1. Not The Cow Level
2. Diablo 2 Secret Cow Level
3. Horadric Cube Recipes
4. There Is No Secret Cow Level Diablo 2

• Starcraft has a cheat 'There Is No Cow Level'. There is a World of Warcraft item called 'Cow King's Hide'. The 'Hell Bovine' and 'Secret Cow Level' were based off a concept that cows were tired of being miss treated and prodded. Wirt was the first victim of the bovine rebellion, and thus, his leg is a requirement to into the secret area.
• The Secret Cow Level is well-known amongst dungeon-crawler fans. Minecraft Dungeons pays homage to it with its own secret level. Released this month, Minecraft Dungeons is a dungeon crawler.

There is no Cow Level. Cow Level is a lie.

In Diablo 3, there is no secret cow level, but there is a secret level called Whimsyshire. This zone is filled with unicorns, rainbows, flowers, and teddy bears. It also drops some pretty good gear for the difficulty level.

With that out of the way, where did the idea of the Cow Level originate? Back in the original Diablo, there was an area of Tristram with a herd of cattle standing around. Players started rumors of a secret Cow Level and of different ways to reach it. The most common method was to find the right cow and pet it over and over until it opened a portal. This was mostly to troll other players. Reportedly, this was funny to employees at Blizzard, and they began joking about it as well.

The first reference to this came in the Diablo: Hellfire expansion. While not actually a secret Cow Level, it involved a person wearing a cow suit. The Jersey’s Jersey quest can be found only after unlocking the command.txt file. A silly quest, a reference to a cow, but no actual Cow Level.

The first Secret Cow Level appeared in Diablo 2

On April 1, 1999, a Diablo 2 Screenshot of the Week showed cows fighting. Was this proof of a real cow level? Or just an April Fool’s Day joke? With Blizzard, it’s hard to tell. But then, the game released on June 30, 2000, and a post detailing how to reach the secret Cow Level was online as early as July 4. Players did not waste time learning how to find it.

To reach the secret level, players needed to finish the game on any difficulty. Next, they had to go back to the Rogue Encampment in Tristram. Using a Horadric Cube, they then had to put in Wirt’s Leg and Tome of Town Portal. Then click Transmute. That’s when the Secret Cow Level portal first opened up.

Once inside, players are attacked by herds of Hell Bovines, bipedal cattle with polearms. They are slow and do not have a lot of resistances — however, there are a lot of them. Builds with good AOE are needed to take them down, and it’s important not to wander the area too quickly or pull too many. Once inside this area, players will also receive a quest that requires killing the boss of the area, the Cow King.

This area was great for loot, and for a while, great for experience. But most importantly, it gave players what they had been hoping for since Diablo.

Diablo 3 gave us Whimsyshire — and eventually its own Cow Level

Diablo 3 was important to the series for a number of reasons. Yes, many of those revolve around the classes and the story — but one revolves around the Secret Cow Level.

The Cow King made his return. Players were required to put together a number of items to eventually create the Staff of Herding. Then take this towards Caine’s house along Old Tristram Road. Find a Skeletal Corpse of a cow. Up pops the Ghost of the Cow King. He sends the player to the nearby rift, and into Whimsyshire rather than into a Cow Level. Explaining that there is no Cow Level. That’s… good, not great.

Then, for D3‘s third anniversary, there was an event. For one week in May of 2015, there was a chance for Herald to the Queen to spawn. It was an Infernal Bovine that took the place of a goblin in almost any zone. Killing it would open a portal to a secret area, called Not the Cow Level. Just like the Secret Cow Level, it was filled with bipedal Infernal Bovine, equipped with spears. The portal could be open once per game, and the portal remained open, even once completely cleared.

Originally, this was only available for one week during the anniversary event. In patch 2.3.0, a transmute option was added to Kanai’s Cube, using a Bovine Bardiche in it to reveal a hidden transmute option. There’s a reason for the name of the cube. Artist and environmental designer at Blizzard, Kevin Kanai Griffith, passed away in 2014, after battling cancer. The boss at the end of this event, Chief Elder Kanai, was modeled after his Barbarian character. The continued existence of this level was a great way to memorialize him.

Later, in patch 2.6.5, there became a small chance that a Treasure Goblin portal will lead to Not the Cow Level instead of The Vault.

