Season of the Malignant Balance Changes

Diablo 4 Patch 1.1 contains a massive array of balance changes that will determine the game state during Season of the Malignant.

The Patch Notes below cover adjustments to all of the five classes - Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, and Sorcerer - including changes to Skills, Aspects, Paragon Glyphs and Nodes, and Unique items.

In addition to Diablo 4 class balance changes the update will tweak some things in the way stats on items work, rebalancing player power towards offensive prowess at the cost of defensive reliability.

Continue reading below for the full scope of balance adjustments! Make sure to check out other changes coming in Patch 1.1, including Hellide nerfs, and new Uniques and Aspects.

Developer’s Note: As our community continues to battle the Burning Hells, the builds emerging from new players have shocked and delighted us. We've chosen to focus Season of the Malignant’s balance updates on clear itemization disparities over redesigns of Class features. The Class changes are largely focused on numeric increases to Skill Upgrades and Legendary Aspects that players haven't yet found compelling. Additionally, we're changing Critical Strike Damage Paragon Glyphs to empower all damage—instead of only Core Skills—to enable more build strategies.
There are also a few Class stat decreases on sources which grant extreme amounts of damage, healing, or Unstoppable. In general, we prefer build-specific changes to be bonuses instead of decreases, but we feel these changes are necessary for the overall health of the game. Diablo IV is a game that is continually evolving through its Seasons, thus the adjustments we make will evolve with them.

Barbarian

Skills

• Violent Double Swing Vulnerable duration increased from 1 to 2 seconds.
• Furious Upheaval damage bonus per stack increased from 3% to 5%.
• Power Charge Cooldown reduction is now capped to 3 targets, for a maximum of 9 seconds of Cooldown reduction.
• Tactical Ground Stomp Fury gain increased from 25 to 40.
• Enhanced Death Blow 's damage bonus to Bosses increased from 100% to 150%.
• Enhanced Steel Grasp Vulnerable duration increased from 2.5 to 3 seconds.
• Enhanced Rupture damage increased from 30% to 45%.
• Warrior’s Rupture Attack Speed bonus increased from 20% to 30%, and duration increased from 4 to 5 seconds.
• Fighter’s Rupture healing increased from 15% to 18% Maximum Life.

Passives

• Hamstring now only Slows Healthy enemies, and Slow amount increased from 10/20/30% to 20/40/60%.
• Cut to the Bone Bleeding damage bonus to Vulnerable reduced from 6/12/18% to 5/10/15%.

Paragon

• Wrath Glyph's bonus now affects all damage instead of just Core Skills.

Aspects

• Relentless Berserker's Aspect Berserking duration increased from 1 to 2 seconds.
• Battle-Mad Aspect Beserking duration increased from 1-2.5 to 2-3.5 seconds.
• Brawler's Aspect damage increased from 1-1.3 to 1.5-1.8.
• Aspect of Burning Rage damage increased from .08-.14 to .22-.28.
• Aspect of the Iron Warrior Damage Reduction increased from 15-25% to 18-28%.
• Slaking Aspect Lucky Hit Chance increased from 30-50% to 40-60%.
• Aspect of Ancestral Echoes Lucky Hit Chance increased from 40-50% to 50-60%.
• Weapon Master's Aspect Lucky Hit Chance increased from 32-50% to 37%-55%.

Items

• Gohr's Devastating Grips now explodes every 2 seconds or after it ends, and its hit cap has been removed.
• Fields of Crimson Bleeding damage bonus increased from 10% to 15%.

Druid

Skills

• Enhanced Claw Attack Speed bonus increased from 10% to 15%.
• Stormstrike Damage Reduction reduced from 25% to 15%.
• Boulder damage increase from 33% to 46%.
• Savage Trample Spirit gain increased from 20 to 40.
• Prime Lacerate healing increased from 3% to 5%.
• Cataclysm Lightning damage increased from 64% to 77%, and Tornado damage from 19% to 23%.
• Supreme Cataclysm Vulnerable duration increased from 2 to 3 seconds.
• Prime Cataclysm duration increased from 2 to 4 seconds.
• Prime Grizzly Rage now grants Unstoppable for 6 seconds instead of while active.

Passives

• Provocation threshold required for guaranteed Overpower reduced from 35/30/25 to 24/20/16 seconds.

