Diablo 4 Patch 1.1.1 (August 8) class balance update: Major buffs to Sorcerers, Barbarians, and more

Varshan is the final boss in the Diablo 4 Season of the Malignant storyline.
These Diablo 4 class changes will make it easier for players to take down the Echo of Varshan (Image via Blizzard)

The Diablo 4 update 1.1.1 patch notes are finally live. Although the update is scheduled to go live on August 8, 2023, Blizzard Entertainment has released the patch notes early so that players can get a glimpse of what they can expect. This update is an important one with respect to the Season of the Malignant and is aimed at correcting the issues that the earlier patch introduced.

Keeping in mind the severe nerfs which arrived with the 1.1.0 update, Diablo 4 patch 1.1.1 corrects most of the class-related issues of the previous patch. The main focus of the new patch is on improving the Barbarians and Sorcerers, considering they were the ones who got nerfed the hardest in 1.1.0.


Diablo 4 update 1.1.1 patch notes: All class changes for Season of the Malignant

The idea behind Diablo 4 patch 1.1.1 is to make the Barbarians and Sorcerers more powerful than they were at the start of the season.

A certain number of Legendary Items were also extremely situational in the game. The patch, once deployed, will put them in such a place that players will be able to use them more than usual. Certain class-specific Legendary Aspects are also receiving a buff.


1) All Barbarian changes in Diablo 4 patch 1.1.1 Season of the Malignant

The Barbarian in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)
The Barbarian in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)

Skills

  • Bash
  • Fury gained increased from 11 to 13.
  • Flay
  • Fury gained increased from 10 to 13.
  • Enhanced Frenzy
  • Fury gained increased from 2 to 3.
  • Lunging Strike
  • Fury gained increased from 10 to 12.
  • Double Swing
  • Damage increased from 40% to 50%.
  • Enhanced Rupture
  • Damage increased from 45% to 70%.
  • Enhanced Charge
  • Damage increased from 30% to 60%.
  • Mighty Charge
  • Vulnerable duration increased from 2 to 4 seconds.
  • Violent Upheaval
  • If Upheaval damages at least 2 enemies or a Boss, you gain Berserking for 2 seconds, increased to 3 seconds if it damages at least 4 enemies.

Passives

  • Aggressive Resistance
  • Damage reduction increased from 3% to 4%.
  • Gushing Wounds
  • Bleed damage dealt based on Critical Damage bonus increased from 100% to 115%.
  • Bleed damage when Overpowering increased from 11% to 70%.
  • Unconstrained
  • Berserking damage bonus increased from 25% to 35%.
  • Updated the tooltip to more clearly reflect this Key Passive’s value
  • Walking Arsenal
  • Bonus damage duration increased from 6 to 8 seconds.

Legendaries

  • Aspect of Ancestral Force
  • Damage increased from 32-50% to 40-58%.
  • Death Wish Aspect
  • Thorns increased from .5-.75 to .65-.85.
  • Aspect of Unrelenting Fury
  • Core Skill cost to refund increased from 10-20% to 20-30%.
  • Additional functionality:
  • Cost refund also granted when hitting Bosses.
  • Aspect of Ancestral Charge
  • Damage increased from 50-100% to 75-125%.
  • Aspect of Burning Rage
  • Damage increased from .22-.28 to .3-.38.
  • Aspect of Bul-Kathos
  • Damage reduction while in Earthquakes increased from 5-15% to 15-25%.
  • Earthquake Aspect
  • Damage bonus in Earthquakes increased from 5-15% to 15-25%.

Uniques

  • Fields of Crimson
  • Damage increased from .18-.34 to .22-.38.
  • Damage that enemies take standing in pools increased from 15% to 20%.
  • Rupture Cooldown Reduction affix replaced with Bonus Critical Strike Damage.
  • Hellhammer
  • Damage increased from .6-.8 to .85-1.1.
  • Burning duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds.
  • Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies affix replaced with Bonus Critical Strike Damage.
  • Ramaladni’s Magnum Opus
  • Physical Damage affix replaced with Vulnerable Damage.
  • 100,000 Steps
  • Attacks reduce Evade’s cooldown affix replace with bonus Evade charges.
  • Damage against Stunned affix replace with bonus Movement Speed.
  • Battle Trance
  • Basic Skill Damage affix replaced with Cooldown Reduction.
  • Bonus Attack Speed to other skills increased from 10-20% to 35-45%.

