• Diablo III PTR 2.7.7 - Now Live

    Diablo III PTR 2.7.7 - Now Live

    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Post)

    Hail, Nephalem!

    We welcome you to the Diablo III Patch 2.7.7 PTR. From December 5–12, we’ll need your help in testing balance changes for all Classes and 2 returning Season themes that are being permanently added to the game for all modes—Rites of Sanctuary and Visions of Enmity.

     

    Please note that this is a preview for PTR content, which is subject to change. As this is a test server, please anticipate uneven game performance, and note that restarts and downtime may occur without warning. Thank you, and we look forward to your feedback!

     

    PTR Focus and Details

    The Patch 2.7.7 PTR will soon be under way. During this time, there may be periodic maintenances, outages, hotfixes, or minor patches. We urge you to focus your playthrough on the following:

     

    • Rites of Sanctuary and Visions of Enmity: Based on positive community feedback, we saw these Season themes were such a hit that we’ve decided to make them permanent. Players can harness the might from the Altar of Rites and Diabolical Fissures to dream up unique Class builds and achieve new levels of power.
    • Class Balance: To ensure that the most significant class changes receive an ample amount of attention, we'd love for you to focus testing and providing feedback on the balance changes for all Classes.
    • PTR-unique buffs will be active to help you on your journey: increased experience gains, and double Blood Shard drops. You can also buy new gear for testing from the special PTR vendor, Djank Mi'em, who will exchange Blood Shards for class-specific bags full of Legendary Items that we'd love for you to test!

    So that we can efficiently review your posts, please provide feedback in the PTR Feedback forum and bug reports in the PTR Bug Report forum.

     

    PTR Testing Tips

    As with our previous PTRs, this testing period is short, so it's best to hit the ground running. Whether you’re a PTR veteran or newcomer, we thought we’d pass along a few tips to get you started.

    • Because of the limited duration of this PTR, we ask that participants pick a particular portion of this update to focus on testing.
    • For example, if you’re primarily a Witch Doctor player, consider what changes impact the Witch Doctor specifically. What you like best, what you think may still need adjustment, and what you’d want to see in the future (even if that may be beyond the scope of this patch) are all good questions to ask yourself before submitting feedback.
    • Try to break things! Just tell us when you do so we can make sure that the patch’s launch is as smooth as possible.
    • When providing feedback, focus less on a solution and more on your experience. How did the changes make you feel? Did something seem incorrect or insufficient? Suggestions are always welcome but identifying the issues themselves is most important.

    New Permanent Features: Rites of Sanctuary and Visions of Enmity

    Back by popular demand, the Rites of Sanctuary and Visions of Enmity Season themes have become a permanent fixture of Diablo III. While we are extremely excited to make these features always available, to ensure your time slaying demons remains balanced, we had to make some adjustments to the bonuses provided by the Altar of Rites. When existent alongside Visions of Enmity, continual Season themes, and adjustments to Class balance, we felt the game’s balance would benefit from adjustments to Rites of Sanctuary. Here’s what has changed:

     

    • Force
      • Decreased damage to +100 from +200.
    • Shadow
      • Decreased Missile Damage Reduction to 5% from 25%.
    • Exodus
      • Decreased Movement Speed (Uncapped) to +10% from +25%.
    • Command
      • Increased damage against Elites reduced to 5% from 15%.
    • Tenacity
      • Increased damage reduced to 5% from 20%.
    • Reverence
      • Reduces damage taken from Elites by 5%, previously 25%.
    • Numb
      • 25% Decreased Melee Damage Reduction to 5% from 25%.
    • Nature
      • Highest elemental skill damage bonus increased by 5%, previously 10%.
    • Prowess
      • Increased damage against Elites reduced to 5% from 20%.
    • Roar
      • Damage done to Bosses increased to 5% from 50%.
    • Elegance
      • Chance to Dodge increased by 5%, previously 15%.
    • Malice
      • Decreased to +5% Damage from +30% Damage.
    • Father
      • Power pylon has been removed from random Shrine effect.
    • Mother
      • Triune of Love Circle now increases damage by 50%, previously 100%.
    Developer's Note: In addition to the desire for all of Diablo III’s systems to feel both fun and challenging, the Altar of Rites adjustments were made to maintain a sense of progression throughout playing while not coming into conflict with other features.