Spirit Boon

• Masochistic now also requires a Lucky Hit chance of 75%.
• Prickleskin Thorns increased from .1 to .15.
• Iron Feather Maximum Life increased from 10% to 14%.
• Bolster Fortify increased from 10% to 15% of Maximum Life.
• Overload damage increased from .2 to .25.

Paragon

• Spirit Glyph's bonus now affects all damage instead of just Core Skills.

Aspects

• Aspect of the Calm Breeze Lucky Hit chance increased from 5-10% to 7-12%.
• Balanced Aspect Maximum Spirit increased from 30-50 to 60-80.
• Aspect of the Tempest damage bonus increased from 7-15% to 10-18%.
• Skinwalker's Aspect healing increased from .05-.1 to .07-.12.
• Symbiotic Aspect Cooldown reduction reduced from 4-8 to 3-5.
• Aspect of the Stampede damage bonus increased from 10-20 to 16-26%.
• Shepherd's Aspect damage bonus increased from 6-8% to 6-10%.

Items

• Insatiable Fury Werebear Skill Ranks increased from 2 to 3.
• Mad Wolf's Glee Werewolf Skill Ranks increased from 2 to 3.

Necromancer

Skills

• Initiate’s Decompose Slow increased from 30% to 50%.
• Paranormal Sever casts required for Vulnerable reduced from 4 to 3.
• Enhanced Blood Surge Healing increased from 2.5% to 3% of Maximum Life.
• Enhanced Blood Lance damage reduction for piercing reduced from 15% to 10%.
• Bone Prison initial Essence gained increased from 15 to 25.
• Abhorrent Iron Maiden healing increased from 5% to 7% of Maximum Life.
• Golems move faster and unhindered through enemies when their Cooldown is activated.
• Supreme Blood Wave leaves behind Blood Orbs earlier in its path.
• Raise Skeleton , Corpse Explosion , and Corpse Tendrils range for auto-targeting Corpses on mouse and keyboard increased by 50%.
• Raise Skeleton Skeletal Priest bonus damage increased from 20% to 30%.
• Raise Skeleton Skeletal Priest healing increased from 10% to 15%.

Passives

• Evulsion bonus damage to Vulnerable reduced from 6/12/18% to 5/10/15%.
• Transfusion Minion healing increased from 15/30/45% to 20/40/60%.
• Drain Vitality Lucky Hit Chance increased from 25% to 30%.
• Amplify Damage increased from 3/6/9% to 4/8/12%.

Book of the Dead

• Necromancer's minions will now automatically re-summon after respawning during a World Boss fight.
• Skeleton Warrior Defenders Upgrade Thorns inherited increased from 40% to 50%.
• Shadow Skeleton Mage Upgrade attacks required for an additional shadow bolt reduced from 5 to 4.
• Bone Skeleton Mage Upgrade Fortify amount increased from 11% to 20%.
• Iron Golems Upgrade attacks required for Slam attack reduced from 5 to 4.

Paragon

• Essence Glyph's bonus now affects all damage instead of just Core Skills.

Aspects

• Splintering Aspect Bone Shard damage bonus reduced from 50-100% to 30-60%.
• Aspect of Plunging Darkness bonus damage increased from 50-100% to 75-125%.
• Coldbringer's Aspect blizzard cooldown reduced from 10 to 8 seconds.
• Aspect of Hungry Blood chance to fire a Blood Lance increased from 10-20% to 13-23%.
• Blood-soaked Aspect damage increased from .15-.2 to .24-.31.
• Aspect of Ultimate Shadow damage increased from .16-.22 to .43-.48.
• Aspect of Grasping Veins Critical Strike Damage bonus reduced from 30-60% to 20-40%.
• Osseous Gale Aspect bonus Bone Storm duration increased from 4-8 to 5-10 seconds.
• Aspect of the Damned damage bonus increased from 30-40% to 40-50%.
• Blood-bathed Aspect Echo damage reduction reduced from 70-60% to 60-50%.
• Aspect of Reanimation Skeletons damage bonus increased from 20-30% to 30-40%.

Items

• Bloodless Scream Essence gained increased from 2-5 to 7-10.
• Deathless Visage damage increased from .25-.35 to .28-.38.

