Blizzard has officially dropped Patch 2.3.1 for Diablo 4 on July 15, and it’s packed with long-awaited buffs, quality-of-life improvements, and solutions to resource bottlenecks. This patch is a game-changer if you’re a returning player or someone grinding out endgame gear.
Let’s break down the biggest highlights from Patch 2.3.1 and what they mean for your builds in Season of the Horadrim.
🔥 Every Class Gets Buffed — Especially Druid & Barbarian
Blizzard is finally showing love to all classes, but Druid and Barbarian players hit the jackpot.
🐻 Pulverize Druid Just Got Even Better
Already the most dominant build in Season 9, Pulverize Druid saw a 25% damage increase, raising its base modifier from 150% to 175%. This makes speed-farming Pit 110+ even easier, with many players reporting 30–40 billion damage outputs with minimal effort.
Even “The Greatstaff of the Crone” got reworked:
- Claw is now a Storm skill
- It casts Storm Strike
- Both Claw and Storm Strike now deal 250% more Damage
It’s a huge buff to hybrid builds combining Werewolf and Storm themes.
💪 Barbarian: All Core Skills Buffed
After being long regarded as the weakest class, Diablo 4 Barbarians received major boosts:
- Double Swing: +20% Damage
- Hammer of the Ancients: +60%
- Rend: +15% Bleed Damage
- Upheaval: +70%
- Whirlwind: Buffed again
- Barbarian Carapace: More Thorns Damage
Still, these core skills don’t yet match the ludicrous Damage of Lunging Strike builds, but it’s a big step in the right direction.
🧟 Necromancer Golem Build Goes Nuclear
A new king may rise: Golem Necromancer.
The Hulking Monstrosity passive got reworked:
- Golem now benefits from an additional 35% damage from sacrificed Skeletal Mages and Warriors
- This adds up to a +120% bonus damage
- Combined with the Sacrificial Aspect, bonuses can hit +240%
Result? Golems now reach 340%+ multiplicative Damage, making them a top-tier choice for farming and boss melting. The Blood Golem especially shines in single-target fights.
🗡️ Rogue and Sorcerer: Small Buffs, Missed Opportunities
🗡️ Rogue
- Death Mask of Nirmitruq: Damage bonus up from 70% to 100% (still underused)
- Diablo 4 Breakneck Bandit’s Aspect: +10% Damage
Not enough to shake up the meta or bring unused Rogue builds back to life.
❄️ Sorcerer
- Meteor Impact: +20%
- Frozen Orbit: +20%
- Avalanche Vulnerable Bonus: From 75% → 100%
Hydra builds remain supreme. Even low-level Sorcs can destroy Pit 90s with ease using Aegis. Other skills like Blizzard and Lightning Spear are still fun, but drastically underperform.
⚙️ Season of the Horror Dream: Big Quality-of-Life Changes
Patch 2.3.1 also brought major seasonal improvements:
✅ Arcana Now Auto-Picked
No more running around to grab Arcana. Hail Mary or not—it’s a welcome change for late-season grinders.
💎 Myriad Stone Revamped
- Now grants a temporary additive attack speed (stacks with permanent sources)
- Synergizes well with builds that rely on fast-paced cooldowns and resets
🌀 Horadric Artifact Channels Improved
- Channel time reduced
- No longer interrupted by Damage
This makes artifact hunting far more reliable, especially in hectic dungeons.
💀 Forgotten Souls No Longer a Bottleneck
Patch 2.3.1 addresses a huge pain point: the scarcity of Forgotten Souls, used in endless Masterwork rerolls.
New ways to get Forgotten Souls:
- Legion Events: More drops in Torment difficulties
- Horadric Chests in Nightmare Dungeons
- Strongrooms and Motes: Motes now give more XP and share between party members
This ensures players aren’t punished for pushing harder content and failing, making late-game crafting smoother and more rewarding.
❗ What’s Still Missing?
While the patch is a massive step forward, many core skills still underperform, and entire builds remain nonviable.
For example:
- Blood Surge needs a complete rework after the Overpower nerf
- Dozens of Uniques remain outdated, offering little synergy with current systems
- The Hydra Sorcerer outshines all, but other Sorc builds need serious help
Blizzard needs a dedicated team to revamp old content and rebalance outdated gear before introducing more.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Patch 2.3.1 is a major win, especially for Druid, Barbarian, and Necromancer mains. Players can farm longer without burning through Forgotten Souls, and some long-awaited buffs are finally here. But if you’re hoping for total build diversity and Sorcerer revival outside Hydra…, we may have to wait for Season 10.
