Diablo 4 Season 11: All changes since the 2.5.0 PTR

Diablo 4 Season 11 is coming next week, so Blizzard has unveiled what changes they're going to be making from the 2.5.0 PTR patch. As with all of the more recent seasons, Season 11 held a test-run in November to overview the balance direction of the upcoming patch (and potentially get some emergent bugs out of the way).

As usual, a test-server patch like this is the best hunting-grounds to sample what builds are strong going into Diablo 4 Season 11. However, now that the full patch notes are out, it's important to check out what changes they've made since then. While it's not a clean slate, not all the strongest builds from the November PTR are going to thrive.

So, without further ado, here's only the things getting nerfed, buffed, cut, or occassionally improved since the 2.5.0 PTR.

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All adjustments in Diablo 4 Season 11 from the November PTR patch

Sorc mains might be happier with the live season after a questionable PTR experience (Image via Blizzard)

Sanctification

• Upgrading an affix to a Greater Affix can now also occur on non-ancestral items.
• Affixes on Ancestral Unique or Mythic Items can no longer be replaced.
• Indestructible affix replaced by adding 5-25 Quality ranks.
• To sanctify an item, it only needs to have an item power of 750 or higher in Torment difficulties, rather than being Ancestral.
• Affix ranges have been adjusted across the board. In general, affix values have been increased, and ranges have been narrowed, and some affixes now have a higher maximum.
• Additional Legendary powers have been added.

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Divine Gifts

Andariel

• Reduced item quality rewards in pre-Torment difficulties.

Duriel

• Bonus experience from the maggots in Helltide has been adjusted.

Glyph Upgrades

• Glyph Upgrades now get a scaling chance to grant an extra upgrade attempt based on Divine Gift rank. Rank 1 grants a 25% chance, up to a 100% upgrade chance at Rank 5.
• Purified Gifts now grant 2 levels instead of one.

Lesser Evil Invasion

• Andariel no longer regenerates Health if you die.
• Andariel's phase transition is now much quicker.
• The size of Belial's eyeballs has been increased to make them easier to target.
• Belial's death now takes less time to finish.
• Shrines no longer disappear when fighting Azmodan.
• Azmodan has been granted resilience to bring him more in line with other World Bosses.
• Lesser Evil events in the Overworld now reward unique items from Lair Boss reward pools.

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Mythic Unique Items

Ahavarion, Spear of Lycander

• Lucky Hit gain resource reduced from 66% to 22%.

Melted Heart of Selig

• Primary resource generation reduced to 50%.
• Previous (PTR): Each point in your Primary Stat increases your Primary Resource by 3% but you have 75% reduced life. Any damage you would take is dealt to your Primary Resource before your life. If you have not taken damage in 6 seconds, your Resource regenerates to full over 3 seconds.
• Now: Damage is dealt to your Primary Resource before Life and damage taken this way is drastically reduced. Your Primary Resource is doubled but Maximum Life is reduced by 75%.

Developer’s Note: To reduce the number of required caps in the game, we adjusted this effect. This now grants less Primary Resource, but should provide roughly as much durability as before.

Barbarian

• Damage per 10 points of Strength increased from 1% to 1.1%.

Skills

Kick

• Width of the hitbox has been doubled.

Power Kick

• Reverted Fury cap from PTR.

Leap

• Adjusted attack speed scaling.

Enhanced Hammer of the Ancients

• Now increases maximum Fury, up to 100.
• Fury generation per enemy hit increased from 3% to 10%, up to 10 stacks.

Items

Aspect of Anger Management

• Previous: While above 55-40 Fury, you are Berserk, but 2 Fury Drains per second.
• Now: While above 50 Fury, deal 10-30%x increased damage and gain Berserking, but 3 Fury Drains per second.

Chainscourge Mail

• The shorter cooldown for the last Brawling skill used before re-enabling all of them now scales based on attack speed.

Fields of Crimson

• Blood Pool bonus damage no longer only applies to the casting player.

Paragon

Hemorrhage Legendary Node

• Increased damage increased from 45%[x] to 60%[x].

Blood Rage Legendary Node

• Increased damage increased from 45%[x] to 60%[x].

