Before the Server Slam of Diablo 4 unofficial patch notes are circulating. They show a bunch of changes, especially nerfs, for all classes.
With the Server Slam, the last open test of Diablo 4 is coming up before the action RPG heads towards its release. Players already had the chance in March to get a first impression of Diablo 4 in the open beta.
Blizzard also gained some insights. These mainly concern balancing, and so the Diablo developers made several changes to the classes before the upcoming Server Slam. Now there are unofficial patch notes.
What are these patch notes? The site “Wowhead” has documented all the changes included in the “Patch 0.9” of the “Diablo 4 Server Slam” client and published them as “unofficial patch notes”.
Changes include adjustments to the skills, talents, and passive abilities of all 5 classes of Diablo 4.
There are no official patch notes from Blizzard regarding the changes.
Diablo 4 changes all classes so you can play different builds
What do the patch notes include? With the patch, Blizzard made a number of nerfs as well as some isolated buffs. But especially the nerfs are significant.
The “Bone Splinters” of the Necromancer have been reduced from 22% damage to 8%. The “Frost Nova” of the Sorceress now has a higher cooldown (24 seconds instead of 15), and the “Challenging Shout” of the Barbarian has also been nerfed. Its damage reduction now lasts only 6 instead of 8 seconds.
On the other hand, there was a buff for the Druid’s companions. Its wolves now deal 110% instead of 35% damage. The damage of the ravens was also increased from 85% to 160%. Likewise, the damage the Barbarian attempts with the attack “Whirlwind” has increased (17% instead of 13%).
Generally, a lot has changed about the classes, and we have only mentioned a few examples here. You can find the complete unofficial patch notes on wowhead.com.
Why is Blizzard changing so much about the classes? The beta in March revealed not only queue problems when trying to access the servers but also some insights about the various builds.
- The Necromancer was considered OP, even too strong for Blizzard
- Many players found the Druid too weak
- The Frost build of the Sorceress played almost by itself, it was that strong
- The Hunter was very popular with the “Twisting Blades” or the Rapid Fire build
Ultimately, there were some players who feared for build diversity in Diablo 4, as specific combinations proved to be particularly effective and other builds simply could not keep up. There wasn’t particularly much variety, and when there was, players consciously chose not to play the most effective damage.
Players mourn their favorite builds
What do the fans say about the patch notes? They are more or less shocked by the number of nerfs contained in the patch. However, there are also isolated players who find it completely understandable that Blizzard is working on the game’s balance before the release of Diablo 4. Others mourn their favorite builds, which might now be noticeably worse.
- its_tharid: “My two preferred starter builds were Freeze-Sorc and Bone-Splinters-Necro. I guess I’ll just lie down and cry (via Reddit).”
- GrizNectar: “Damn, those are some significant nerfs for the Sorc (via Reddit).”
- SyntheticMoJo: “My cooldown Iceblade build. They nerfed every associated skill by 25–50%… The build should now perhaps feel 1/4 as good (via Reddit).”
- Karoneko: “Damn. My Barbarian Upheaval build was a hell of a lot of fun in the beta. This is quite a damage nerf (via Reddit).”
If you want to get an impression of the changes, you have time during the Server Slam – it runs from May 12. However, you will have to start a new character and level up again. How to do that most effectively is explained by MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider:
Diablo 4 Beta: Level up quickly during the Server Slam – This is how you secure the rewards