    Class Balance Changes

    Striking a middle ground between fun and balanced is our top priority when it comes to Classes. As we mentioned in our Season 29 article, going forward, a series of iconic themes from Seasons past will be reintroduced roughly every 3 months. The below Class balances changes were made to ensure each Class remains both fun and balanced as powerful Season themes return to Diablo III.

    Developer's Note: Over time, we have seen some builds gain a massive amount of power, leaving other builds behind and in need of updates. The Wizard's Meteor has dominated the battlegrounds of Sanctuary for far too long, as well as some other Sets. We believe to have found a good avenue for each build to perform in and have improved Sets across each class to work towards this goal. Given the number of changes we have made for this PTR, receiving feedback from the community is crucial in ensuring we hit the mark.

    Barbarian

    • Might of the Earth
      • Increased the damage of Earthquake, Avalanche, Leap, Ground Stomp, Ancient Spear and Seismic Slam to 37,500% from 20,000%.
    • The Legacy of Raekor
      • Hitting enemies with Furious Charge or Weapon Throw increases the damage of your next Ancient Spear by 2,500% from 5,500% and causes it to release multiple spears from its target. This effect stacks and each spear throw consumes a maximum of 5 stacks.

    Crusader

    • Roland's Legacy
      • Increased the damage of Shield Bash and Sweep Attack to 40,000% from 17,500%.
    • Aegis of Valor
      • Increased the damage of Fist of the Heavens and Heaven's Fury to 15,000% from 20,000%.
    • Akkhan's Manacles
      • Blessed Shield damage is increased by 400-500% for the first enemy it hits. Additionally, this bonus continues and is reduced by 50% for each subsequent non Shattering Throw target.
    • Blade of Prophecy
      • Condemned enemies also trigger Condemn's explosion and the damage of Condemn is increased by 600-800%.
    • Faithful Memory
      • Each enemy hit by Falling Sword increases the damage of Blessed Hammer by 60-80% for 10 seconds. Max 10 stacks. Each stack of this buff can now stack between uses instead of resetting.

    Demon Hunter

    • The Shadow's Mantle
      • Impale’s additional damage increased to 120,000% weapon damage from 75,000% to the first enemy hit, and to 40,000% from 25,000% to subsequent enemies.
    • Embodiment of the Marauder
      • Your primary skills, Elemental Arrow, Chakram, Impale, Multishot, Cluster Arrow, Companions, Vengeance, and Sentries now deal 6,500% increased damage, previously 12,000%, for every active Sentry.

    Monk

    • Raiment of a Thousand Storms
      • Your Spirit Generators increase the weapon damage of Dashing Strike to 60,000% for 6 seconds and Dashing Strike increases the damage of your Spirit Generators by 14,000%, instead of 6,000%, for 6 seconds.
    • Uliana's Stratagem
      • Increased the damage of your Exploding Palm from 9,000% to 12,500% and your Seven-Sided Strike detonates your Exploding Palm.
    • Kyoshiro's Blade
      • When the initial impact of your Wave of Light hits 5 or fewer enemies, previously 3, the damage is increased by 200-250%.

    Necromancer

    • Pestilence
      • Each corpse you consume grants you an Empowered Bone Spear charge that increases the damage of your next Bone Spear by 6,000% from 3,300%. In addition, Corpse Lance and Corpse Explosion damage is increased by 6,000% from 3,300%.
    • Inarius
      • Bone Armor also activates a swirling tornado of bone, damaging nearby enemies for 1000% weapon damage and increasing the damage they take from the Necromancer to 19,000% from 10,000%.
    • Trag'Oul's Avatar
      • Your Life-spending abilities deal 6,250% increased damage, previously 10,000%, and your healing from skills is increased by 100%.
    • Masquerade of the Burning Carnival
      • Bone Spear cast by you and your Simulacrums deals 5,500% increased damage, previously 9,000%. Simulacrums gain triple this bonus.
    • Bloodtide Blade
      • Death Nova deals 300-400% increased damage for every enemy within 25 yards, up to 10 enemies, previously 25 enemies.
    • Grasps of Essence
      • When an exploded corpse damages at least one enemy, your Corpse Explosion deals 150-200% increased damage for 6 seconds, stacking up to 4 times, previously 5 stacks.
    • Corpsewhisper Pauldrons
      • Corpse Lance damage is increased to 50-75% from 20-30% for 3 seconds when you consume a corpse. Max 20 stacks.

