Following the early access beta for Diablo 4, Blizzard has taken careful consideration of player criticism surrounding how Barbarians perform in the early game and will be making adjustments. Balance changes typically come fast and furious during open and closed betas, and Blizzard's Diablo 4 seems to be no exception.
Set to release on June 6, 2023, Blizzard's next entry in its action RPG franchise Diablo 4 remains one of the year's most hotly-anticipated titles. Over a decade since the original launch of Diablo 3, fans of the series' hack-and-slash loot-centric gameplay have been hungry for a new mainline entry, and will not have much longer to wait. An early access beta for those who pre-purchased the game, or ordered a double-down sandwich from KFC during its promotional window, was available between March 15-19, and an open beta for all players will launch on March 24 and continue through the 26th.
During the early access beta of Diablo 4, one prominent area of criticism surrounded the performance of the Barbarian class at low levels, and Blizzard has been quick to address the issue, announcing in a recent interview that it will be buffing the class before the game's launch. While the Sorceress and Rogue could cut through swaths of enemies with ease, the Barbarian, being a melee-focused class, struggled mightily to coral bigger packs of mobs and dispatch them in a timely manner. The more imposing world and dungeon bosses also proved more of a challenge for Barbarians than other classes, with hard-hitting attacks that were practically unavoidable for those who had to get in close to dish out damage. The quick response from Blizzard bodes well for its commitment to making Diablo 4 a worthy successor to the genre-defining accolades of its predecessors.
Over one million players logged into Diablo 4's early access beta, with more predicted to check out the open beta starting on March 24. Blizzard recently announced the Druid and Necromancer classes would be available to try during the open beta, though no indication has come as to whether the level cap at 25 will be moved up, or if players will be able to explore outside of the game's first act. There is also no hint at whether these new Barbarian buffs will make it in time for the open beta, or if they are simply planned for the game's June release.
For Barbarian mains everywhere, Blizzard's announced buffs in Diablo 4 come as an immense relief. The sentiment is shared with players of other classes as well, as the lightning-quick response time heralds a company dedicated to getting Diablo 4 in as polished a state as possible ahead of its June 6 launch.
Diablo 4 launches on June 6, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: GamesRadar (via Gamespot)
