New Diablo 4 Patch 1.0.4 Hotfix Temporarily Nerfs Necromancers

After yesterday’s 1.0.4 update, Blizzard has deployed a new Diablo 4 Patch 1.0.4 hotfix, temporarily nerfing Necromancers.

Yesterday’s 1.0.4 patch packed various performance improvements as well as numerous fixes and tweaks. Although the official release notes haven’t mentioned class and skill adjustments, the Diablo 4 development team has now deemed it the right to roll out a hotfix for yesterday’s update that nerfs the Necromancer class. As noted by the team, this is only a temporary nerf while Blizzard is actively reworking the Legendary Aspect. As mentioned by the development team, this upcoming change will likely come into effect sometime during Diablo 4 season 1 or shortly after that.

After installing this hotfix, enhanced Blood Lance will ‘only’ pierce up to a maximum of 10 enemies. “This is indeed a nerf to Blood Lance, but Blood Lance has been so good for Necromancers that it has been crashing the game!”, the team explains in the official release notes for this patch. “This is a temporary solve while the team reworks the way the Legendary Aspect will function, and we expect this change sometime in Season 1 or shortly after.”

Also included with this new hotfix are additional stability improvements as well as a change to the Whisper Cache. You can find the full release notes on the official Blizzard forums here.

Diablo 4 is available globally now for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. As announced some days ago, Diablo 4 Season 1 ‘Season of the Malignant’ will release later alongside a new update on July 20. Here’s some additional information about Diablo 4’s first Season, which will include new gear, a new boss battle, new powers, and a new questline. In addition, it has been confirmed that renown will carry over, account-wide, for any new seasonal characters.

• New Questline – “Sanctuary has been corrupted, overtaken with an infectious turmoil creating abominations that roam freely. But who is to blame for this new wave of corruption? Partner with Cormond, a former priest of the Cathedral of Light, to discover the source and stop the spread of the Malignant at all costs.”
• New Power – “Defeat these powerful, corrupted enemies to harness their Malignant Hearts. With over 30 new Malignant Powers to wield, the might of the Malignance is yours for the taking.”
• New Boss Battle – “Scour the Malignant Tunnels to search for the catalyst of corruption. Make your stand against Varshan the Consumed and uncover the secrets of the Malignant.”
• New Gear – “With 6 new Unique items to discover and 7 new Legendary aspects to earn along the Season Journey, there are more powerful options to harness for every class.”