Summary
At this point, it’s safe to say thatDiablo 4’s new Spiritborn class introduced with the Vessel of Hatred expansion is one of the game’s — possibly, one of the series' — most overpowered classes yet. It could be argued that the Spiritborn class is simply temporarily overpowered due to it being new and arguably the star of the show inDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred DLC, but it’s really its design that makes it so. In light of that, there have been plenty of requests for it to be nerfed so thatDiablo 4’s other classes might have a fighting chance.
However, despite any calls for a nerf toDiablo 4’s new Spiritborn class, it may not be the best move to make. There is no denying that the Spiritborn is currently dominating the meta inDiablo 4, so requests that it be nerfed are warranted. Nevertheless, a core class nerf to the Spiritborrn could ultimately strip it of its unique identity and be counterproductive to the implementation of the class in the first place. As such,Diablo 4may need to find a different way to balance the game that would benefit every other class in the game while simultaneously leaving the Spiritborn largely untouched.
Why Diablo 4 Should Avoid Nerfing Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn Class
Truly Nerfing the Spiritborn May Strip It of Its Unique Identity
The only way to truly nerf Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn class would be to completely overhaul its mechanics. What makes theSpiritborn so powerful inDiablo 4is the opportunity it gives players to mix and match skills from four different categories — unlike the base game’s classes, which generally prioritize only one or two different skill categories. On account of this, a true nerf to the Spiritborn class would requireDiablo 4to strip the class of its customization potential in order to level the playing field with the rest of the game’s classes.
There are nerfs that could be made to the Spiritborn class, but only to bring balance to the Spiritborn’s skillset itself and not in the context ofDiablo 4’s classes in general. For example, players have recently discovered an arguably game-breakingSpiritborn Evade buildthat allows the class to use Evade almost constantly. When coupled with the Eagle Spirit Hall, Spiritborn players can then launch Storm Feather every time they Evade.
This is one of those builds that will likely be nerfed at some point to balance the class' power in the game, but it still wouldn’t truly nerf the Spiritborn to make it more comparable to the others.
Diablo 4 Would Be Better Off Buffing Other Classes Instead
Rather thannerfing the Spiritborn class,Diablo 4could instead opt to buff the rest of its classes. While simply increasing the power of each class might be a decent route to take, allowing the Spiritborn’s mechanics to inspire changes to the rest ofDiablo 4’s classes could be even better. This would largely involve increasing the versatility of each ofDiablo 4’s main classes to match (or come close to) what the Spiritborn is capable of achieving. IfDiablo 4’s classes all had more skill categories to choose from that could be mixed and matched and still synergize with one another, perhaps the Spiritborn class wouldn’t seem so powerful in comparison to the rest.
Again, any calls for a nerf to be made to Vessel of Hatred’s new Spiritborn class inDiablo 4are understandable, given how powerful it is. However, while a simple nerf might have made sense and even helped in the past, the Spiritborn is an entirely different animal and may better serve as a catalyst for improvements to be made to other classes instead. Blizzard has made it fairly clear that the Spiritborn will remain powerful throughSeason 6 ofDiablo 4, but any changes made to it beyond that shouldn’t mess with its natural advantages.
Diablo 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
