A lot of action RPG fans are complaining about the Diablo 4 grind from level 50 onward, saying the endgame is pretty slow. Blizzard has fixed that with its latest update. 

Diablo 4’s new 1.1.1 patch added a ton of welcome changes to Sorcerer and Barbarian, arguably the weakest classes of the Season, and buffed up the monster density of the game.

“We are increasing monster density in Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides.”

If you don’t believe Blizzard, perhaps this video from longtime Diablo player Raxxanterax can convince you otherwise. Right now, he believes that Domhainne Tunnels is the best Nightmare Dungeon that offers the most XP per hour.

Check out the full patch notes below.

Diablo 4 1.1.1 Update

Class Updates

We’ve made quite a few balance adjustments to Classes. Our goals with this patch are as follows:

1. We want to improve the effectiveness of Sorcerers and Barbarians while addressing the following for each Class:
   • Sorcerer
     • Improve late-game survivability, mostly through Paragon Board improvements.
     • Adjust some Class mechanics to move away from “Kiss-Curse” effects—this is where the player gains power but loses power somewhere else.
   • Barbarian
     • Speed up the flow of combat in the early game by increasing Fury generation on Basic Skills.
     • Add late-game excitement by increasing the power of Unique items.
2. Strengthen builds that aren’t reaching a high power level.
3. Diversify the use cases for Legendary items and other effects that are overly situational.

Barbarian

Skills

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

Passives

• Aggressive Resistance
  • Damage reduction increased from 3% to 4%.
• Gushing Wounds
  • Bleed damage dealt based on Critical Damage bonus increased from 100% to 115%.
  • Bleed damage when Overpowering increased from 11% to 70%.
• Unconstrained
  • Berserking damage bonus increased from 25% to 35%.
  • Updated the tooltip to more clearly reflect this Key Passive’s value
• Walking Arsenal
  • Bonus damage duration increased from 6 to 8 seconds.

Legendaries

• Aspect of Ancestral Force
  • Damage increased from 32-50% to 40-58%.
• 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%.
  • Additional functionality:
    • Cost refund also granted when hitting Bosses.
• Aspect of Ancestral Charge
  • Damage increased from 50-100% to 75-125%.
• Aspect of Burning Rage
  • Damage increased from .22-.28 to .3-.38.
• Aspect of Bul-Kathos
  • Damage reduction while in Earthquakes increased from 5-15% to 15-25%.
• Earthquake Aspect
  • Damage bonus in Earthquakes increased from 5-15% to 15-25%.

Uniques

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

Sorcerer

Skills

• Flickering Fire Bolt
  • Fire Bolt generates 2 Mana when hitting an enemy.
• Enhanced Fireball
  • Casting Fireball increases its radius by 50%.
• Destructive Fireball
  • Fireball’s Critical Strike Damage is increased by 20%. This bonus is increased to 30% if Fireball hits at least 3 enemies.
• Greater Chain Lightning
  • Each time Chain Lightning bounces, it deals 5% increased damage for its duration.
• Destructive Chain Lightning
  • Chance to form Crackling Energy increased from 25% to 30%.

Passives

• Vyr’s Mastery
  • Damage bonus increased from 10% to 15%.
• Esu’s Ferocity
  • Additional functionality:
    • Both bonuses are also granted for 3 seconds when hitting a Boss with a Critical Strike.
• Combustion
  • Your Burning effects deal x20% increased damage, plus an additional x2% increased damage per unique source of Burning you have applied to the enemy.

Paragon

• Searing Heat Legendary Node
  • Casting Fireball or Meteor increases your Critical Strike Chance by 5% for 5 seconds, up to 15%.
• Ceaseless Conduit Legendary Node
  • Increase Crackling Energy’s damage from 2% to 3% per 20 Intelligence the player has Reinforce Rare Glyph.
• Territorial Rare Glyph
  • Damage reduction increased from 10% to 15%.
• Warding Rare Glyph
  • Damage reduction increased from 13% to 25%.
• Keeper of Flames Rare Node
  • Damage reduction increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Bonus damage reduction increased from 4% to 5%.
• Smoldering Embers Rare Node
  • Damage reduction from burning enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Bonus damage reduction from burning enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
• Guarded Rare Node
  • Damage reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
  • Bonus damage reduction from Vulnerable enemies increased from 4% to 5%.
• 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%.

