If you thought that Diablo 4 was already out based on how many people are talking about it already, you’re wrong. We’re still at least a day away from its official launch on June 6. But, already, Blizzard Entertainment has released a Day One patch and multiple updates for Diablo 4, all in the name of tweaking and optimizing the gameplay experience. Most recently, the developers dropped a massive balance patch for Diablo 4, coinciding with the first handful of players to reach level 100.
As expected, Blizzard went all Griswold armed with the ever-powerful nerf-hammer – dishing out substantial changes to the game’s character classes.
In the spirit of balance (or imbalance, depending on how you look at things), Blizzard decided that four of the five classes could do with a bit of a downgrade.
If it’s any consolation, the Necromancer got some lovin’.
The dead-raising character class received some much-needed amping up in the skills and passive abilities department. For example, the Army of the Dead skill, which dispatches exploding skeletons like a macabre fireworks display, has seen a big increase in damage (from 30% to 45%) and a significant decrease in cooldown (from 90 to 70 seconds). But, that’s not all. Blizzard has also given the undead commander buffed-up underlings, giving the skeletal warriors and golems a ton more damage while draining more life.
It’s safe to say that it isn’t a good day to be an enemy of the Necromancer.
Unfortunately, we can’t exactly say the same for the Barbarian, Druid, Rogue, and/or Sorcerer. All four classes see a marked reduction in their power. In particular, Blizzard hit the Barbarian’s damage-dealing skills and the Sorcerer’s Teleport ability the hardest. Although fans can expect to see a substantial nerf to all cooldown-reducing abilities.
It all hurts, to be honest. But, what can you do? If nothing else, this proves that Blizzard was working overtime during early access weekend, which is slightly marred by a bug plaguing PlayStation 5 owners who couldn’t access Diablo 4.
It’s clear that Blizzard isn’t pulling any punches with Diablo 4. So, strap in, pick your class, and get ready for a wild ride. As we get closer to the game’s launch, Blizzard will only make things more interesting.