2) All Rogue changes in Diablo 4 patch 1.1.1 Season of the Malignant

The Rogue in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)
The Rogue in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)

Skills

  • Fundamental Invigorating Strike
  • Energy threshold increased from 50% to 75%.
  • Primary Forceful Arrow
  • Every third cast pierces enemies.
  • Enhanced Caltrops
  • Damage bonus increased from 3% to 5%.
  • Poison Trap
  • Damage increased from 344% to 396%.
  • Supreme Rain of Arrows
  • Rain of Arrow’s first wave Knocks Down enemies for 3 seconds.

Passives

  • Victimize
  • Lucky Hit chance increased from 35% to 45%.
  • Rugged
  • Damage Reduction against Damage over Time effects increased from 6/12/18% to 9/18/27%.
  • Siphoning Strikes
  • Lucky Hit chance increased from 75% to 85%.

Legendaries

  • Aspect of Elusive Menace
  • No longer requires hits to be from Close enemies.
  • Aspect of Quickening Fog
  • You automatically drop a Smoke Grenade at the end of Dash. Smoke Grenades reduce Dash’s cooldown by .4-.6 seconds per target hit, up to 2-3 seconds.

Uniques

  • Windforce
  • All Stats affix replaced with Vulnerable Damage.
  • Word of Hakan
  • Ultimate Damage affix replaced with Cooldown Reduction.

3) All Sorcerer changes in Diablo 4 patch 1.1.1 Season of the Malignant

The Sorcerer in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)
The Sorcerer in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)

Skills

  • Flickering Fire Bolt
  • Fire Bolt generates 2 Mana when hitting an enemy.
  • Enhanced Fireball
  • Casting Fireball increases its radius by 50%.
  • Destructive Fireball
  • Fireball’s Critical Strike Damage is increased by 20%. This bonus is increased to 30% if Fireball hits at least 3 enemies.
  • Greater Chain Lightning
  • Each time Chain Lightning bounces, it deals 5% increased damage for its duration.
  • Destructive Chain Lightning
  • Chance to form Crackling Energy increased from 25% to 30%.

Passives

  • Vyr’s Mastery
  • Damage bonus increased from 10% to 15%.
  • Esu’s Ferocity
  • Additional functionality:
  • Both bonuses are also granted for 3 seconds when hitting a Boss with a Critical Strike.
  • Combustion
  • Your Burning effects deal x20% increased damage, plus an additional x2% increased damage per unique source of Burning you have applied to the enemy.

Paragon

  • Searing Heat Legendary Node
  • Casting Fireball or Meteor increases your Critical Strike Chance by 5% for 5 seconds, up to 15%.
  • Ceaseless Conduit Legendary Node
  • Increase Crackling Energy’s damage from 2% to 3% per 20 Intelligence the player has Reinforce Rare Glyph.
  • Territorial Rare Glyph
  • Damage reduction increased from 10% to 15%.
  • Warding Rare Glyph
  • Damage reduction increased from 13% to 25%.
  • Keeper of Flames Rare Node
  • Damage reduction increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Bonus damage reduction increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Smoldering Embers Rare Node
  • Damage reduction from burning enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Bonus damage reduction from burning enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Guarded Rare Node
  • Damage reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Bonus damage reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Oppressive Rare Node
  • Damage reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Lightning Resilience Rare Node
  • Maximum Life bonus increased from 4% to 6%.

Legendaries

  • Serpentine Aspect
  • You may have 1 additional Hydra active, and Hydra’s duration is increased by 14-24%.
  • This now also affects Hydra’s Enchantment Effect.
  • Aspect of Conflagration
  • Bonus Burning damage increased from 20-30% to 20-40%.
  • Aspect of Engulfing Flames
  • Bonus Burning damage increased from 30%-40% to 60%-80%.
  • Aspect of Three Curses
  • Increase the Critical Strike Damage of Meteor and Fireball by 20%-40%. Double this bonus against Healthy enemies.
  • Flamewalker’s Aspect
  • Bonus Movement Speed duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds.
  • Gravitational Aspect
  • Ball Lightning orbits around you and deals 15-25% increased damage.
  • Aspect of Unbroken Tether
  • Additional Chain Lightning bounces increased from 2 to 4.
  • Recharging Aspect
  • Each time Chain Lightning bounces, you gain 1.5-3 Mana.
  • Charged Aspect
  • Bonus Movement Speed duration increased from 4 to 8 seconds.
  • Aspect of the Bounding Conduit
  • Bonus Movement Speed increased from 20-25% to 25-30%.
  • New Legendary - Mage-Lord’s Aspect
  • Increase Vyr's Mastery Key Passive's Damage Reduction by 6-9% for each Close enemy, up to 18-27%.
  • Aspect of Frozen Orbit
  • Damage increased from 20-30% to 30-40%.
  • Storm Swell Aspect
  • Bonus damage increased from 11-20% to 21-30%.
  • Snowveiled Aspect
  • Unstoppable duration increased from 2-3 seconds to 3-5 seconds.
  • Additional functionality:
  • Also grants 10% bonus Armor for 3-5 seconds.
  • Incendiary Aspect
  • Lucky Hit: Damage from your Pyromancy skills has up to a 12-17% chance to restore 10 Mana.
  • Snowguard’s Aspect
  • While within your own Blizzard and for 3 seconds after leaving it, you take 20-25% less damage.
  • Aspect of Concentration
  • Mana Regeneration increased from 20-30% to 40-50%.
  • Duration requirement to gain its benefit reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.