    Witch Doctor

    • Raiment of the Jade Harvester
      • Soul Harvest reduces damage taken by 50% for 12 seconds and consumes your damage over time effects on enemies, instantly dealing 26,000 seconds worth of remaining damage, previously 10,000.
    • Helltooth Harness
      • After casting Wall of Death, gain 37,500% increased damage, previously 17,500%, for 15 seconds to your primary skills, Acid Cloud, Firebats, Zombie Charger, Zombie Dogs, Gargantuan, Grasp of the Dead, Piranhas, and Wall of Death.
    • Mundunugu's Regalia
      • Spirit Barrage deals 15,000% increased damage, previously 20,000% plus an additional % equal to 5 times your Mana Regeneration/Second.
    • Spirit of Arachyr
      • The damage of your creature skills is increased by 11,500%, previously 25,000%. Creature skills are Corpse Spiders, Plague of Toads, Firebats, Locust Swarm, Hex, and Piranhas.
    • Zunimassa's Haunt
      • Enemies hit by your Mana spenders take 13,000% increased damage, previously 15,000%, from your pets for 8 seconds.

    Wizard

    • Delsere's Magnum Opus
      • Enemies affected by your Slow Time and for 5 seconds after exiting take 20,000% increased damage, previously 12,500%, from your Arcane Orb, Energy Twister, Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute, and Arcane Torrent abilities.
    • Tal Rasha's Elements
      • Attacks increase your damage by 1,000%, previously 2,000%, for 8 seconds. Arcane, Cold, Fire, and Lightning attacks each add one stack. At 4 stacks, each different elemental attack extends the duration by 2 seconds, up to a maximum of 8 seconds.
    • The Smoldering Core
      • Lesser enemies are now lured to your Meteor impact areas. Meteors deal 40-50% increased damage on consecutive hits to the same target. This stacks up to 3 times, previously 10.
    • The Twisted Sword
      • Energy Twister damage is increased by 125-150% for each Energy Twister you have out up to a maximum of 3, previously 5. The Raging Storm rune is automatically applied to Energy Twister and allows the tornado to merge with 3 additional Energy Twisters.

    How to Participate in the PTR

    To participate in the public test, you must have a Diablo III game license attached to a Battle.net account in good standing (i.e. one that hasn't been suspended or banned). In addition, you will also need to download and install the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app if you have not already done so.

     

    Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.

    Step 2: Navigate to the Diablo III tab on the left-hand menu.

    Step 3: On the Diablo III screen, there is a drop-down menu right above the "Play" button (note that this may say "Install" if you do not have Diablo III currently installed). Select "PTR: Diablo III" from this drop-down menu before proceeding.

    Step 4: Click Install to begin the installation process.

     

    Your PTR account will be created automatically if you do not already have one. The PTR is available in all supported languages, and accounts from all regions are eligible to participate. For additional assistance with installing and launching the PTR, click here.

    PTR Character Copy

    The option to copy your existing Diablo III characters from your live account to the PTR will be available and can be done directly through the PTR client. However, only one region per account can be copied at a time. So, if you choose to copy characters from your account in a different region, any previously copied PTR characters will be lost.

     

    Step 1: Log into the live game and then log out.

    Step 2: Log into PTR client and create a level 1 character. After you're done, return to the main character screen.

    Step 3: Click on the "PTR Copy" button located in the upper right-hand corner. (The PTR Copy button will not appear in-game until you have created a new level 1 character.)

    Step 4: Select your region.

    Step 5: Click "Copy." This will copy all characters on your account from the selected region.

