Diablo 4 Season 8: The strongest builds, based on PTR meta

Diablo 4 Season 8 introduces major class balance changes that could reshape the meta. These changes are currently on the 2.2.0 PTR patch, which are early insights rather than final adjustments. The developers have introduced buffs and nerfs that will impact the top-tier builds, especially those that rely solely on ultimate abilities.

One of the biggest adjustments in the Diablo 4 2.2.0 patch is the introduction of an ultimate damage cap at 200%, along with a reduction in incidental crowd control effects. For example, Fist of Fate is being reworked to apply Vulnerability instead of a random crowd control effect.

With these general updates covered, let's break down the class changes and what builds might emerge as the strongest in Diablo 4 Season 8.

Note: According to the Campfire Chat, Blizzard will do balance patches at the beginning of live Season 8 (no more mid-season patches), so some of these may undergo tuning when the season drops.

Important changes to the Barbarian class in Diablo 4 Season 8

Barbarians have held their position as one of the strongest classes in Diablo 4 Season 8. As the strongest build of the class, Earthquake Barbarian remains at its peak with its destructive capabilities. Mighty Throw, Steel Grasp, Double Swing, and Whirlwind are also getting improvements, further solidifying Barbarian’s strength.

Barbarian class is getting a physicality boost in Diablo 4 Season 8 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Mighty Throw & Steel Grasp now have multiplicative damage scaling instead of cooldown reduction.
New unique gloves boost Mighty Throw damage significantly (up to 850x).
Double Swing and Whirlwind getting significant buffs.
Earthquake build remains the best in the class.

Barbarian builds to keep an eye out for in Diablo 4 Season 8 2.2.0 PTR:

1. HotA Earthquake Barbarian – Still one of the best Barbarian builds, with new chest armor and buffs improving its performance even more.

2. Mighty Throw Barbarian – Although the Snapshot fix nerfed it a bit, the new damage buffs compensate for the nerfed stats.

3. HotA Whirlwind Barbarian – Though not as strong as pure HotA build, it's still strong enough.

4. Deathblow Barbarian – Overpower mechanics make this a viable alternative if you want to have a chance of instantly killing enemies and even bosses.

5. Whirlwind Barbarian – Even with the new additional buffs, it's still not a top-tier Barbarian build.

Important changes to the Necromancer class in Diablo 4 Season 8

Necromancer builds are getting nerfed significantly in Diablo 4 Season 8 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Necromancer in Diablo 4 are going through massive overhauls, particularly with minions getting a significant buff. A new two-handed sword improves Army of the Dead, doubling its damage and making Skeletal Mages more powerful (100x increased damage). Skeleton Warriors now explode upon death, offering an alternative damage source.

Regrettably, Blood Wave, the strongest Necromancer build of the class, is getting nerfed significantly with the 2.2.0 patch, and the new minion builds relying solely on Army of the Dead makes it quite dodgy for the high-tier endgame of Diablo 4.

New two-handed sword buffs Army of the Dead and Skeletal Mages.
Skeleton Warriors now explode on death, dealing additional AoE damage.
Blood Wave Necromancer build is nerfed significantly.

Best Necromancer builds to play in Diablo 4 Season 8 2.2.0 PTR

1. Blood Wave Necromancer – Despite Kessime’s Legacy being nerfed in Season 8, this build remains the strongest Necromancer build in Diablo 4, capable of clearing Pit 150 at ease with its top-tier damage scaling.

2. Bone Spirit Necromancer – A fantastic burst-damage build. Great build to use against bosses, for extreme single target damage output.

3. Blood Spear Necromancer – This build excels at single-target and AoE damage. Having access to all damage boosts from the critical strike, Vulnerable, Fortify, and Overpower, allows you to dish out massive damage while being tremendously tanky.

4. Minion Summoner Necromancer – Now benefits from all damage multipliers, making it much stronger.

5. Blood Lance Necromancer – Overpower scaling makes it viable, but not as effective against bosses in the high-tier endgame of Diablo 4.

Primary changes to the Sorcerer class in Diablo 4 Season 8

With the new and improved Ice Shards skill in Diablo 4, more Sorcerer builds might show up in the new season. Ice Shards now shotgun, allows all projectiles to hit a single target. This makes Ice Shards significantly stronger for boss fights, which addresses the long-standing Sorcerer's weakness.

If the shotgun mechanic of Ice Shards works as it's supposed to, it could end up as one of the strongest builds going into Season 8 of Diablo 4.

Sorcerors ice Shards builds are getting a power-up in Diablo 4 Season 8 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Ice Shards can now shotgun, which greatly improves single-target DPS.
New unique helmet grants additional Ice Shards and increases damage by 75x.
Shivering Aspect increases enemy damage taken by 40x based on chill application.

Best Sorcerer builds to play in Diablo 4 Season 8 2.2.0 PTR

1. Shatter Fire bolt Sorcerer - Shatter double-dip mechanics and Firebolt Enchant buffs make this very efficient and strong.

