Blizzard has released a new patch in preparation for the highly anticipated season 1 update of Diablo IV. The hefty 8GB patch 1.1.0a brings a variety of changes, including balance adjustments, bug fixes, and the addition of unique items. One notable permanent upgrade is the availability of Altars of Lilith unlocks account-wide when starting as a new character. The upcoming ‘Season of the Malignant’ takes place after the main campaign, following the defeat of Lilith and the unveiling of the Tree of Whispers. Diablo IV season 1 goes live tonight, marking the beginning of a new saga across PC and consoles.
Nerfs and Community Outrage
One of the major changes in Diablo IV season 1 is a significant nerf to the Sorcerer class. The Devouring Blaze ability’s bonus critical damage has been reduced from 10/20/30 percent to 7/14/21 percent. This spell-based class relies heavily on this ability, which also had its damage numbers decreased from 25/50/75 percent to 10/20/30 percent. This change has sparked fury within the Diablo IV community, as players express their frustration on various platforms. A post on the official subreddit has gained significant attention, with 23,600 upvotes at the time of writing. The community is outraged by the overall nerfing of all classes, which has negatively impacted character strength and progression.
Blizzard has released the complete patch notes on their official website, allowing players to review all the changes made in Diablo IV season 1. The developers had initially promised players the opportunity to create overpowered builds by collecting Malignant Hearts from bloodthirsty fiends. These builds were supposed to facilitate map navigation and enhance the gaming experience. However, the pre-season patch seems to hinder character progression rather than empower players. The Barbarian class’ Hamstring skill now only slows down Healthy enemies, and the Necromancer’s Splintering Aspect Bone Shard damage has been reduced from 50–100 percent to 30–60 percent.
The developers have acknowledged the community’s concerns regarding the progression system. They have recognized that the experience bonus earned from defeating higher-level monsters escalates too quickly, diminishing the relative challenge involved. This observation has led to adjustments in the progression system to slow down character advancement. In Nightmare difficulty (World Tier III), Helltide events have been made slower, with an increase in monster difficulty. Demons now spawn three levels higher than the character, and the cost of the Tortured Gift of Mysteries chest has increased from 175 to 250 Aberrant Cinders. A hotfix has been implemented to address the reduced drop rate of Aberrant Cinders in Helltide, which was initially lower than intended.
Addressing Community Concerns
In response to the community backlash, Blizzard has organized a Campfire Chat live stream session to address the issues raised. The session is scheduled for Friday, July 21 and will be streamed on the official Diablo YouTube channel. However, immediate changes to the features that have made Diablo IV gameplay a ‘slog’ should not be expected. The community director, Adam Fletcher, has confirmed that Blizzard will be removing the level requirements for World Tier 3 (40) and World Tier 4 (60) that were introduced in the pre-season patch.
Diablo IV is available on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. As the highly anticipated season 1 update approaches, players eagerly await the new content and hope for improvements to address their concerns.
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