Diablo 2 Resurrected 2.4 Patch Is Officially Launched - Classes Balance Changes Guide

Apr-15-2022

Blizzard officially released today the content of the Diablo 2 Resurrected 2.4 patch and the Ladder Season One update. This is the first time they've made major changes to the gameplay, which includes various updates for each class, new D2R Runewords, new Horadric Cube Recipes, mercenary rework, and much more. To help you better explore the Sanctuary, this guide will detail the updated details of the seven major class balance changes.

D2R Seven Major Classes Balance Changes

Blizzard has introduced new changes to the seven major classes in Diablo 2 Resurrected patch 2.4, expanding the diversity of character genres while retaining the characteristics and styles of the classes.

AMAZON

Javelin and Spear Skills

To give players an advantage in using the melee skills of Amazon, the developer removed the skill's dependence on the bonus of "Lightning Fury", and strengthened several low-usage skills such as Impale and Fend. Finally, Plague Javelin has been improved in terms of casting delay, damage synergy, and duration scaling, further diversifying its uses compared to Poison Javelin.

Passive and Magic Skills

The developers have increased the range of effects of "Inner Sight" and "Slow Missiles", and hope that players will invest more skill points in Slow Missiles.

Bow and Crossbow Skills

Adjusted the damage range of higher levels fire bow skills and reduced the mana cost of elemental arrow skills. In addition, the skill of strafe no longer has the effect of weapon damage reduction, but instead provides attack rating, making this skill more unique compared to other physical bow arrow skills.

ASSASSIN

Martial Arts

The martial arts skills have been greatly adjusted. In addition, the Attack Rating of Charge-up skills has also been improved, and the damage payoff of Finishing Move skills that are the lesser-used has also been increased.

Shadow Disciplines

The developers decided to add the tooltip clarity, revise the duration of buffs to be more consistent, and adjust the casting delay.

Traps

For the parts of Lightning and Fire Traps, the developers will eliminate their synergy reliance on the "Death Sentry", encouraging players to create more different genres. In addition, the mutual bonus of the damage of fire traps will also be improved, so that such traps can play a more powerful role in higher game difficulties. Finally, blade skills will also be improved to increase the strength of the relevant genre.

BARBARIAN

Warcries

Added more tooltips for the Warcries skills to further explain the hidden mechanism of the skills. Increased the strength and reward of the War Cry skill on higher game difficulties. The "Grim Ward" skill will add new functions and synergy, encourage players to use this skill more, and encourage players to spend more skill points to invest in "Find Potion".

Combat Masteries

Since the barbarian throwing weapons quantity is consumed too fast, the developers decided to add a related mechanism, there is a chance to not consume the quantity of the throw when throwing weapons, and a chance of replenishing the quantity of the throw.

Combat Skills

Leap Attack gets a lot of changes: increased movement speed, smoother trajectory, improved controls, and increased attack level and damage.

For "Berserk", the existing "Shout" synergy is being changed to "Battle Orders" as the skill's defense loss contradicts the usage of "Shout", which will be better linked to other skill synergy-building possibilities. "Frenzy" is getting a new synergy from the lesser-used "Increased Stamina" skill to provide more reasons to invest in skill points there and add new build variety.

DRUID

Elemental Skills

After adjusting the operation mechanism of the casting delay, the overall usage of Druid Fire skills should improve. In addition, the developer will also increase the physical damage scaling of fire skills, giving these skills enough damage output ability.

Shape-Shifting Skills

Improved weapon usage efficiency and provided proper incentives for players to use IAS gear. Improved Fury, allowing Werewolf to attack at speeds more than before. In the part of the werebear changes, the developers have designed uninterruptible attacks and skills, and the damage and defense have also been increased.

Summoning Skills

All summons will no longer have the hidden mechanism of random health values, the content of the tooltip will become clearer, and players can more accurately predict the effect of the summoning skills. In addition, the Raven will also be greatly adjusted, and the summoning of wolves will be strengthened to further improve the damage output ability of these creatures and adjust the Thorns of "Spirit of Barbs" to strengthen the damage output ability of this skill. Finally, each creeper summons will also be enhanced and will enhance the performance of these summons at higher levels.

NECROMANCER

Summoning Skills

The damage scaling of the Skeleton Mage has been greatly increased so that the Skeleton Mage can cause stable damage output. Additionally, Poison damage now has a fixed duration and increased damage scaling, resulting in more consistent damage output. Both Blood Golem and Fire Golem have increased damage, making their power more consistent with other golems. For the part of "Iron Golem", the developers have strengthened the damage output stability of  Thorns Aura, thereby enhancing the effect strength of this skill.

Poison and Bone Skills

Overall, the strength of the Bone skill is excellent, but the developers think there is room for improvement in the amplitude of the synergy bonuses in the late game. In addition, they have increased the damage absorb scaling of "Bone Armor", making players more willing to directly invest skill points in this skill, rather than relying too much on related synergies.

Curse

For the part of "Weaken" skills, the developers added a new damage reduction scaling to encourage players to invest skill points in this skill and increase the strength of this skill.

PALADIN

Defensive Auras

More information has been added to the tooltip, describing some of the hidden functions of the Defense Aura.

Offensive Auras

The developers wanted to add more potential to the AoE damage aura, as the aura can help paladins deal with hordes of monsters. In addition, they believe that the amplitude scaling of "Holy Fire" at higher skill levels also needs to be improved. Finally, for the "Thorns" part, they hoped to improve the gameplay of dealing damage when hit, so they decided to let the skills deal fixed damage according to the number of attacks.

Combat Skills

Combat skills with low usage rates will be improved to create a more diverse genre. The developers tweaked Holy Bolt and Fist of the Heavens to deal damage to demons in addition to undead monsters, hoping this will make the genre more versatile.

SORCERESS

Cold Skills

Chilling Armor will have the most powerful defense bonus effect and damage output potential, and will still only be triggered by ranged attacks. In addition, the damage scaling of "Frost Nova" has also been increased to eliminate the powerlessness of this skill in the late game.

Lightning Skills

The developers believe that there is room for improvement in the synergies addition of lightning skills with low usage, so they decided to improve the damage output of these skills, thereby opening up more possibilities for new skill genres.

Fire Skills

Improve the low-usage fire skills, and encourage players to use these skills more. It will also improve the gameplay of Hydra, making it easier for players to use the ability in battle.