Rogue

Skills

• Advanced Rapid Fire duration increased from 3 to 5 seconds.
• Caltrops cast speed increased by 15%.
• Enhanced Cold Imbuement Lucky Hit Chance increased from 30% to 40%.
• Enhanced Smoke Grenade damage bonus increased from 15% to 20%.
• Methodical Dash maximum Cooldown reduction increased from 3 to 4 seconds.
• Concealment Stealth duration increased from 4 to 5 seconds.
• Enhanced Dark Shroud 's chance to not be consumed increased from 10% to 14%.
• Supreme Death Trap Cooldown reduction increased from 10 to 12 seconds.

Passives

• Victimize Lucky Hit Chance increased from 30% to 35%.
• Siphoning Strikes now also requires a Lucky Hit chance of 75%.
• Rugged Damage Reduction against Damage over Time effects increased from 5/10/15 to 6/12/18.
• Mending Obscurity healing per second while Stealthed increased from 3/6/9% to 4/8/12%.
• Aftermath Energy restored increased from 25/50/75 to 30/60/90.

Paragon

• Combat Glyph's bonus now affects all damage instead of just Core Skills.
• Eldritch Bounty Legendary Node duration increased from 6 to 9 seconds.

Specialization

• Preparation 's Ultimate Cooldown reduction increased from 4 to 5 seconds.

Legendary Aspects

• Aspect of Volatile Shadows damage increased from .1075-.193 to .2-.27.
• Icy Alchemist's Aspect Chill increased from 15% to 25%.
• Shadowslicer Aspect damage increased from 25-35% to 80-100%.
• Toxic Alchemist's Aspect damage increased from 0.080-0.13 to .11-.16.
• Vengeful Aspect Lucky Hit Chance increased from 30-50% to 40-60%.
• Aspect of Imitated Imbuement duration increased from 5 to 9 seconds.
• Aspect of Stolen Vigor healing increased from .02-.06 to .04-.08.
• Aspect of Lethal Dusk Life of Kill duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds.
• Aspect of Noxious Ice bonus damage increased from 10-25% to 14-29%.
• Aspect of Elusive Menace Dodge chance increased from 1-5% to 3-7%.

Items

• Skyhunter 's Energy gain increased from 15-25 to 20-30.
• Grasp of Shadow Lucky Hit Chance increased from 20-30% to 24-34%.

Sorcerer

Skills

• Enhanced Charged Bolts damage increased from 24% to 30%, and now benefits from Skill Ranks.
• Destructive Charged Bolts Damage Reduction increased from 20% to 25%.
• Destructive Incinerate Damage Reduction increased from 20% to 25%.
• Ice Blades cast clean up has been tightened, allowing players to act after its cast sooner.
• Fire Bolt initial damage increased from 10% to 18%.
• Wizard's Firewall maximum increased Mana Regeneration increased from 25% to 35%.
• Wizard's Blizzard Core Skill Mana cost reduction increased from 10% to 20%.
• Supreme Deep Freeze Cooldown Reduction increased from 50% to 100%.

Passives

• Elemental Dominance now also affects Mastery Skills instead of just Core Skills.
• Potent Warding duration increased from 3 to 9 seconds.
• Protection Barrier duration increased from 2 to 3 seconds.
• Align the Elements Damage Reduction per second increased from 1/2/3 to 3/6/9.
• Mana Shield Damage Reduction increased from 5/10/15% to 7/14/21%.
• Devouring Blaze bonus Critical Strike damage reduced from 10/20/30% to 7/14/21%.
• Devouring Blaze bonus Critical Strike damage to Immobilized reduced from 25/50/75% to 10/20/30%.
• Fiery Surge Mana Regeneration increased from 10/20/30% to 15/30/45%.

Paragon

• Destruction Glyph now affects all damage instead of just Core Skills.

Enchantments

• Spark Enchantment chance to form Crackling Energy increased from 10% to 14%.
• Frozen Orb Enchantment chance to be cast increased from 20% to 30%.
• Incinerate Enchantment cooldown reduced from 18 to 14 seconds.
• Hydra Enchantment Mana threshold reduced from 300 to 200.