Legendaries

• Serpentine Aspect
  • You may have 1 additional Hydra active, and Hydra’s duration is increased by 14-24%.
  • This now also affects Hydra’s Enchantment Effect.
• Aspect of Conflagration
  • Bonus Burning damage increased from 20-30% to 20-40%.
• Aspect of Engulfing Flames
  • Bonus Burning damage increased from 30%-40% to 60%-80%.
• Aspect of Three Curses
  • Increase the Critical Strike Damage of Meteor and Fireball by 20%-40%. Double this bonus against Healthy enemies.
• Flamewalker’s Aspect
  • Bonus Movement Speed duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds.
• Gravitational Aspect
  • Ball Lightning orbits around you and deals 15-25% increased damage.
• Aspect of Unbroken Tether
  • Additional Chain Lightning bounces increased from 2 to 4.
• Recharging Aspect
  • Each time Chain Lightning bounces, you gain 1.5-3 Mana.
• Charged Aspect
  • Bonus Movement Speed duration increased from 4 to 8 seconds.
• Aspect of the Bounding Conduit
  • Bonus Movement Speed increased from 20-25% to 25-30%.
• New Legendary – Mage-Lord’s Aspect
  • Increase Vyr’s Mastery Key Passive’s Damage Reduction by 6-9% for each Close enemy, up to 18-27%.
• Aspect of Frozen Orbit
  • Damage increased from 20-30% to 30-40%.
• Storm Swell Aspect
  • Bonus damage increased from 11-20% to 21-30%.
• Snowveiled Aspect
  • Unstoppable duration increased from 2-3 seconds to 3-5 seconds.
  • Additional functionality:
    • Also grants 10% bonus Armor for 3-5 seconds.
• Incendiary Aspect
  • Lucky Hit: Damage from your Pyromancy skills has up to a 12-17% chance to restore 10 Mana.
• Snowguard’s Aspect
  • While within your own Blizzard and for 3 seconds after leaving it, you take 20-25% less damage.
• Aspect of Concentration
  • Mana Regeneration increased from 20-30% to 40-50%.
  • Duration requirement to gain its benefit reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.

Uniques

• Gloves of the Illuminator
  • Damage penalty reduced from 65-55% to 45-35%.
  • Damage to Stunned affix replaced with Lucky Hit: Change to Restore Resource.
  • Illuminator’s first bounce occurs much closer to the player.

Necromancer

Skills

• Enhanced Bone Spirit
  • Cooldown reduction increased from 6 to 7 seconds.

Paragon

• Wither Legendary Board
  • Willpower requirement for bonuses reduced from 50 to 40.
  • Bonus damage per 40 Willpower increased from 2.5% to 4%.

Legendaries

• Aspect of Empowering Reaper
  • Damaging enemies with Sever has a 10-20% chance to spawn a pool of Blight under the target that deals 20-60% bonus damage. This effect can only happen once every 3 seconds.
• Aspect of Exposed Flesh
  • Lucky Hit: Up to a 10% chance to generate 30-50 Essence when hitting a Vulnerable enemy.
• Aspect of Decay
  • Damage increased from 20-40% to 25-45%.
• Aspect of Torment
  • Essence Regeneration increased from 20-30% to 90-170%.
• Hulking Aspect
  • Legendary category changed from Resource to Utility.
  • Chance for Golem to reduce its cooldown increased from 1-4% to 2-5%.
  • Chance to Golem to spawn a corpse increased from 0.5-2% to 1-2.5%.

Uniques

• Greaves of the Empty Tomb
  • Intelligence affix replaced with Bonus Movement Speed.

Minions

• The following attacks now deal reduced damage to Druid Companions and Necromancer Minions:
  • Balrog
    • Fire Breath
  • Elite Affixes
    • Fire Enchanted
    • Electrified Obelisks
    • Shock Lance

Druid

Skills

• Earth Spike
  • Spirit gain increased from 11 to 13.
• Claw
  • Spirit gain increased from 11 to 12.
• Storm Strike
  • Spirit gain increased from 14 to 15.
• Wind Shear
  • Spirit gain increased from 13 to 14.
• Maul
  • Spirit gain increased from 15 to 17.
• Wolves
  • Passive damage increased from 7.8% to 11%.
  • Active damage increased from 110% to 135%.
• Enhanced Wolf Pack
  • Damage bonus increased from 20% to 25%.
• Brutal Wolf Pack
  • Attack Speed bonus increased from 20% to 25%.
• Ferocious Wolf Pack
  • Fortify amount increased from 5% to 8%.
• Ravens
  • Passive damage increased from 13% to 20%.
• Brutal Ravens
  • Additional functionality:
    • Increase the passive damage of Ravens by 40%.
• Rabies
  • Damage over time increased from 76% to 110%.