2. Ball Lightning Sorcerer - New offhand helps, but DPS is still mediocre.

3. Lightning Spear Sorcerer - Still good despite nerfs.

4. Frozen Orb Sorcerer - Cold buffs help, but not enough to make it top-tier.

5. Blizzard Sorcerer - Same as Frozen Orb; buffs are minor.

Major changes to the Rogue class in Diablo 4 Season 8

The Rogue class is shifting toward trap-based builds, particularly Poison Trap, in Diablo 4 2.2.0 PTR. A new unique glove increases maximum Poison Traps by two, removes its cooldown during Inner Sight, and allows it to benefit from using combo points. Additionally, the Aspect of Contamination boosts Poison Trap’s burst damage by 40x when it critically strikes.

If the Poison Trap skill works well with other skills, Rogues could be a top-tier build contender in Diablo 4.

Rogues are getting attention to their trapper skills in Diablo 4 Season 8 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

New unique gloves increase max Poison Traps and reduce cooldown during Inner Sight.
Poison Trap benefits from combo points and deals 100x increased damage.
Aspect of Contamination boosts Poison Trap’s burst damage.

Best Rogue builds to play in Diablo 4 Season 8 2.2.0 PTR

1. Rain of Arrows Rogue – One of the strongest Rogue builds, capable of clearing Pit 135.

2. Rapid Fire Rogue – Scoundrel’s Kiss makes this a powerhouse build, capable of eliminating groups of enemies. Using Shadow Clone with this build makes it even more potent.

3. Death Trap Rogue – Although a very strong build, it requires additional buffs to make it much more viable.

4. Twisting Blades Rogue – An extremely offensive build, but requiring Shadow Clone synergy improves this build. Requires specific gear and aspects to work optimally.

5. Dance of Knives Rogue – Requires certain items and aspects to work; works with Shadow Clone.

Main changes to Druid class in Diablo 4 Season 8

Cataclysm Druid build received significant nerfs, specifically by making snapshots more difficult to achieve. This means players will need to carefully time activation skills, making the druid build less enjoyable for casual players.

Human Druid is also getting buffs, with a new unique helmet granting attack speed bonuses and three key passives when specific conditions are met. However, the requirement of 200 critical strikes within 10 seconds to activate its bonus makes it extremely difficult to utilize in boss fights.

Additionally, the Aspect of Impending Deluge boosts Storm Strike damage and increases the damage enemies take from other skills, potentially pushing hybrid builds in Season 8 of Diablo 4.

Druid builds are getting buffs in Diablo 4 Season 8 but remain difficult to play (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Cataclysm snapshotting is harder to maintain, reducing its effectiveness in combat.
New unique helmet buffs Human Druid, granting attack speed and key passives, but requirements are extremely high.
Aspect of Impending Deluge increases Storm Strike’s power and pushes hybrid builds.

Best Druid Builds to check out in Diablo 4 Season 8 2.2.0 PTR

1. Cataclysm Druid – Still one of the best Druid builds in Diablo 4, regardless of the nerfs to Runemaster snapshotting.

2. Shred Druid – Blurred Beast Aspect rework makes Shred much stronger.

3. Landslide Druid – Strong crowd-controlling build, but not quite the best at dishing out single-target DPS.

4. Hurricane Druid – Extremely tanky with decent damage. Requires a lot of micromanaging playstyle to get to full potential.

5. Wolf Companion Druid – Pets now benefit from all multipliers, making this an interesting alternative. Good Single target damage, but not so good for AoE damage output.

Main changes to Spiritborn class in Diablo 4 Season 8

You gather Storm Feathers to activate bonuses in Spiritborn, a new feature that works similarly to Crackling Energy in Diablo 4. A brand-new, one-of-a-kind amulet produces a Firestorm that intensifies with the gathered Storm Feathers. The Rushing Claw skill also benefits from the Rip and Tear Aspect, which guarantees critical, overpower, and charge-based healing.

Despite all these changes to the class, Spiritborn builds could get left behind because the feather-collection mechanism might be janky in high tier endgame of Diablo 4.

Spiritborn builds are getting a significant amount of buffs in Diablo 4 Season 8 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

New unique amulet generates Firestorms when collecting Storm Feathers.
Rip and Tear Aspect boosts Rushing Claw with guaranteed crits and overpower.

Best Spiritborn Builds to look out for in Diablo 4 Season 8 2.2.0 PTR

1. Quill Volley Spiritborn – Still one of the strongest builds that came out of Vessel of Hatred expansion.

2. Razor Wings Spiritborn – Received a lot of buffs, which makes it a top-tier build.

3. Crushing Hands Spiritborn – Still one of the fastest speed-farming Spiritborn builds. Relies heavily on stacking buffs, which makes it a heavy hitter.

4. Touch of Death Spiritborn – Big nerfs in Season 8 2.2.0 PTR now make this a much weaker build, but it still packs a punch.

5. Infinite Evade Spiritborn – Still good for PvP battles but lacks sufficient power to engage in high-tier PvE combat.

In conclusion, Season 8 of Diablo 4 offers a vast line-up of builds and class reworks that will reshape the gameplay. The current player feedback loop and responsiveness from Blizzard will both play a pivotal role in making sure that the majority of builds see their full potential realized.

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Edited by Ashmita Bhatt