    Step 6: You will be disconnected from the PTR client.

    Step 7: Log back in. Your copied characters will be available for play.

     

    Please note that you can only copy characters from one gameplay region at a time. If you choose to copy characters from a different region, any previously copied PTR characters will be lost. In addition, you can only copy characters over to your PTR account once every 24 hours. Attempting to copy characters before this cooldown is up will result in an error.

     

    We hope you enjoy the PTR!
    -The Diablo III Development Team

  • Delve into the Developer Campfire Chat at BlizzCon 2023

    Delve into the Developer Campfire Chat at BlizzCon 2023

    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Post)

    Sanctuary beckons you forth, wanderer. At BlizzCon 2023, associate game director Brent Gibson, production director Tiffany Wat, lead game producer Kalyeigh Calder, game director Joe Shely, and associate director of community Adam Fletcher, gave a tantalizing glimpse into the future of Diablo IV. Toward the end of the Campfire Chat, the team answered questions from the community, collected from players at BlizzCon and afar. To watch the Developer Campfire Chat in full, check out the replay at the end of this article.

    Diablo IV First Expansion: Vessel of Hatred

     

    The looming river gates of Nahantu

     

    For the first time since Diablo II, players can return to the land of Nahantu. Vessel of Hatred, the first expansion in Diablo IV, continues from where we last left the main story. Descending deep into the jungles of Nahantu, Neyrelle struggles to control perhaps the worst possible travel companion: the Prime Evil Mephisto.

    Season of Blood: Unique Malignant Rings and the Abattoir of Zir

    A bloody challenge awaits in the Abattoir of Zir

     

    Though many tried to staunch and sanitize the wounds of the plague ridden... malignance has a nature of spreading. Five Malignant Rings based on popular powers from Season of the Malignant arrive in our next update on November 7, available immediately in both Seasonal and Eternal realms. For full details on these and more details on our next update, read our Diablo IV Patch Notes.

     

    Unique Malignant Rings for the Rogue and Sorcerer.

    Unique Malignant Rings for the Barbarian, Druid, and Necromancer.

     

    During Season of Blood, based off community feedback the Occultist will now display a preview of which potential affixes are available before your selected item is enchanted. Combined with the cost changes to enchanting items made earlier, this should help players optimize their items into the endgame.

     

    Courageous wanderers in the Seasonal Realm can put themselves through a grueling test in the Abattoir of Zir. From December 5–January 23, after completing the final tier of the Season Journey, enter the Visceral Channel to push your Vampiric Powers to the ultimate limit with this Seasonal Event. The Abattoir of Zir is an ultimate challenge, it’s recommended to only use your best builds and Characters that are at the pinnacle of their power at Level 100. Note that all rewards earned in the Abattoir of Zir last until the end of Season of Blood.

    A Chill Descends on Sanctuary with Midwinter Blight

    Frigid Husks litter the Fractured Peaks as grim tributes to the Red Cloaked Horror

     

    Savage Blightfiends aim to disrupt any cheer the denizens of Fractured Peaks have managed to scrounge for themselves. From December 5–December 21, cull the cursed fiends and stay vigilant in case you receive an untimely visit from the Red Cloaked Horror. Restore the Midwinter Square and protect festive goodtidings!

     

    Further details for Midwinter Blight will be revealed in an upcoming article.

    Weekly Leaderboards: The Gauntlet

     

    Arriving with our next Season in January, The Gauntlet will test your skills in the Seasonal Realm against fellow players in a set layout, non-linear Dungeon, where a potent combination of mastery and skills achieves high scores. Players will need to collect Proofs of Might to contribute to their overall score, which can be obtained from slaying Monsters and destroying items within the Gauntlet.

     

     

    Weekly Leaderboards track scores between Hardcore, Normal characters, Party size, and Classes. The top players from each week’s Leaderboard will be displayed in a permanent Leaderboard called the Hall of the Ancients. With each week’s Leaderboard reset, so does the fixed layout of The Gauntlet! Refine your most trusted builds to emerge victorious.