Carnage Legendary Node

• Increased damage increased from 30%[x] to 45%[x].

Decimator Legendary Node

• Increased damage increased from 20%[x] to 25%[x].

Flawless Technique Legendary Node

• Increased Critical Strike Damage increased from 30%[x] to 45%[x].

Weapons Master Legendary Node

• Increased damage to Injured and Healthy increased from 30%[x] to 45%[x].

Undaunted Glyph

• Maximum Damaging Reduction from Fortify increased from 10% to 15%.

Tempering

Berserking Finesse

• Affixes Removed: Damage while War Cry is Active.

Arsenal Finesse

• No longer available.

Weapon Attunement

• Affixes Removed:
• Resource Generations with Two-Handed Bludgeoning Weapons
• Resource Generations with Dual Wielded Weapons
• Resource Generations with Two-Handed Slashing Weapons

Druid

Skills

Stoneburst

• Lucky Hit chance for the channeled damage increased from 2% to 6%.

Grizzly Rage

• Cooldown reduced from 50 to 35 seconds.
• Duration increased from 10 to 12 seconds.
• Damage Reduction increased from 20% to 30%.
• Rank 5:
• Previous: You gain 30%[+] increased Armor while Grizzly Rage is active.
• Now: Cooldown reduced by 10 seconds.

Passives

Earthen Might

• Damage against immobilized enemies increased from 15%[x] to 25%[x].
• Critical Strike Damage increased from 15%[x] to 20%[x].

Items

Aspect of the Rampaging Werebeast

• Previous: The duration of Grizzly Rage is increased by 3-10 seconds. In addition, Critical Strikes while Grizzly Rage is active increase your Critical Strike Damage by 10%[x] for the duration, up to maximum of 200%[x].
• Now: Critical Strikes while in Grizzly Rage increases your damage by 3%[x] for 60 seconds, up to 120%[x].

Aspect of the Rabid Beast Bear

• Changed to Aspect of the Rabid Beast.
• Previous: While Grizzly Rage is active, your direct damage is converted into Poison damage, you deal x[40 - 80]% more Poison damage, and you passively spread Rabies.
• Now: Deal 40-80%[x] more Poison Damage. While Shapeshifted, your direct damage is converted into Poison damage.

Khamsin Steppewalkers (New Boots)

• PowerPrevious (PTR): Damaging [200 - 100] Enemies with Storm Skills grants a charge. Casting any Defensive Skill will grant Max Movement Speed and Unhindered for 1 second for each charge used. While Charged, enemies you run into are Immobilized for 1 second.
• Now: Damaging 150-100 Enemies with Nature Magic Skills grants Max Movement Speed and Unhindered for 4-8 seconds. Enemies you run through are Immobilized for 1 second.
• AffixesMovement Speed Affix replaced with 1-2 ranks of Endless Tempest.

Paragon

Earthen Devastation

• Previous: Your Earth Skills deal 10%[x] increased Critical Strike Damage, increased by 20%[x] of your Damage vs Crowd Controlled bonus, up to 60%[x].
• Now: Your Earth Skills deal 70%[x] increased Critical Strike Damage.

Constricting Tendrils

• Previous: Nature Magic Skills deal 35%[x] increased damage to Poisoned enemies. Lucky Hit: Nature Magic Skills have up to a 40% chance to Poison the enemy for 800% damage over 4 seconds.
• Now: Deal 40%[x] increased damage to Poisoned enemies. Lucky Hit: Nature Magic Skills have up to a 40% chance to Poison the enemy for 1000% damage over 4 seconds.

Tempering

Druid Motion

• Affixes Removed:
• Digitigrade Gait

Necromancer

Book of the Dead

Iron Golem

• Attack Speed increased by 25%.

Skills

Bone Spirit

• Reverted Essence cap from PTR.

Passives

Hellbent Commander

• Removed the requirement for controlling 7 or more Minions.

Rathma's Vigor

• Timer for Overpower reduced from 15 to 10 seconds.

Items

Aspect of Shielding Storm

• Barrier reduced from 1-8% to 1-3% of Maximum Health.

