WithDiablo 4now just weeks away from launch, the Blizzard Associate Game Director comes to the aid of the Druid class, calling it one of the strongest in the game. While the beta tests and recentDiablo 4server slamreceived a ton of praise from fans for the overall look and feel, class balancing has remained a divisive topic. During the first beta, fans seemed to gravitate towards the Sorcerer class, while feeling that the melee oriented Barbarian felt too underwhelming.
Thankfully, Blizzard made a number of adjustments for the second weekend, though magic based classes like the Necromancer and Sorcerer continued to dominate while the Druid and Barbarian continued to lag behind. In fact, manyDiablo 4beta players felt the Druid was the biggest underperformerof the bunch not only for low damage but not being quite as tanky as expected from a melee class. However, it appears there was a reason for that as one Blizzard developer reveals why the Druid just didn’t feel as satisfying as it could have.
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In a recent interview,Diablo 4Associate Game Director Joe Piepiora was asked about class balancing and the Druid in particular. When responding to why the Druid felt underpowered during the beta testing, Piepiora revealed that the main reason is that players were not able to experience the full potential of the class due to level restrictions and part of the skill tree being locked.
Going a bit deeper, Piepiora made the surprising announcement that the Druid is regarded as one of the strongest classes available inDiablo 4with internal testers at the company. While Piepiora didn’t quite reveal the big reasons for why this is, fans began to speculate thatcertain parts of the Druid Skill Tree, like Animal Blessings, could be the key to unlocking its full potential. That particular quest line was not available during the beta, so fans couldn’t go hands on with it.
Questions about the balancing of the Druid class aren’t the only controversies it has faced. Last month, someDiablo 4fans complained about the bulky look of the Druid classand asking if a slimmer appearance could be added. Blizzard responded to these questions by saying there are no plans for alternate appearances and that each class is intended to have unique silhouettes and visual designs from one another. In turn, this helps players identify the class they’re playing or encountering during PvP elements.
Diablo 4will be available June 6th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
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