Diablo IV

Season 15 · Patch 3.2.1

Season August 7, 2026

Warlocks debuted in Diablo 4 with the Lord of Hatred expansion earlier this year as a marquee feature, but they arrived underpowered and clunky compared to the rest of the roster. Other classes with freshly expanded skill trees could smash through endgame content while warlocks limped along behind them.

The class also suffered from multiple skills that forced standing still to cast, disrupting combat flow in a fast-paced ARPG. Even paladins — the other new Lord of Hatred class — were more durable on arrival. Now Blizzard is giving warlocks another chance next season, and PTR testing suggests they may become one of the strongest classes in the game.

What Changed

According to creator MacroBioBoi's PTR testing, warlock skills have received heavy buffs across the board. The fussy stand-still casting animations are fixed, and new damage scaling options have been opened up that weren't available before. On the PTR, warlocks can clear the hardest dungeon tier in the game even with severely unoptimized gear — something previously only possible through bug exploitation.

A chunk of the class's new power comes from a seasonal gem that gradually strengthens you as you kill more enemies. But MacroBioBoi suspects that even if that gem were nerfed, warlocks would still rank among the strongest classes thanks to buffs distributed evenly across their skill tree, meaning a variety of builds should excel.

Blizzard is also reworking Mythic Uniques for next season. They'll remain the highest item tier but will be easier to craft and find than in the current season — a change that may soften the impact of the controversial nerfs to top-end items.

What This Means for Players

If you shelved your warlock after Lord of Hatred's launch, next season is the time to revisit. The buffs look substantial enough to make even unoptimized builds viable at the highest difficulty, and the new seasonal gem rewards aggressive playstyles that chain kills together. With power spread across many skills rather than concentrated in a few meta picks, players should have room to experiment with different warlock setups.

The Mythic Unique rework also lowers the barrier for endgame itemization — easier crafting and finding means more players can reach top-tier gear without grinding as long. Combined with the warlock buffs, this could make next season one of the most approachable in recent memory.

Community Reaction

MacroBioBoi showcased a build that surrounds the warlock with burning skull minions and melted through high-level monsters without trouble on the PTR. The creator's testing suggests the class is no longer just viable but potentially dominant, even in unoptimized gear.

What's Next

Blizzard has not yet detailed the full seasonal system for next season — beyond the new jewels — and promised clarification at BlizzCon. Players should expect more information on what else is coming alongside the warlock buffs and Mythic Unique rework.