Paragon

• Lightning Resilience Rare Node
  • Maximum Life bonus increased from 4% to 6%.

Legendaries

• Aspect of Metamorphic Stone
  • Spirit cost reduced from 60 to 50.
  • Damage dealt increased from 80-100% to 100-120%.
• Aspect of the Alpha
  • Damage increased from 75-100% to 90-115%.
• Mangled Aspect
  • Resource gain increased from 1 to 3.

Class Mechanic

• Overload
  • Lucky Hit Chance increased from 20% to 40%.

Rogue

Skills

• Fundamental Invigorating Strike
  • Energy threshold increased from 50% to 75%.
• Primary Forceful Arrow
  • Every third cast pierces enemies.
• Enhanced Caltrops
  • Damage bonus increased from 3% to 5%.
• Poison Trap
  • Damage increased from 344% to 396%.
• Supreme Rain of Arrows
  • Rain of Arrow’s first wave Knocks Down enemies for 3 seconds.

Passives

• Victimize
  • Lucky Hit chance increased from 35% to 45%.
• Rugged
  • Damage Reduction against Damage over Time effects increased from 6/12/18% to 9/18/27%.
• Siphoning Strikes
  • Lucky Hit chance increased from 75% to 85%.

Legendaries

• Aspect of Elusive Menace
  • No longer requires hits to be from Close enemies.
• Aspect of Quickening Fog
  • You automatically drop a Smoke Grenade at the end of Dash. Smoke Grenades reduce Dash’s cooldown by .4-.6 seconds per target hit, up to 2-3 seconds.

Uniques

• Windforce
  • All Stats affix replaced with Vulnerable Damage.
• Word of Hakan
  • Ultimate Damage affix replaced with Cooldown Reduction.

Gameplay Updates

Monster Density

We are increasing monster density in Nightmare Dungeons and in Helltide.

• Bosses above Level 60 will have more health. Examples:
  • Bosses at Level 60 and below remain unchanged.
  • Bosses at Level 80 have 50% increased health.
  • Bosses at Level 100 have 100% increased health.
  • Bosses at Level 120 have 120% increased health.
  • Bosses at Level 150 and above have 150% increased health.

Bosses & Events

• Level 35 and higher boss monsters will now have a 100% chance to drop a Legendary item.
• Treasure Goblins now have an increased Legendary item drop chance from Level 6-14 and guarantee a Legendary item drop starting at Level 15.
• Legion Events are now more rewarding and guarantee a Legendary item drop starting at level 35.

General

• We have made multiple improvements on how damage and other effects interact with active barriers.
  • Bonus damage or bonus effects that are applied on-hit or when dealing damage will now apply that same effect through barriers.
    • Ex: The Exploit Paragon Glyph will now apply Vulnerable to enemies that have an active barrier.
  • Cheat death effects will now work properly when the player has an active barrier.
  • This also affects PvP play.
• Varshan will now break through any Bone Wall segments he dashes through.
• The cost for refunding Skill and Paragon Points has been reduced. The reduction starts small at lower Levels and hits a maximum of 40% at Level 100.
  • Ex: Level 50 – 12%, Level 60 – 18%, Level 70 – 24%, Level 80 – 30%.
• We’ve increased the stack limit for Elixirs from 20 to 99.
• An additional Stash Tab can now be purchased at the Stash with gold.
• We have restored the cast time for Leave Dungeon back to 3 seconds.

• The following Nightmare Dungeon affixes have been removed:
  • Resource Burn
  • Backstabbers
  • Empowered Elites (Cold Enchanted)

Malignant Hearts

• Caged Heart of Spellbreaking
  • Changed to: Upon taking Elemental Damage, gain 10-20% Damage Reduction for 5 seconds.

Generic Unique Items

• Temerity
  • + All Stats affix replaced with Max Life.
  • Barrier is now based on maximum Life.
  • Now properly accounted by conditions checking for the player having a Barrier.