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Full Diablo 4 patch notes today outlines all the Season 9 changes we can expect, and there are class nerfs in store across the board. Blizzard has given us a rundown of its post-PTR adjustments for the new Sins of the Horadrim update in a Campfire Chat, and it’s a sad day for Barbarian players. The iconic class is on the wrong end of the nerf hammer, and it’s not alone, although Sorcerers and Druids may well be in for a better time. Blizzard has, however, responded to the PTR feedback with some very welcome Nightmare Dungeon improvements.
The Diablo 4 Season 9 release date arrives on Tuesday July 1, and so community manager Marcus Kretz sat down with systems designer Aislyn Hall and class designer Charles Dunn to discuss what’s coming up. Diablo 4 still holds a rightful place among our best RPGs following the launch of Vessel of Hatred, but it’s certainly felt quieter in recent months amid more dramatic overhauls for other ARPGs such as Path of Exile, PoE 2, and Last Epoch.
We’ll start with the good news. The permanent Nightmare Dungeon changes, deemed insufficient in their PTR state, have been amplified. There’s new UI and messaging for the Horadric Strongrooms, pillars are larger and faster to complete, and the boss will now spawn as soon as the attunement is maxed out. Furthermore, the variety of those final fights has been ramped up with a bigger pool of potential bosses, including “one or two surprises.”
The new Escalating Nightmare Dungeons, where you run through a chain of zones that ramp up in difficulty before taking on a new version of Astaroth, have been made harder in response to PTR feedback. They’ll now grow notably more challenging with each consecutive dungeon, the existing negative aspects have been made “a bit meaner” alongside some new additions, and Astaroth and his Amalgam companion will offer tougher resistance.
You’ll also be able to engage with the Escalating Nightmare Dungeons feature at non-Torment difficulties, albeit without the final, climactic fight. Elsewhere, loot drops have been buffed across the game and will now offer increased item quality along with quantity as you climb the Torment difficulties, giving more reasons to raise the level. This will also impact the quality of unique drops for Lair Bosses, the endgame challenge fights that can award some of Diablo 4’s strongest gear.
The bad news is that there are some pretty heavy nerfs across the roster of Diablo 4 classes, with Barbarians the most dramatically impacted. Barb’s strongest PTR loadouts, Dust Devils and Earthquake, have both been given serious damage reductions, as has the popular Ugly Bastard Helm. Heavy Hitter is also nerfed, and the bonus for it that could previously be obtained through tempering has been removed as well.
On top of this, Barbarians will feel the effects of a major rework to Overpower. The additive damage based on your Life and Fortify values has been removed, with Blizzard explaining that its previously tested 80% reduction still left Overpower-based builds “overperforming other options.” The bonus will now only grant up to a 50% (multiplicative) damage increase, similar to Critical Strikes, although you’ll see them less frequently.
Alongside that change, Necromancer’s Bone Duster’s Aspect now only guarantees Overpower on the first Bone Spear that hits an enemy within your Bone Prison, rather than applying it repeatedly. There’s also a nerf for Blood Wave, one of the class’s longest-lasting favorites. Spiritborn’s Harmonious Hunter gets a big damage drop, as does the thorns damage from the PTR version of its new unique item, Balazan’s Maxtlatl. The DLC class does get a fair few buffs, however, and it was already so potent that it’ll probably survive the changes.
Rogues have been shaken around somewhat in both directions. Death Trap and Shadow Clone are weaker than before, and Victimize has been reworked to do less initial damage but amplify the amount you can deal for the next three seconds. Their Coldclip Legendary Aspect gives you a better damage bonus against chilled and frozen foes, but lowers the potency of the Cold Imbue it applies to basic skills.
Perhaps the biggest winner is Sorcerer. Hydra heads now attack immediately upon spawn, and gain higher-damage crits from the Invoked Hydra passive. The Serpentine Aspect has been redesigned, meaning the Hydra Enchantment that spawns them automatically can benefit from its damage bonus without requiring you to manually cast the skill first. Druids also get a wide spread of buffs, particularly for Pulverize, so while they will suffer from the Overpower change they may end up looking quite respectable.
Diablo 4 Season 9 ‘Sins of the Horadrim’ begins Tuesday July 1. You can read through the full patch notes courtesy of Blizzard to check all the changes and balance adjustments.
With so many reworks, you’ll want to keep an eye on our best Diablo 4 builds to make sure you’re setting out on the right foot. If you’re hunting for something more further afield, we’ve rounded up the best games like Diablo on PC right now.
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