Sanguivor, Blade of Zir

• Consuming a Corpse now contributes 3 souls to Vampiric Curse, up from 1.
• Damage bonus increased from 15-25% to 20-30% per soul.

Cruor’s Embrace

• Damage increased from 40-80% to 60-120% of weapon damage.

Mutilator Plate

• Blood Lance Damage increased from 10-40% to 30-60%.

Ring of Mendeln

• Damage increased from 520-900% to 650-1100% of weapon damage.
• Bone Golem's combo attack of two swings now counts as a single attack for the purposes of Ring of Mendeln, rather than two separate attacks.

Tempering

Weapon Attunement

• Affixes Removed:
• Resource Generation with Two-Handed Weapons.
• Resource Generation while Wielding a Shield.

Rogue

• Damage scaling per 10 points of Dexterity increased from 1.1% to 1.25%.

Skills

Improved Flurry

• Healing reduced from 10% to 6%.

Passives

Siphoning Strikes

• Healing per Rank reduced from 1% to .5% of Maximum Health.

Legendary Aspects

Trickshot Aspect

• Damage increased from 10-30% to 20-40%.

Bladedancer's Aspect

• Damage increased from 100-120% to 100-140%.

Unique Items

Beastfall Boots

• Reverted Energy cap from PTR.

Windforce

• Chance to deal triple damage to Knocked Down enemies increased from 50-75% to 50-100%.

Scoudrel's Kiss

• Bonus damage increased from 35-55% to 50-70%.

Deathmask of Nirmitruq

• Bonus damage increased from 70-100% to 70-130%.

Tempering

Rogue Motion

• Affixes Removed:
• Ranks to Stutter Step

Rogue Persistence

• No longer available.

Sorcerer

Developer’s Note: We heard the feedback from PTR loud and clear, and decided to revisit the suite of Teleport changes for the start of the season. We decided to keep the overall changes to Teleport Enchantment, but we wanted to give more of the cooldown reduction power lost there and put it back into itemization. You should have a clearer choice to invest using item slots or tempering to get a fully reset cooldown Teleport, while also maintaining a middle-ground level of investment that gives you a low cooldown option.

Enchantments

Teleport Enchantment

• Adjusted the description to specify that it invokes Teleport and doesn't Cast it.

Skills

Shimmering Teleport

• Previous (PTR): Teleport Dazes enemies at its end point for 1.5 seconds.
• Now: You gain 25%[+] All Resistance for 3 seconds after Teleporting.

Passives

Potent Warding

• Previous: Casting a Skill grants 3%[+] All Resistance and 2%[+] Maximum Resistance to that Skill's Element for 9 seconds.
• Now: Casting a Skill grants 3%[+] All Resistance and 5%[+] Resistance to that Skill's Element for 9 seconds.

Energy Focus

• Maximum Barrier reduced from 30% to 20% of Maximum Health.

Protection

• Barrier per Rank reduced from 10% to 5% of Maximum Health.

Warmth

• Healing reduced from 1% per Rank to .2% of Maximum Health.
• Healing from Bosses reduced from 4% to 2% of Maximum Health.

Legendary Aspects

Aspect of Mind's Awakening

• Barrier reduced from 3-6% to 1.5-3% of Maximum Health.

Serpentine Aspect

• Reverted Mana cap from Season of Infernal Chaos.

Aspect of the Bounding Conduit

• Teleport's Cooldown reduction increased from 1-2.5 to 3-4.5 seconds.

Aspect of Biting Cold

• Previous: When you Freeze an enemy there is a [25-45%] chance they become Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
• New: Frost Skills deal 20-30%x increased damage and have a 40% chance to apply Vulnerable for 4 seconds.

Unique Items

The Oculus

• Previous (PTR): Casting Teleport grants a stack of Galvanization, increasing its damage by 30-50% for 8 seconds. Becoming Injured Teleports you to a random location.
• Now: Each enemy hit by Teleport increases the damage by 5-15%|x| and reduces the Cooldown by 0.5 seconds of the next cast. Becoming Injured will Teleport you to a random location.

