Diablo IV’s Season 16 PTR is worth assessing through how builds gain their power, rather than just which class received buffs. Some changes substantially increase a skill’s numbers, such as Barbarian’s Double Swing. Others, including Druid skill tags and Paragon Boards or Paladin auras, change how skills and equipment interact.
On the contrary, some of the previously well-used technologies and means of survival have decreased. However, the numbers on the public test server may be adjusted before the official season, and there are Season 15 elements that were missing from this test. Rather than deciding on the strongest class at this stage, it is more useful to look at what your build depends on for damage, resources, and survivability.
Season 16 PTR dates and access
The 3.3.0 PTR runs on PC. Blizzard’s announced window converts to October 28 at 2 a.m. through November 4 at 3 a.m. KST (UTC+9). The Korean clock times differ because US daylight saving time ends during the test period.
After selecting Diablo IV in the Battle.net app, select the public test server from the game version menu above the play button and install it separately. After logging in, create a new test character and select a season character to check out season-related features. PC Game Pass users can also access it in the same way through Battle.net on the Xbox app.
You can receive support for levels, materials, items, etc. from the test server merchant, so it is good to compare various combinations. However, the performance of gear acquired this quickly is not the same as the farming difficulty at the beginning of the actual season. Even if you find a strong build, you must also check the supply of necessary unique items and resources.
What to check in class balance changes
This patch includes both upgrades and nerfs. The information below is not a list of all changes for each class, but is intended as a starting point when examining existing builds. Doubling the skill damage multiplier does not necessarily mean that the final damage of the completed build will also be doubled. This is because the multiplication effect with other gear, attack speed, and resource consumption work together.
Barbarian and Druid
Barbarian's Double Strike deals increased damage per swing from 75% to 150%, and the casting speed penalty for the Chop and Chop variant is removed. This is a change that improves both the technology itself and the feeling of use, so there is a reason to look again at combinations centered on Double Swings. Meanwhile, Charge's Battering Ram variant burn damage has been reduced from 252% to 126%. This is an example where evaluation varies depending on what skills are used even within the same job.
For Druids, structure is more important than numbers. Natural magic and transformation tags are organized based on base skills rather than skill upgrades or variants, and the Conqueror legendary node is also adjusted. The development team announced that even builds that use one type of tag will be able to utilize the legendary board.
This change may be detrimental to combinations that previously benefited from overlapping multiple tags, but on the other hand, there is a possibility that options will be opened without having to force a specific tag to match. The actual evaluation should be based on the results of re-binding the Paragon Board and phase rather than the number of skills alone. Reinforcement and resolution-related effects also change, so check not only the attack power but also the survival method.
Necromancer and Paladin
The Necromancer's Bone Spear and Blood Spear damage increases from 160% to 175%, and there are also changes to the Book of the Dead sacrifice bonus and gear. On the other hand, Blood Orb's healing amount has been lowered from 15% to 10%, and Aging Life Extraction has been reduced as well. There are also changes to minion-related recovery, so rather than choosing gear based on attack power alone, it would be better to check whether recovery is sufficient in difficult content.
Paladin is notable for changing the calculation of aura passive effects to include skill level. At the same time, the values of some related gear will be lowered. This is why it is difficult to judge that the overall effect has decreased at the same rate just because the visible item value has decreased. You must compare the aura level and gear you invested in together.
Rogue and Sorcerer
When Rogue reapplies Dark Infusion, existing effects will now stack instead of being reset. If it attacks frequently and accumulates effects on the same enemy, it is worth paying attention to. However, the damage from vicious upgrades such as piercing shot and repeated shot has been lowered, so it is difficult to say that all bow skills are improved uniformly.
For Sorcerers, Incineration's concentration damage bonus is organized into 'strength', and when it reaches maximum intensity, it remains for a certain period of time even after stopping concentration. It's a change worth looking at the burden of having to stay in place to do damage. On the other hand, existing healing upgrades translate into damage reduction while focused, so you'll need to check if you need to set up a separate recovery option. The reuse and duration of the Flame Wall's Flame Ring change, while the damage coefficient is lowered, so several conditions must be considered together.
Spiritborn and Warlock
Spiritborn’s Stinger base damage falls from 140% to 125%, with some upgrades also nerfed. Razor Wings rises from 120% to 160% and changes how charges recover. If you relied on Stinger, compare switching skills with keeping the strengths of your existing equipment setup after the nerf.
Warlock's Searing Scream's base damage has been lowered from 130% to 115%, while some variants and Conqueror effects have been buffed. Because some unique items are also adjusted, the power of the entire class cannot be determined based on basic skill values alone. In particular, rather than just copying one strong combination, you should check whether the technology variation and gear conditions still match.
War Plans Tactics and Horadric items
Other than job balance, the important change is how to get closer to the desired activities and rewards. War Plans Tactics is a system that increases the probability of certain activities or rewards appearing by investing points earned from War Plans activities. When you need luxury materials, you can pay attention to Obdusite rewards, and when you want to change gear, you can pay attention to the type of gear you want. This is a function that increases the probability, not a function that confirms the rewards every time.
Tokens of Wisdom, earned by submitting completed War Plans, alter nodes in the tactics and individual activity trees. There is room to try out new combinations, but you also need currency, so it makes sense to decide what progression materials you are lacking right now and then invest. The tactical system will be applied to both Seasons and Eternal Realm.
Tyrael’s Boons for seasonal characters is a separate War Plans tree, where you can choose various directions, such as acquiring items or supplying materials. Also, Horadric Items connect the spirit set and gear. For example, Horadric accessories that match the set increase the number of set bonuses by one, so you can activate the 2-set effect by wearing just one amulet. This leaves room to use the remaining amulet slots in other combinations.
The important thing here is that the new gear does not necessarily mean that it is stronger than the existing gear. You need to weigh the benefits of getting a particular set effect in fewer slots versus giving up other options in accessories. It is safe to decide on a build after checking the acquisition difficulty and final values of the official season.
Season 15: storing Prime Evil Thorns
Readers who continue to enjoy Season 15 will also be happy to see the convenience changes in patch 3.2.4. The number of Prime Evil Thorn stacks has been increased from 1 to 99. You can now bundle the same thorns that used to occupy one space each, so they take up less space when storing multiple pieces. The patch also includes stability, screen and UI improvements.
This change is about storage convenience and does not mean that the probability of obtaining thorns or the power of the ability has changed. Blizzard also announced that it plans to carry over some features from Season 15 to Season 16, but explained that which features will remain will be subject to separate notification. We cannot confirm the removal of a specific feature just because it is not visible on this PTR.
Preparing a build before the season starts
Right now, it seems appropriate to compare two or three candidate builds rather than confirming the rating table for one class. First, check whether there are direct nerfs to your main skills and core status, and then look at the conditions for actually continuing the fight, such as resource supply and recovery. If you need new Horadric gear or a spiritual combination, it's also important to have a starting stage that can run without that gear.
Especially for classes with different calculation structures, such as Druid and Paladin, the answer cannot be found just by comparing the pre-patch and post-patch numbers line by line. It is a good idea to check the final patch notes and actual test results together, and make a choice based on whether the style of play you like works reliably at the required difficulty.
