Season 8 introduces a host of significant balance changes in Diablo 4, especially through the 2.2.0 PTR patch. These updates are likely to have a major impact on the top-tier builds in the game. Let's break down the changes to each class and highlight the strongest builds to watch for in the upcoming season.

Barbarian Builds: Dominating the Battlefield

The Barbarian class is staying strong in Season 8, particularly with Earthquake Barbarian maintaining its position as one of the top-tier builds. However, several other Barbarian builds are getting buffs, especially Mighty Throw and Whirlwind.

Barbarian Build Highlights

Earthquake Barbarian remains the go-to build for massive AoE damage, enhanced further with buffs to Chest Armor and damage scaling.

Mighty Throw Barbarian gets substantial damage buffs to compensate for earlier nerfs, especially with the new unique gloves that boost damage significantly.

Whirlwind Barbarian is still a strong build, although not as potent as pure HotA Earthquake Barbarian.

Deathblow Barbarian uses Overpower mechanics for quick kills, especially against bosses.

HotA Whirlwind Barbarian remains competitive but not quite as powerful as the Earthquake build.

Top Barbarian Builds for Season 8:

HotA Earthquake Barbarian - Best for high AoE damage.

Mighty Throw Barbarian - Reliable, with great damage scaling.

Deathblow Barbarian - Excellent for quickly eliminating enemies and bosses.

Whirlwind Barbarian - Stronger with buffs, but still not top-tier.

Necromancer Builds: Minions and Bone Damage Dominate

Necromancer undergoes massive changes, particularly with a focus on minion builds and the Army of the Dead ability. Although the Blood Wave Necromancer build faces a nerf, other builds like Bone Spirit and Blood Spear are solid contenders.

Necromancer Build Highlights

Army of the Dead gains a huge buff with the new two-handed sword and Skeletal Mages, making this build more powerful than ever.

Blood Wave gets nerfed but remains strong, especially for high-tier scaling.

Bone Spirit Necromancer is the go-to for burst damage, excelling against bosses.

Blood Spear Necromancer is a top choice for both single-target and AoE damage, with massive scaling from Overpower.

Minion Summoner Necromancer now benefits from all damage multipliers, making it a formidable option.

Top Necromancer Builds for Season 8:

Blood Wave Necromancer - Despite nerfs, still one of the top choices for top-tier scaling.

Bone Spirit Necromancer - Fantastic for burst damage and boss fights.

Blood Spear Necromancer - Versatile and powerful for single-target and AoE.

Minion Summoner Necromancer - Great for scaling with damage multipliers.

Sorcerer Builds: Ice Shards and Burst Damage

The Sorcerer class receives significant updates, particularly with the Ice Shards skill. Ice Shards now has a shotgun mechanic, allowing multiple projectiles to hit a single target, which can drastically improve its performance in boss fights.

Sorcerer Build Highlights

Ice Shards is poised to be one of the strongest builds for boss fights thanks to its shotgun mechanic, which allows all projectiles to target the same enemy for massive damage.

Other Sorcerer builds that focus on Fire and Lightning will also be impacted by these changes, though Ice Shards is likely to become the go-to build for high single-target damage.

Top Sorcerer Builds for Season 8:

Ice Shards Sorcerer - Best for boss fights and high single-target damage.

Summary of Strongest Builds for Diablo 4 Season 8 (PTR)

Barbarian: HotA Earthquake Barbarian and Mighty Throw Barbarian remain top-tier for AoE and single-target damage.

Necromancer: Blood Wave Necromancer still dominates, but Bone Spirit and Blood Spear provide excellent alternatives for burst and AoE.

Sorcerer: Ice Shards Sorcerer is set to dominate with its new shotgun mechanic for boss encounters.

As always, the final balance of these builds will depend on Blizzard's adjustments before the season officially launches. However, these are the most likely contenders to define the meta for Season 8 of Diablo 4

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MMOexp Diablo 4 Team