Diablo 4 Campfire Chat Summary for Patch 1.1.1

On July 29, Diablo 4’s development team held a Campfire Chat for the upcoming Patch 1.1.1 to discuss with the community what will go live on August 8. In the one-hour livestream, lead class designer Adam Jackson, game director Joe Shely, associate game director Joseph Piepora, and associate director of community Adam Fletcher gave us the details on what quality-of-life updates, class balance changes, and more we can expect in the coming patch.

The team also answered the burning questions from players in the Q&A session during the end of the stream. You can watch the full livestream to try and catch up, but if you’re strapped for time, we’ll be sharing all the important things you should know about that are coming to Diablo 4.

The Mood Wasn’t As Grim As We Expected

Campfire Chats are essentially lengthy streams in which developers can discuss the upcoming changes they’re planning for Diablo 4. The mood of the stream was initially somber since the usually smiling panel was seen with grim expressions, most likely due to the previous tough week of critical feedback from the community. In the past Campfire Chats, the team would have their usual smiles and could be seen cracking jokes, but the latest presentation had a different mood that’s easy to notice.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long before we returned with the usual casual pace. Patch notes weren’t typically discussed in Campfire Chats, but on July 29, Blizzard broke that tradition and detailed a lengthy but informative list of promised changes to Diablo 4. They primarily focused on the two character classes that have received the most complaints in the community: the Sorcerer and the Barbarian.

Major Class Changes

As I’ve said before, the Sorcerer and the Barbarian received most of the attention during the recent Campfire Chat, but let’s not forget about the other class changes. The Necromancers, Druids, and Rogues will get minor QoL adjustments and targeted improvements.

Here are the class changes for the Barbarian and the Sorcerer we can expect for Patch 1.1.1:

Barbarian

Skills

• Bash – Fury gained increased from 11 to 13
• Flay – Fury gained increased from 10 to 13
• Lunging Strike – Fury gained increased from 10 to 12
• Double Swing – Damage increased from 40% to 50%
• Frenzy (Enhanced Frenzy) – Fury gained increased from 2 to 3
• Rupture (Enhanced Rupture) – Damage increased from 45% to 70%
• Charge (Enhanced Charge) – Damage increased from 30% to 60%
  • Mighty Charge – Duration of Vulnerable increased from 2 to 4 seconds
• Upheaval (Violent Upheaval) – If Upheaveal damages a Boss or at least 2 enemies, you gain Berserking for 2 seconds (increased for 3 seconds if you damage at least 4 enemies)

Passives

• Aggressive Resistance – Damage reduction increased from 3% to 4%
• Walking Arsenal – Bonus damage duration increased from 6 to 8 seconds
• Gushing Wounds – Bleed damage (based on Critical DMG bonus) increased from 100% to 115%
• Unconstrained – Tooltip’s been updated to reflect the Key Passive’s value; Berserking DMG bonus increased from 25% to 35%

Uniques

• Hellhammer
  • Burning duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds
  • Damage increased from .6-.8 to .85-1.1
  • Damage to CCed enemies affix will be replaced with Bonus Critical Strike DMG
• Fields of Crimson
  • Damage increased from .18-.34 to .22-.38
  • Rupture Cooldown Reduction affix replaced with Bonus Critical Strike DMG
  • Damage enemies take standing in pools increased from 15% to 20%
• Battle Trance
  • Bonus Attack Speed to other skills increased from 10-20% to 35-45%
  • Basic Skill DMG affixed replaced with Cooldown Reduction
• Ramaladni’s Magnum Opus
  • Physical DMG affix replaced with Vulnerable DMG
• 100,000 Steps
  • Damaged against Stunned affix replaced with Bonus Movement Speed
  • Attacks reduce Evade’s cooldown affix replaced with Bonus Evade Charges

Legendaries

• Aspect of Bul-Kathos – Damage reduction while in Earthquakes increased from 5-15% to 15-25%
• Aspect of Ancestral Charge – Damage increased from 50-100% to 75-125%
• Death Wish Aspect – Thorns increased from .5-.75 to .65-.85
• Aspect of Unrelenting Fury – Core Skill cost to refund increased from 10-20% to 20-30%
  • Cost refund is also granted when hitting Bosses
• Aspect of Burning Rage – Damage increased from .22-.28 to .3-.38
• Earthquake Aspect – Damage bonus from Earthquakes increased from 5-15% to 15-25%

Sorcerer

Skills

• Fireball
  • Destructive Fireball – Critical Strike DMG increased by 20%; the bonus is increased to 30% if the Fireball hits 3 or more enemies
  • Enhanced Fireball – Casting Fireball will increase its radius by 50%
• Chain Lightning
  • Destructive Chain Lightning – The chance to form Crackling Energy increased from 25% to 30%
  • Greater Chain Lightning – Whenever Chain Lightning bounces, the next hit will deal 5% increased damage