Legendary Aspects

• Aspect of Efficiency Mana cost reduction increased from 10-20% to 15-25%, and now also affects Mastery Skills.
• Aspect of Armageddon damage increased from .205-.25 to .35-.4.
• Aspect of Shattered Stars damage increased from .15-.2 to .2-.25.
• Serpentine Aspect Hydra duration reduction reduced from 30-20% to 20-10%.
• Glacial Aspect Ice Spikes bonus damage to Frozen reduced from 25% to 15%.
• Glacial Aspect Ice Spikes damage increased from .2-.3 to .25-.35.
• Aspect of the Frozen Tundra Ice Spikes damage increased from .25-.35 to .3-.4.
• Aspect of the Frozen Wake Ice Spikes damage increased from .2-.3 to .25-.35, and Chill increased from 10% to 15%.
• Aspect of Biting Cold chance to apply Vulnerable to Frozen enemies increased from 25-35% to 30-40%.
• Encased Aspect Life and Mana restore per second increased from 10-20% to 20-30%.
• Stable Aspect chance for a free cast increased from 5-10% to 7-12%.
• Aspect of Splintering Energy chance to spawn an additional Lightning Spear increased from 11-20% to 41-50%.
• Aspect of the Unbroken Tether chance for additional Chain Lightning chains increased from 25-35% to 30-40%.

Items

• Gloves of the Illuminator Fireball damage reduction reduced from 65-75% to 55%-65%.
• Esu's Heirloom Critical Strike Chance from Movespeed increased from 15-25% to 20-30%.
• Esadora's Overflowing Cameo chance to release a lightning nova increased from 10% to 15%.

General

Aspects

• Aspect of Disobedience maximum stacks reduced from 100 to 60, reducing maximum Bonus Armor % from 25%-50% to 15%-30%.
• Aspect of Retribution bonus damage to Stunned reduced from 20-40% to 10-20%.
• Exploiter's Aspect bonus damage to Unstoppable reduced from 20-50% to 20-40%.
• Starlight Aspect Resource restore increased from 10-20 to 20-40.

Items

• The Butcher's Cleaver Slow increased from 40-75% to 61-75%.
• Drop Rate Adjustments:
  • Increased bonus to drop Ancestral and Sacred items in Nightmare Dungeons from +5% to +10%.
  • Removed a 20% chance to drop an extra equipment item from Elite monsters outside of Nightmare Dungeons and Helltide.
  • Increased chance to drop an extra equipment item from Elite monsters in Nightmare Dungeons and Helltide by +10%.
  • Nightmare Dungeons now have a 50% chance to drop a 2nd Legendary item upon completion.
  • Nightmare Dungeons now give 3 rare items upon completion, up from 1.

Miscellaneous

• Increased monster HP scaling from 85% to 100% bonus per extra player in a party.
• Adjusted the scaling of the Greed Shrine to improve its effectiveness throughout the game.
• World bosses now drop potions more often.
• There is no longer a limit to how many materials you can refine into higher materials at once.

Item Affixes

Developer’s Note: Many Affixes are too efficient and are outshining alternatives. We’re looking to refine the outliers, improve the number of meaningful choices on competitive slots, and increase the overall flexibility of items. We know these changes will reduce the total amount of possible power a character can possess, so we'll be monitoring how these changes affect players’ ability to conquer expected milestones throughout the Season.

We’re increasing the availability of the Affixes below to make them easier to include in different builds.

• Control Impaired Duration Reduction: Can now appear on Pants.
• Barrier Generation: Can now appear for all Classes. It will also begin dropping later in the game.
• Lucky Hit Chance while You Have a Barrier: Can now appear for all Classes. Reduced by ~12% when on Helm and ~20% when on Amulet or Offhand.
• Mastery Skill Damage: Newly added; can appear on Sorcerer Weapons. Scales identically to Core Skill Damage.
• Resistance to All Elements: Can now appear on Shields.

Developer’s Note: The Core Stat bonus on Weapons has been overperforming, so we're pulling back on this bonus.

• Strength: 50% Stronger when on Weapons -> 25% Stronger when on Weapons.
• Dexterity: 50% Stronger when on Weapons -> 25% Stronger when on Weapons.
• Intelligence: 50% Stronger when on Weapons -> 25% Stronger when on Weapons.
• Willpower: 50% Stronger when on Weapons -> 25% Stronger when on Weapons.