Raiment of the Infinite

• PowerPrevious (PTR): After Casting Teleport, Close enemies are Pulled Inwards and it has a 10-30% chance to reset from each enemy it kills.
• Now: Teleport pulls Close enemies to you and grants 10-30% Damage Reduction.
• AffixesRanks to Elemental Attunement replaced with All Resistance.
• Ranks to Shocking Impact replaced with 30-40% Teleport CDR.

Tempering

Sorcerer Motion

• Affixes Removed:
• Ranks to Conduction

Frost Finesse

• Affixes Added:
• Frost Critical Strike Chance

Spiritborn

Skills

Poised Payback

• Reverted Vigor cap from PTR.

Poised Rushing Claw

• Now reduces the time to recharge charges by 5 seconds.

Passives

Fueled

• Previous: Gain Life On Kill equal to 5% of your Maximum Life while you have at least 4 stacks of Ferocity.
• Now: Gain 1-181 (depending on level) Life On Hit while you have at least 4 stacks of Ferocity.

Potent

• Previous (PTR): Gain 2/4/6% Jaguar Attack Speed and Cooldown Reduction.
• Now: Jaguar Skills deal 6/12/18%[x] increased direct damage to up to 3 of the Closest enemies to you.

Items

Aspect of Forest Power

• Barrier reduced from 25% to 15% of Maximum Health.

Rod of Kepeleke

• Reverted Vigor cap from PTR.

Peacemonger's Signet

• Dodge chance changed to Dexterity.

Masterworking

• Maximum quality is now 25, up from 20.
• Quality increase per Masterwork is now 2-5, up from 1-3.
• Quality upgrades now increase all affix values by 1% per quality value.
• Fully Masterworking an item now gives a 50% upgrade to a random affix, which can be a Tempering Affix.
• The boosted affix will be colored differently to highlight it.
• Masterworking cost has been adjusted, and scales exponentially with Item Quality.
• Examples
• Item Quality 0: 10 Obducite
• Item Quality 5: 25 Obducite
• Item Quality 15: 66 Obducite
• Item Quality 25: 100 Obducite

Tempering

• There is now a chance a tempered affix gets applied as a Greater Affix.
• Resource gain Tempering affixes have been added for Helms and Rings.
• Resource per second Tempering affix added for Pants.
• Adjusted Tempering Recipes to remove affixes from Class-specific Manuals that were extraneous due to existing in Generic Manuals, or unused.
• Some class wide affixes have been adjusted
• Natural Motion
• Movement Speed changed from 16-25% to 15-25%.
• Movement Speed After Killing an Elite increased from 20-22.5% to 25-45%.
• Worldly Endurance
• Maximum Life increased from 84-141 to 349-450.
• Natural Schemes
• Thorns increased from 45-70 to 211-281.
• Worldly Stability
• Affixes Added:
• Casting Ultimate Skills Restores Primary Resource.

Toughness

• When comparing items, the Armor or resistance difference between items will now display as percentage of Toughness difference instead of just displaying the flat Armor difference.
• Toughness is now displayed in the Character Stats window.
• The Toughness tooltip now breaks down Damage Resistance per damage type.
• Torment difficulties now display a recommended Toughness amount when selecting difficulty.

Miscellaneous

• Fortify and Barrier Generation are now a part of the general defensive pool of affixes that can appear on items.
• Monsters in the open world no longer scale 1:1 with your level, it is now offset so the player scales better than monsters.
• Monsters damage has been reduced at low levels.
• Monster power has been tuned down slightly in early Torment tiers.
• Base Health for boss monsters has been increased.
• The chance for items with multiple Greater Affixes to drop has been increased in Torment tiers.
• More items now drop from levels 1-15.
• When in a Capstone dungeon, the closest affiliated difficulty is now displayed.
• Cooldown Reduction can now naturally appear on rings, gloves, and shields.
• Various tuning to Capstone Dungeon encounters.
• Various monster and monster pack spawning adjustments.
• Various other minor updates and tweaks to Sanctification and Seasonal Activities.

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Of course, Blizzard has quashed around a hundred more bugs too since the 2.5.0 PTR, so Diablo 4 Season 11 will be much more polished in the live client (which is sort of the point). However, as for the balance changes, that's about all of it.

Stay tuned for more ARPG news and guides on Sportskeeda.