Uniques

  • Gloves of the Illuminator
  • Damage penalty reduced from 65-55% to 45-35%.
  • Damage to Stunned affix replaced with Lucky Hit: Change to Restore Resource.
  • Illuminator’s first bounce occurs much closer to the player.

4) All Necromancer changes in Diablo 4 patch 1.1.1 Season of the Malignant

The Necromancer in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)
The Necromancer in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)

Skills

  • Enhanced Bone Spirit
  • Cooldown reduction increased from 6 to 7 seconds.

Paragon

  • Wither Legendary Board
  • Willpower requirement for bonuses reduced from 50 to 40.
  • Bonus damage per 40 Willpower increased from 2.5% to 4%.

Legendaries

  • Aspect of Empowering Reaper
  • Damaging enemies with Sever has a 10-20% chance to spawn a pool of Blight under the target that deals 20-60% bonus damage. This effect can only happen once every 3 seconds.
  • Aspect of Exposed Flesh
  • Lucky Hit: Up to a 10% chance to generate 30-50 Essence when hitting a Vulnerable enemy.
  • Aspect of Decay
  • Damage increased from 20-40% to 25-45%.
  • Aspect of Torment
  • Essence Regeneration increased from 20-30% to 90-170%.
  • Hulking Aspect
  • Legendary category changed from Resource to Utility.
  • Chance for Golem to reduce its cooldown increased from 1-4% to 2-5%.
  • Chance to Golem to spawn a corpse increased from 0.5-2% to 1-2.5%.

Uniques

  • Greaves of the Empty Tomb
  • Intelligence affix replaced with Bonus Movement Speed.

Minions

  • The following attacks now deal reduced damage to Druid Companions and Necromancer Minions:
  • Balrog
  • Fire Breath
  • Elite Affixes
  • Fire Enchanted
  • Electrified Obelisks
  • Shock Lance

5) All Druid changes in Diablo 4 patch 1.1.1 Season of the Malignant

The Druid in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)
The Druid in Diablo 4 (Image via Blizzard)

Skills

  • Earth Spike
  • Spirit gain increased from 11 to 13.
  • Claw
  • Spirit gain increased from 11 to 12.
  • Storm Strike
  • Spirit gain increased from 14 to 15.
  • Wind Shear
  • Spirit gain increased from 13 to 14.
  • Maul
  • Spirit gain increased from 15 to 17.
  • Wolves
  • Passive damage increased from 7.8% to 11%.
  • Active damage increased from 110% to 135%.
  • Enhanced Wolf Pack
  • Damage bonus increased from 20% to 25%.
  • Brutal Wolf Pack
  • Attack Speed bonus increased from 20% to 25%.
  • Ferocious Wolf Pack
  • Fortify amount increased from 5% to 8%.
  • Ravens
  • Passive damage increased from 13% to 20%.
  • Brutal Ravens
  • Additional functionality:
  • Increase the passive damage of Ravens by 40%.
  • Rabies
  • Damage over time increased from 76% to 110%.

Paragon

  • Lightning Resilience Rare Node
  • Maximum Life bonus increased from 4% to 6%.

Legendaries

  • Aspect of Metamorphic Stone
  • Spirit cost reduced from 60 to 50.
  • Damage dealt increased from 80-100% to 100-120%.
  • Aspect of the Alpha
  • Damage increased from 75-100% to 90-115%.
  • Mangled Aspect
  • Resource gain increased from 1 to 3.

Class Mechanic

  • Overload
  • Lucky Hit Chance increased from 20% to 40%.

These are all the class balances that are set to go live in Diablo 4 Patch 1.1.1. Based on all the information provided in these notes, almost every build in the game, for each and every class, is receiving a buff. Not only will this make all the builds viable in the game once again, but it will also hopefully be the last time Blizzard introduces such severe nerfs.

It will be interesting to see how these buffs play out in Diablo 4.

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