Recap of Campfire Conversations in Diablo 4

It has only been a week since our last gathering around the campfire for a Diablo 4 Campfire Chat with the Diablo team. This time, the focus is on the upcoming 1.1.1. patch and the promised balance changes and discussions before the release of the patch.

Overall, I’m mostly positive about the Sorcerer changes. They bring significant improvements to survivability and address some of the class’s unnecessary annoyances. However, we must acknowledge the disappointment of patch 1.1.0. Taking one step forward and then three steps back is never a net positive. Join me as we explore the highlights of the July 28 patch 1.1.1 Diablo 4 Campfire Chat.

General changes

The majority of this patch revolves around class balance, particularly for the Sorcerer. However, there are also some noteworthy general changes and improvements in quality of life.

• Another Stash Tab can now be purchased with gold. It’s still not enough, but any progress is welcome.
• The unnecessary increase in dungeon teleport time from three seconds to five seconds, introduced in patch 1.1.0, will be reverted.
• Monster density will see an increase in Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides.
• Respec costs will be reduced by 40%. Although respecs should ideally be free, this is a step in the right direction.
• Several annoying Nightmare Dungeon Affixes, such as Resource Dragin, Cold Enchanted, and Backstabber, will be removed from the game.
• The drop rates of Legendary items will be increased across various content types. Dungeons will have a higher chance of dropping Legendaries, Legion Events and encounters with The Butcher will guarantee a Legendary drop, and Treasure Goblins will have a 50% increased chance of dropping a Legendary item starting at Level 35.
• Uniques will become more viable, including The Oculus.
• The effectiveness of Ultimate abilities will be increased in the late game.

The team also mentioned some future changes that won’t be included in this patch. Many of their concerns revolve around increasing build diversity in the game, which I believe should be a priority.

Changes for all classes in patch 1.1.1.

All five Diablo 4 classes will receive some changes in patch 1.1.1. The Sorcerer and Barbarian will see the most changes, but it’s great to see attention given to all classes.

• Most Sorcerer skills, passives, paragons, and Legendaries will receive buffs. Additionally, Sorcerer-specific Aspects will only provide benefits without downsides. For example, Serpentine Aspect will increase the number of active Hydras without reducing their duration. Sorcerers will also see improved survivability.
• At first glance, the Barbarian changes seem relatively minor. They may have some impact, especially in the early game. Generally, basic skill damage is being increased, and some Barbarian-specific Legendary and Unique items will receive greater benefits. Most skill changes focus on increasing Fury generation, which, while helpful, may not fully address their issues in the mid to late game.
• There aren’t many changes for the Rogue, but it seems the team is working to create more viable build options beyond the current ones. Rain of Arrows, Forceful Arrow, and Invigorating Strike will all receive buffs. It remains to be seen if these changes will inspire players to try these builds.
• Both Druids and Necromancers will have increased minion builds. Minions will deal more damage and take less damage overall. The surprise nerfs to minions at the release of Diablo 4 made their builds nearly unplayable until now, so I’m glad to see this change. Additionally, Druids will have increased Spirit generation, and Necromancers will finally have a fix for their Imperfectly Balanced passive.

These are the key highlights from our Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap. Patch 1.1.1 is set to launch on August 8, with the full list of patch notes available on August 2.