Wirt and his connection to the Cow Level

Wirt the Peg-Legged Boy is strongly connected to the Cow Level. He is also a running joke because of his leg — pun intended.

When Wirt was a child in Tristram, Fallen Ones raided the town and kidnapped a number of children, including Wirt. In the depths of Tristram Cathedral, the children were tortured by demons. When Wirt was rescued and returned, his left leg was gone. Wirt was determined to make some gold so he could one day leave Tristram. To do this, he sold stolen merchandise to adventurers — that is, player characters.

In Diablo, Wirt is a merchant, to whom players need to pay 50 gold to see what he has to sell them. He is boy with a peg leg. In Diablo II, his leg, presumably the peg leg, is needed to open the portal. Once inside the portal, his dead body is on the ground. There are a lot of bodies around, but his was important enough to be labeled by name. All other bodies can be clicked, and all their gold comes out at once. Not Wirt. Individual piles rain down all around his corpse. All this gold is probably meant to show just how much he made in the original Diablo, by asking for gold just to see what he had to sell.

In Diablo III, Wirt’s Original Leg, presumably his left leg taken by the demons, drops from the corpse of Bishibosh. To summon the Ghost of the Cow King, to craft the Staff of Herding, one of the items required is Wirt’s Bell. Once again, he is heavily tied to the Cow King.

Not canon with Diablo, but Blizzard-related, Wirt and his legs keep making appearances:

• In Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, near the Butcher, there is an item called Wirt’s Other Leg.
• In World of Warcraft, some pirate chests can drop Wirt’s Third Leg.
• The game Hellgate: London, developed by a team led by former Blizzard employees, has an item called Wart’s Peg Leg.

Other appearances of the Secret Cow Level

The Cow Level in StarCraft and Warcraft

Before there was actually a Cow Level, in StarCraft, there was a cheat code, “there is no cow level”, which at the time was true. This code was an instant win in the game. In StarCraft II, it is possible to join the Cow Level chat room. Click on the Blizzard triangle in the circle under the StarCraft IIWings of Liberty title in the multiplayer menu really fast, about twenty times. A pop up for the chatroom will appear. This is like any other chatroom, except “…moo!” will appear after chat.

There is a leather chest armor item in the World of Warcraft called Cow King’s Hide, implying he was skinned after being killed. Battle for Azeroth added an achievement Lactose Intolerant that can be earned while fighting Za’qul in the Eternal Palace that will allow players to briefly transport to a Secret Cow Level.

The Cow Level in Hearthstone

In January of 2017, Hearthstone celebrated Diablo’s 20th anniversary with a Secret Level card back. During the event in the Tavern Brawl, players could activate secrets to be sucked through a portal into a battle against the Cow King and his army of Hell Bovines.

The Cow Level in Dungeons and Dragons

Wizards of the Coast released a Dungeons and Dragons: Diablo II Edition back in 2000. One supplement, To Hell and Back, contained the Secret Cow Level with stats for the enemy cows.

The appearance of the secret Cow Level did not stop with official Blizzard products, though.

The Cow Level in The Six Sacred Stones

In Matthew Reilly’s best selling novel, The Six Sacred Stones, a pair of twins frequently sport shirts that say “I have seen the Cow level!” and subsequently “There is no cow level!”

The Cow Level in Goat Simulator

A Not So Secret Cow Farm can be found in Goat Simulator, as accessed from a town called Twistram. Bipedal cows attack the goat by shooting lasers from their udders.

The Cow Level in Marvel Heroes

In Marvel Heroes 2015, there is a Classified Bovine Sector, accessible via a special portal. A cow boss there is named High Commander Brevik. There is also a winter cow level, named Bovenheim that is much bigger and has a new boss, All-Father Brevik.

The Cow Level in Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Dungeons has a secret cow level. After completing story mode, collect nine runes to unlock the secret area, and the Mooshroom enemies.

The Secret Cow Level is the worst kept secret

The whole thing started from players trolling other players. Blizzard joked about it internally. Then released a screenshot of it on April Fool’s Day. Within days of D2 launching, it was leaked how to get in. From there, it has become a staple of the game.

Fans are mixed on how important this is to the Diablo franchise. A gag in a game with dark, serious ambiance. This is more than a one-time joke, but is it enough that it must be included in everything Diablo? Which begs the question, will this show up again in D4? And how will it be received by fans?

