Big changes are coming to Diablo 3 and these will fundamentally and permanently impact the meta for solo players.
What changes are coming? In the preview for the new patch 2.7.0, the team behind Diablo 3 showed which changes will be introduced with the update. These are especially interesting for solo players. Of course, there will be some buffs and nerfs affecting group players, but the focus is on the changes to the companions. And they are significant.
Blizzard now gives the companions rogue, templar, and enchantress 14 item slots to equip. Additionally, abilities will be revised, removed, and new ones added. Diablo 3 brings the biggest changes in years with Season 23.
That’s why solo players can be happy
This is how it was before: Solo players previously didn’t really have a choice of companions (followers). In fact, the rogue, templar, and enchantress were supposed to assist in battles, but it often wasn’t enough for more than one bearer of the “Unity” ring.
Solo players were mostly on their own. The companions didn’t really play a role.
What will get better now: With the latest changes, the companions will become important. So important that they will likely no longer be ignored by any solo player.
- You can equip them with 14 items
- The legendary bonuses of the items will affect you
- New abilities are useful in combat
You can no longer equip companions only with rings, relics, amulets, and weapons, but now also with shoulders, chest armors, pants, gloves, shoes, belts, and helmets. This creates the new possibility to equip followers with sets to provide you with set bonuses.
This works with the Emanate feature. Legendary bonuses and set bonuses on companions will be counted for you. This works with Cain’s set and the Traveler’s Journey.
- Cain’s set – 3 piece bonus: When a Greater Rift Keystone is dropped, there is a 25% chance that another will drop.
- Traveler’s Journey – 3 piece bonus: Doubles the amount of Death’s Breath dropped.
With these sets, you are effective while farming and do not need to change your gear. This is ideal for solo players. This way, you don’t have to change your gear, remain equally strong, and still gather more keystones and more Death’s Breath.
Conclusion: This is what Diablo 3 needed!
This has been a long-standing wish: In the last seasons, the team from Diablo changed the Kanai’s Cube in the game. But only temporarily, per season. For example, there were 4 slots in Kanai’s Cube or 3 slots that you could fill however you wanted.
Players loved these changes and wished for them to be permanent. Suddenly, you could activate legendary bonuses in Kanai’s Cube that you couldn’t previously combine with your build due to the limitations.
With the overhaul of the companions, Blizzard has now taken a big step toward fan wishes. Although they did not change Kanai’s Cube, they now provide the opportunity to activate additional legendary bonuses.
Especially solo players can be pleased about this. Because in groups you cannot take the companions anyway. But in solo play, completely new possibilities reveal themselves, where the companions can assist in pushing the leaderboard.
This was overdue: Such an important change for solo players has not been made in Diablo 3 for a long time. None has been as significant as this strong overhaul of followers. Suddenly, playing without friends becomes much more attractive. Players can now try to create strong builds in combination with their companions to traverse the dungeons together and crush enemies. This is likely to create a whole new gameplay experience in Diablo 3. And this comes 9 years after the game’s release.
What do you think of the latest changes in Diablo 3? Is this something you think is good, or are you always in a group anyway and wished for more changes for groups? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other players.