     

    For a handy reference for all that is soon to arrive, our immediate Roadmap can be seen in full here:

     

     

    To glean all the details from our Diablo IV BlizzCon Campfire Chat in full, watch the below video:

     

     

    Thank you all for an incredible BlizzCon 2023. Sharpen your blades and strengthen your resolve for the journey that lies ahead.

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  • Catch up on the Diablo IV BlizzCon Opening Ceremony

    Catch up on the Diablo IV BlizzCon Opening Ceremony

    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Post)

    On November 3, Diablo general manager Rod Ferguson and production directors Tiffany Wat and Chris Wilson took the stage at BlizzCon’s opening ceremony to recap the plethora of quality-of-life updates released for Diablo IV since Season of Blood began on October 17, and to provide a glimpse at the fiendish adventures coming to Diablo IV.

     

    For our first Expansion, you’ll be taken somewhere more sinister than ever before—a place where hatred’s influence continues to strangle Sanctuary into submission…

     

     

    Vessel of Hatred continues the grim tale that began in Diablo IV, as you learn the fate of the prime evil Mephisto and his demonic plans for Sanctuary. To do that, you’ll be visiting a region new to Diablo IV, known by the locals as Nahantu. With this continuation of the campaign’s story comes new ways to play, new evils to vanquish, and a brand-new Class never before seen in the Diablo universe. Vessel of Hatred releases late next year, and we can’t wait to share more about it with you next summer.

     

    In the less-distant future, the third Season of Diablo IV will usher in a whole new type of weekly challenge Dungeon called The Gauntlet, where wanderers can compete for their Class ranking against anyone in the world. At the end of each week, the combatants with the highest rank will have their name cemented in the Seasonal Hall of the Ancients for all of time.

     

    Ever wonder what the holidays are like in Sanctuary? Well, now you can find out in our first seasonal event, Midwinter Blight, beginning on December 12 and lasting for three weeks. Trudge through the snow-laden, winter terror-land of Fractured Peaks, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a mysterious, red-cloaked terror!

     

    Now that we’ve given you a glimpse of some of what’s to come in the future, let’s come back to the present. Starting next week, we’ll introduce 5 Unique, class-specific Rings that will let you tap into powers from Season of the Malignant.

     

    Then on December 5, an Enchanting preview feature for the Occultist will come to Diablo IV. This will allow you to see what affixes are possible, before spending your hard-earned gold. It’s another way to give you even more control over developing just the right build for whatever Hell throws your way. Also starting on December 5 is Abattoir of Zir, a highly replayable six-week end-game event experience designed for players who have reached Level 100, slain Uber Duriel, and mastered all the other challenges Season of Blood has to offer. Those who survive will attain a Paragon Glyph constructed from Lord Zir’s very own blood. But beware—the Abattoir of Zir starts at a soul-crushing difficulty and only gets harder.

     

    All of this is made possible by the support of our players, and most importantly, your feedback. Thanks to feedback, we’ve added an endgame boss ladder for receiving Unique and Uber Unique items at a higher rate, made the ascent to Level 100 40% faster than it was in Season of the Malignant, reworked Item Power to be more rewarding, and released a ton quality-of-life updates through our patches.

    For an overview of everything Diablo IV happening at BlizzCon this year, please see this article.

     

    Thank you for slaying demons with us!


    -The Diablo IV team

  • Your Guide to Diablo IV at BlizzCon November 3-4

    Your Guide to Diablo IV at BlizzCon November 3-4

    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Post)

    The fiery basin of the Burning Hells crackles and sparks in yearning—BlizzCon 2023 will soon be upon us! On November 3–4 in-person attendees can meet their favorite content creators, get a Hell’s Ink flash tattoo, receive a signature from members of the development team and more. For those tuning in from home, we’ll be broadcasting a special Diablo IV Campfire Chat live from the BlizzCon show floor and multiple Diablo-partnered content creators will be livestreaming, which can also be viewed in person by attendees.

     

    Here are many of the activities going on in the Diablo section of BlizzCon. Unless specified otherwise, these activities will be available on both Friday and Saturday of the event.