Not The Cow Level

There is a good chance that you will never know about the Secret Cow level in Minecraft Dungeons. After all, it is an exclusive and well-hidden level in the game. Not everyone will be able to play this, only because almost no one knows about it.

But don’t feel left out. We are here to help. With this guide, you will not only know how to reach the Secret Cow location but also how to unlock the Level. This level is set on the Mooshroom Island inhabited by futile mooshroom enemies.

The Secret Cow location is the church at the camp on this island. And you can obviously enjoy the exclusive rewards you win at this level. After all, it is a secretive and exclusive mission.

Diablo 2 Secret Cow Level

How to Unlock Secret Cow Level?

Reaching the Secret Cow Location will take some time but it won’t be an extremely difficult task. With proper guidance and tips, you will unlock this secret level very soon. Here is the step by step guide on how to unlock the Secret Cow level –

• Defeat the Arch-Illager in the first default campaign.
• Go to the back area of your house.
• You shall see a narrow path behind the trees on the left-hand side. Take that.
• Reach the Church.
• You will find a lever at the gateway, pull it to lower the drawbridge.
• At the back of the church, you will find a wall. You have to find and activate 10 Runes in order to continue ahead on the Secret Cow Level.

Rune Locations in Minecraft Dungeons

Church Rune
You have already found the first Rune when you entered the Church. 9 more to go. You can find out more about these 9 remaining ruins in the Church itself. You will find a dog portrait on one of the walls. Clicking on that portrait and it will give you hints about the levels when the 9 Runes are unlocked.

Creeper Woods
Rescue villagers. Then go to the south-west of the map to find a huge stone building. You will find a cobblestone mound right in front of it. There is a button on the mound which you have to press. This unlocks the Creep Woods Rune.

Also read: List of Items in Minecraft Dungeons

Soggy Swamp
Defeat Cauldron. Then go towards the exit. Here you will find a stone column with mushrooms growing at its base. There is a button hidden there. Press it to unlock the Soggy Swamp Rune.

Cacti Canyon
You will find a button next to the blue key to the left of the gate. This button opens up the location for the Cacti Canyon Runes.

Horadric Cube Recipes

Pumpkin Pastures
Atop the Long Wall, you will find a stack of wooden crates along the pathway. The button to Pumpkin Pastures ruins is hidden right behind these crates. This will unlock the door at the end of the walkway where the Runes begin.

Also Read: How to change Difficulty in Minecraft Dungeons?

Redstone Mines
You are saving the villagers for the second time at the Red mines. Look at the top area of the cave, you will find a button to the Redstone Mines Runes. It is hidden under the deposits of red stones of the corner of the wall.

Desert Temple
In the Harmless Kingdom, you will be rescuing a golden key. You will see a palm tree in the temple adjacent to the wall. There will be a button hidden behind the long palm leaves. This will open the Desert Temple Runes.

Fiery Forge
In the machines of War mission, you will find the remains of a Golem carved in Redstone. Go to your left from this point. You will find a button at the back of the wall. This will reveal the doorway to the Fiery Forge Runes.

There Is No Secret Cow Level Diablo 2

Highblock Halls
When you are facing the second-wave of enemies sent by the Arch-Illager, you will be forced into a marketplace. It will be raining there. Go to your right where you will find a wall. The switch embedded on the wall. Click it to open the Highblock Halls Runes.

Obsidian Pinnacle
In the Mission Eye Of The Storm, you will find yourself in the interior of the building. Find the library and find the shelf at the backside of this room. Remove the books to reveal the button to the Obsidian Pinnacle Runes.

Back to the Secret Cow Level

• Once you have unlocked and collected all the Runes, go back to the Fort Camp Church.
• You will now unlock the “???” level on your map.
• Open the doorway behind the walls of the Runes.
• This will take you to the Mooshroom Island, teeming with hostile mooshroom monsters.
• Defeat all mooshrooms in your path.
• You will eventually face the boss – Mooshroom Monstrosity, who is rather easy to defeat.
• He will blow his wind Horn occasionally to slow you down. Dodge it well and you will be able to save your health.
• Finally, defeat the Mooshroom Monstrosity.

And just like that you have unlocked and conquered the Secret Cow Level in Minecraft Dungeons. Although Minecraft Dungeons is a small game, there are hundreds of such secret missions that you will probably never come across. But we are here to guide you through every such level and mission. Read our guide on playing the Local Multiplayer in Minecraft Dungeons.