Passives

• Combustion – Burning effects will deal x20% increased DMG plus an additional x2% per unique source of Burning you’ve applied to an enemy
• Vyr’s Mastery – Damage bonus increased from 10% to 15%
• Esu’s Ferocity – Gains the additional functionality of both bonuses being granted for 3 seconds when you hit a boss with a Critical Strike

Uniques

• Gloves of the Illuminator
  • Damage to Stunned affix replaced with Change to Restore Resource Lucky Hit
  • Damage penalty reduced from 55-65% to 35-45%
  • Reduce the distance offset per bounce from 3 to 2.5 range

Legendaries

• Aspect of Three Curses – Increased Critical Strike DMG of Fireball and Meteor by 20-40%; this bonus is doubled against healthy enemies
• Serpentine Aspect – You can have 1 additional Hydra active; Hydra’s duration is increased by 14-24% (also affects Hydra’s Enchantment Effect)
• Gravitational Aspect – Ball Lightning orbits around you, dealing 15-25% increased DMG
• Aspect of Conflagration – Bonus Burning DMG increased from 20-30% to 20-40%
• Flamewalker’s Aspect – Bonus Movement Speed duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds
• Aspect of Engulfing Flames – Bonus Burning DMG increased from 30-40% to 60-80%
• Snowveiled Aspect – Duration of Unstoppable is increased from 2-3 to 3-5 seconds
• Aspect of Concentration – Mana Regen increased from 20-30% to 40-50%; the duration requirement to gain benefit is reduced from 3 to 2 seconds
• Storm Swell Aspect – Bonus DMG increased from 11-20% to 21-30%
• Snowguard’s Aspect – While you’re on your own Blizzard, take 20-25% less damage for 2 seconds after leaving it
• Incendiary Aspect – Lucky Hit: Damage from your Pyromancy skills has a 12-17% chance to restore 10 Mana
• Aspect of Frozen Orbit – Damage increased from 20-30% to 30-40%
• Recharging Aspect – Whenever Chain Lightning bounces, you gain 2-3 Mana
• Aspect of the Bounding Conduit – Bonus Movement Speed increased from 20-25% to 25-30%
• Aspect of Unbroken Tether – Bonus Chain Lightning bounces increased from 2 to 4
• Charged Aspect – Movement Speed duration bonus increased from 4 to 8 seconds
• Mage Lord’s Aspect (New Legendary) – Vyr’s Mastery Key Passive Damage Reduction increased by 20-30% up to 60-90% for each close enemy

Paragon

• Guarded Rare Node
  • Bonus DMG reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%
  • Damage reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%
• Smoldering Embers Rare Node
  • Damage reduction from Burning enemies increased from 4% to 5%
  • Bonus DMG reduction from Burning enemies increased from 4% to 5%
• Restorative Rare Node – Maximum Life bonus increased from 4% to 6%
• Oppressive Rare Node – Damage reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%
• Lightning Resilience Rare Node – Maximum Life bonus increased from 4% to 6%
• Reinforce Rare Glyph – Damage reduction increased from 10% to 15%
• Warding Rare Glyph – Damage reduction increased from 13% to 25%
• Territorial Rare Glyph – Damage reduction increased from 10% to 15%
• Ceaseless Conduit Legendary Node – Increase Crackling Energy’s damage from 2% to 3% (per 20 Intelligence)
• Keeper of Flames Rare Node
  • Bonus DMG reduction increased from 4% to 5%
  • Damage reduction increased from 4% to 5%
• Searing Heat Legendary Node – Casting Meteor or Fireball increases your Critical Strike Chance by 5-15% for 5 seconds

Gameplay Changes

During the Diablo 4 Patch 1.1.1 Campfire Chat, the developers promised many gameplay updates that will come to the ARPG when it goes live.

• Helltide and Nightmare Dungeons monster density will be increased.
• Respec cost will be reduced by 40%.
• The Dungeon teleport time will be reverted to 3 seconds.
• Dungeons will have a higher chance to drop Legendary items.
• Legion Events will guarantee a Legendary item drop at level 35+.
• An additional Stash Tab will be available for purchase using Gold.
• Once you’re level 15+, Treasure Goblins will have a 100% Legendary drop chance.
• Some Nightmare Dungeon affixes will be removed from the pool. These include Backstabber, Resource Drain, and Cold Enchanted.

What’s Cooking?

Besides the ones I’ve listed, Blizzard also has some changes currently in progress. For starters, they’re looking to adjust resistances to be more effective. Furthermore, the Overpower stat will be improved to be more “meaningful” once players reach the endgame. More tweaks, such as a buff to Necromancer minion builds, elemental resistances, enemy density issues, and pacing, won’t be ready for Patch 1.1.1. However, these are on their way.

A Step In the Right Direction

As someone impacted negatively by the vast swathes of debuffs by the Season of the Malignant pre-season update, these changes the developers plan to implement seem like a step in the right direction. With the 1.1.1 patch rolling out next week, I’m hoping this will ease the pain everyone has gone through during the beginning of Season 1