Blizzard has announced balance changes for Diablo 4 Season 9, which will launch on July 1. Notable adjustments will be made to various Uniques, particularly for the Druid class. This comes in the wake of Season 8, which began on April 29 and introduced new features including a collaboration with the acclaimed Berserk manga and the return of Belial as a formidable boss. The upcoming Season 9, titled Sins of the Horadrim, will introduce a fresh questline requiring players to seek out and eliminate relics tainted by Astaroth’s blood. Additionally, a new seasonal mechanic, Horadric Spellcraft, will enable players to access spells such as Corrosive Vapor, Glacial Nimbus, Smoldering Ember, and Thunderous Particle.
As with previous seasons, Blizzard is implementing several changes to weapons and gear that players need to consider. The patch notes for the Season 9 update detail significant adjustments to various Uniques. For example, the Druid’s Greatstaff of the Crone will see an increase in Storm Strike’s power damage, boosting it from 170-250% to 200-350%. Additionally, the Dolmen Stone Ancestral Amulet will now enhance Boulder damage from 20-40% to 30-50%, making it more formidable.
Necromancer’s Bloodless Scream Ancestral Spear will receive notable affix changes as well. The Intelligence bonus will be standardized, while the Freeze Duration Affix will be replaced by Lucky Hit, which allows a chance to restore resources. Changes to the Lucky Hit affix will increase its chances significantly. For the Rogue class, the Eaglehorn Ancestral Bow will ensure that its Penetrating Shot ability always bounces at least once.
However, the Eyes in the Dark Ancestral Pants will experience a nerf, reducing the bonus damage of the Death Trap ability from 100-250% to 40-60%, although this bonus will now be consistently granted. While there is currently no definitive end date for Season 9, Blizzard plans to continue monitoring player feedback to inform future updates and balance changes throughout the season.