Developer’s Note: Cooldown Reduction affixes often felt mandatory due to their raw power. We imagine Cooldown Reduction will remain a highly desirable stat, but the penalty for not prioritizing it won’t be as harsh.

• Cooldown Reduction: Reduced by ~30%.
• Imbuement Skill Cooldown Reduction: Reduced by ~30%.
• Trap Skill Cooldown Reduction: Reduced by ~30%.

Developer’s Note: We're seeing Critical Strike Damage and Vulnerable Damage often viewed as a hard requirement for a build's success in Diablo IV. We believe this is a step towards allowing more builds to flourish and will continue to make changes in support of this goal.

• Critical Strike Damage: Reduced by ~17%.
• Lightning Critical Strike Damage: Reduced by ~17%.
• Critical Strike Damage with Bone, Earth, Imbued, and Werewolf Skills: Reduced by ~17%.
• Vulnerable Damage: Reduced by ~40%.

Developer’s Note: Disparities in inherent affixes can rule some Weapons out before the rest of their stats are even rolled. These are receiving harsher reductions than their normal affix counterparts to increase Weapon flexibility.

• Cooldown Reduction (Inherent on Offhands): Reduced by ~35%.
• Critical Strike Damage (Inherent on Swords): Reduced by ~50%.
• Vulnerable Damage (Inherent on Crossbows): Reduced by ~65%.

Developer’s Note: Damage Bonus to Crowd Controlled Enemies was overperforming relative to the ease of activating it versus stricter, Crowd Control type-specific affixes.

• Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies: Decreased by ~30%.
• Damage to Frozen Enemies: Increased by ~20%.

Developer’s Note: We have seen that skillful players are frequently slaughtering monsters many levels above their own. We want to support this, but the current situation is beyond what we believe is correct for the long-term health of the game. To chase this goal, we're shifting power to many offensive Affixes from defensive Affixes. We know this will make our end game content more deadly, particularly for those chasing our pinnacle boss, an encounter not meant for the faint of heart. Overcoming the pinnacle boss will take every ounce of grit you can muster and all tools at your disposal. We will continue to evaluate feedback from the community and make changes to our combat mechanics.

• Physical Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Fire Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Cold Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Lightning Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Poison Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Shadow Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Non-Physical Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Physical Damage Over Time: Increased by ~40%.
• Fire Damage Over Time: Increased by ~40%.
• Shadow Damage Over Time: Increased by ~40%.
• Damage with Two-Handed Bludgeoning Weapons: Increased by ~25%.
• Damage with Two-Handed Slashing Weapons: Increased by ~25%.
• Damage with Dual-Wielded Weapons: Increased by ~25%.
• Damage with Ranged Weapons: Increased by ~25%.
• Damage with Skills that Swap to New Weapons: Increased by ~25%.
• Damage while in Human Form: Increased by ~25%.
• Damage while Shapeshifted: Increased by ~25%.
• Blood Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Bone Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Brawling Skill Damage: Increased by ~33%.
• Companion Skill Damage: Increased by ~33%.
• Conjuration Skill Damage: Increased by ~33%.
• Cutthroat Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Darkness Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Earth Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Frost Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Imbued Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Imbuement Skill Damage: Increased by ~33%.
• Marksman Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Pyromancy Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Shock Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Storm Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Summoning Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Trap Skill Damage: Increased by ~33%.
• Weapon Mastery Skill Damage: Increased by ~33%.
• Werebear Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Werewolf Skill Damage: Increased by ~25%.
• Total Armor: Reduced by ~30%.
• Attack Speed for 4 Seconds after Dodging an Attack: Increased by ~20%.
• Damage for 4 Seconds after Dodging an Attack: Increased by ~20%.
• Total Armor while in Werebear Form: Reduced by ~25%.
• Total Armor while in Werewolf Form: Reduced by ~25%.
• Damage Reduction from Close Enemies: Reduced by ~20%.
• Damage Reduction from Distant Enemies: Reduced by ~20%.
• Damage Reduction from Enemies that are Bleeding: Reduced by ~25%.
• Damage Reduction from Enemies that are Burning: Reduced by ~25%.
• Damage Reduction from Enemies that are Poisoned: Reduced by ~25%.
• Damage Reduction from Enemies that are affected by Shadow Over Time: Reduced by ~25%.
• Damage Reduction while Fortified: Reduced by ~25%.