The State of Druids featuring AceofSpades - Diablo 4 Season 5

Diablo IV Posted 2024/07/07 at 7:00 AM by Drapez

To read more about Druid changes on the Season 5 PTR and in Season 5 itself, check out our articles on Datamined Season 5 PTR Changes as well as our Season 5 PTR State of the Classes update!How are you feeling about Druids' performance for Season 5?

Ace

From my time in the latest PTR, I’ve observed that Druids have had a mixed bag of performance. While some aspects have improved (like a pure Landslide build, the Stormslide variant which uses Landslide to proc Lightning Storm, and Companion builds), the overall class still faces challenges. The gap between classes, especially with Barbarians getting stronger, has left Druids feeling a bit underpowered. Blizzard has shown goodwill by engaging with the community, and I’m optimistic that they’ll steer Druids in the right direction. Possibly with another round of buffs before Season 5 goes live.
What's wrong with Druids in general right now?

Ace

The developers have done amazing work on the core game experience and on many other aspects of the game. When it comes to the Druid, the main issue has been developers’ lack of effort dedicated to the class. They seem uncertain about what casual players want — simple, smooth builds such as Stormclaw or Werewolf Tornado — yet, they keep pushing clunky options like Boulder. Balancing decisions lack mathematical rigor, leading to ineffective buffs (like the unfortunate fate of Rabies). And let’s not forget the game-breaking bugs, such as Insatiable Fury not working for non-native Werebear Skills. That’s a whole year spent with one of our Uniques not working.
What are you most excited about for Druids in Season 5?

Ace

In my video , I expressed optimism because they rectified some blunders (like the change to Shepherd's Aspect). Now, Druids feel “reset,” but we’re missing damage. I'm just happy the class isn't a clunky mess anymore.

Personally, I’m thrilled about playing Landslide. A pure Landslide build has been my dream since release, and those recent buffs have me doing a happy dance in the forest.

Some in the community believe the Spiritborn will become
the more improved "Druid." What's your take on this?

Ace

Spiritborn feels like Druid 2.0. As developers gain experience, their designs evolve for the better. And since Spiritborn is thematically close to Druids, this might just entice many Druid mains to switch if it delivers on the fun factor. Everyone is just expecting a better-designed class that does more damage and is thematically very similar to Druid.

Comment by AvrinBoulder is the most fun build there is. Only Pulverise delivers such entertaining loop. Others just don't look so flashy or don't look like they should be dealing as much dmg as they do in comparison to mentioned ones.

They may be weaker options with some issiues in optimal speedy play, but they feel much more fitting than other builds.Comment by JMercado0331Boulder is the most fun build there is. Only Pulverise delivers such entertaining loop. Others just don't look so flashy or don't look like they should be dealing as much dmg as they do in comparison to mentioned ones.

They may be weaker options with some issiues in optimal speedy play, but they feel much more fitting than other builds.Comment by Aqium8Boulder is the most fun build there is. Only Pulverise delivers such entertaining loop. Others just don't look so flashy or don't look like they should be dealing as much dmg as they do in comparison to mentioned ones.

They may be weaker options with some issiues in optimal speedy play, but they feel much more fitting than other builds.