     

    Meet Diablo Partnered Creators

    Some of the most seasoned wanderers in our community will be at BlizzCon to share their secret to culling demons, but also, to meet you! Keep an eye out for meet-and-greet opportunities with these creators:

     

    • Wudijo
    • AnnacakeLive
    • Rhykker
    • Darth Microtransaction
    • ActuallyArcane
    • MacroBioBoi
    Watch Content Creators Slay Demons Live

    Not only can you meet some prominent saviors of Sanctuary, but you can watch them paint the floor red with the viscera of felled demons live at BlizzCon. These creators will be streaming their exploits for those at home to watch as well.

    Get In the Slaying Spirit with These Activities

    Hell's Ink:

    Take your love for Diablo to a more permanent level by getting 1 of 13 flash tattoo designs from the talented artists at Vatican Studios. Tattoos are complimentary for all BlizzCon attendees, but appointments will be on a first come first serve basis, so sign up early in person.

    Prinker Temporary Tattoos:

    For those who wish to display their devotion to the Burning Hells in a less permanent way, Prinker will be offering temporary versions of the Hell’s Ink flash tattoos. Appointments are not needed for this activity.

    Developer Signing Opportunity:

    Meet some of the makers of your favorite game during our developer signing opportunity. Members of our development team will be around every hour or so in a rotating cast to meet you.

    Tarot Card Readers:

    Place your fate in the hands of a professional Tarot Card reader. Will your future be as bright as the High Heavens or as frigid as the Fractured Peaks? There’s only one way to know…

    Appointments are not needed for this activity.

    Wings of Inarius Photo Opportunity:

    “Kneel before him! And remember you are small, wonderfully small!”

    Place yourself between the animated wings of the father of Sanctuary, Inarius. This photo opportunity welcomes all to envision themselves as The Prophet.

    Sacrificial Altar Photo Opportunity:

    As they say in Sanctuary, it isn’t truly a celebration without a few sacrifices. Offer your mortality to the cultists for a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity.

    Museum of Sanctuary:

    Peruse a collection of long-forgotten artifacts dredged up from the furthest reaches of Sanctuary in this walkthrough exhibit.

    Horadric Library:

    Stay awhile and browse our selection of tomes and curios. This is where attendees can purchase special Diablo merch and literature and then have it signed by dutiful scribes.

    Mountain Dew Quest:

    Quench your thirst for annihilating Lilith’s legions by partaking in a Mountain Dew scavenger hunt. Attendees will need to locate cans of Mountain Dew touched by Lilith’s hatred. Find all the cans and you’ll be entered into a giveaway for an especially sinister Lilith statue.

    BlizzCon Diablo IV Campfire Chat - November 4, 2:30-3:30 p.m. PDT

    Join game director Joe Shely, associate game director Brent Gibson, production director Tiffany Wat, lead game producer Kayleigh Calder, and associate director of community Adam Fletcher live from BlizzCon as they talk about what’s next for Diablo IV. This Campfire Chat will also be streamed for those at home to tune in.

     

    On the first day of BlizzCon, attendees will be able to drop questions into a box located in the Diablo section of BlizzCon—we’ll answer questions submitted to the box and sent to us via social media during the Campfire Chat.

     

    For more information about BlizzCon and what we have planned for our other games, visit this article.

  • Devour the Webtoons of Sanctuary

    Devour the Webtoons of Sanctuary 

    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Post)

    Envisioned by acclaimed Webtoons author Jo Seok, the bone chilling Webtoons of Sanctuary collection may unsettle the most hardened of adventurers. Originally published in Korean, these tales provide a glimpse into the fabled horrors the wary inhabitants of Sanctuary might regale to unruly children under a full moon.

     

     

    There are 6 ominous installments in total to shock and delight. Each individual tale of this anthology delves into the unseemly and macabre; the imagined terrors that lurk before the light of another grim dawn. A lone wanderer strikes a bargain in a sleepy village, a family cautiously welcomes their newest member, a child seeks to pay respects to a lost Grandparent, and more.

     

    As is often the case in Sanctuary—things are not what they seem to be. Read the Webtoons of Sanctuary below!

     

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