Less than 24 hours since the launch of Diablo 4 for Deluxe and Ultimate Edition players, Blizzard has pushed out Patch 1.02. Patch 1.01 went live immediately before the game's early release window began and included a number of minor buffs to the Druid class, but the changes in this latest patch are much more significant. As part of Patch 1.02, the Sorceress, Barbarian, and Rogue class have all received nerfs, and the endgame has been made more challenging via increased health pools for enemies once players are at max level. While none of the included nerfs are game-changing, it does feel like this latest Diablo 4 patch is targeting the wrong classes.
In the lead up to Diablo 4's release, the Druid class was notoriously underperforming. Despite having potential for great utility and power in the endgame, the level cap from the three beta periods proved to be limiting for players wanting to use the Druid and get a sense of how the class would fare in the full release. Blizzard has been working to buff the Druid class since the last Server Slam beta, but the class is in need of further support in the early game. Additionally, the Barbarian class needs a buff rather than a nerf to offset the class' resource management woes.
Diablo 4's Barbarian Should Have Been the Recipient of a Buff
The current meta for Diablo 4 suggests that the Barbarian's Shout ability is indeed overpowered. The changes to the class implemented in Patch 1.02 come as a result of the removal of the Shout skill cooldown affix to gear, which isn't a direct nerf to the class but will undoubtedly affect the way that players approach their builds for Diablo 4's Barbarian. One of the more confusing aspects of the class receiving a nerf this early on in the game's release is the Barbarian's poor resource generation.
While other classes in Diablo 4 have automatic generation of their skill resource pools, the Barbarian's Fury pool can only be generated through receiving damage. In the early game as players are weaker and taking on increasingly dangerous mobs of enemies, this necessitates a kamikaze approach to combat. If the Barbarian needs to rush in headfirst to combat in order to generate skill resource, the class should have received a buff to support it in the early game as opposed to a nerf.
The Necromancer, not the Rogue or Sorceress, Needs Nerfing
Along with the slight nerf to the Barbarian class in Patch 1.02, the Sorceress and Rogue classes also received minor adjustments to their balancing. Specifically, the Sorceress' Flame Shield ability has received a full cooldown when equipped and the Rogue now has a four-second delay after the Inner Sight skill expires. Again, while these nerfs are not major, they come as a surprise for two classes that aren't anywhere near as unbalanced in the early game as Diablo 4's Necromancer. In terms of classes that are nigh unstoppable in the early-to-mid game of Diablo 4, the Necromancer might take the cake.
Players using the Necromancer along with the right application of skills can safely play the edges of their screen and stay virtually invincible, letting their skeletons draw aggro while attacking foes from afar. Once the Corpse Explosion skill is unlocked, the Necromancer becomes a veritable wave of death walking across the screen. In contrast, the Rogue and Sorceress both require careful maneuvering to stay out of harm's way while still doling out punishment.
It's still very early in the release window for Diablo 4, and Blizzard are sure to push out other patches prior to the game's official release on June 6. But for now, it's hard to shake the impression that other classes should have been targeted by the early release patch notes.
Diablo 4 is available now in early access with its full launch coming June 6 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
