnet servers

11

PS5 user here. Same stuttering while just playing the game (0.5-1sec delay with UI dissapear). Also get stuttering while changing langauge.

Level 92 HC SSF Warlock, i cant risk this guy. This game breaking bug should be hotfixed ASAP!

3 Likes
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You are wrong. In fact so wrong that ppl like you helped them ignore the original reports we gave, and now it’s 10x worse and the entire PlayStation community is reporting this.

Stop spreading lies. This is a real bug.

1 Like
13

Created an account to report the same experience on PS5 since the latest update. Using the cube also produces this bug.

Really hoping this gets addressed swiftly as although the bug is relatively minor, it’s pervasive enough that it significantly impacts the flow of gameplay. It’s to the extent that I won’t be playing until it’s fixed.

2 Likes
14

Just like you helping with ignoring other bugs by spreading lies. Don’t try to dupe items online and there won’t be any lags. Weaker consoles don’t suffer lags if you don’t try to dupe items online, so that’s not software issue.

15

Dude, what is your problem? I can also confirm that the glitching and stuttering is multiple times worse after the latest update on PS5. Played offline for years and it was fine. Minor issues after Warlock upgrade, but now it is terrible. Move on and troll elsewhere.

1 Like
16

Youre not helping man , this MUST be fixed

1 Like
17

Same problem here. Hopefully gets fixed soon!

2 Likes
18

They acknowledged it in blue post finally. But said they’re wont fix it just yet bc ladder PC stability takes prio and they don’t want to accidentally introduce new minor problems there by allowing us to be able to play the game at all here.

But also noting- they say the issue came with patch 3.1.1. That is incorrect. The issue started the day RotW dropped.

Please keep posting to help hold them to fixing the Lag & Hitching overall - NOT just the UI flashing which is just an iteration of the hitching issue that presented itself on day 1 that they actively ignored.

3 Likes
19

Blizzard, fix ALL HITCHING/STUTTER/LAG OFFLINE that patch 3.0 introduced. Don’t just fix the ui, fix it all…

2 Likes
20

I’m not trolling. Just saying that offline and weaker consoles are fine. It should be your internet connection to bnet servers