Diablo 4 is getting a new update on July 10, and while the patch is mostly bug fixes, one of those fixes will make an already incredibly strong and popular Barbarian build even better.
The build in question is the Whirlwind Dust Devil Barbarian, which revolves around the Dust Devil Legendary Aspect. Come patch 1.4.4, a bug fix to a number of Legendary Aspects that “were not dealing as much damage as intended” will be applied, and lo and behold, the Dust Devil’s Aspect is somehow on Blizzard’s list. That means the already-powerful build will become even stronger, as the Dust Devils created by Whirlwind will deal even more damage. Other Aspects that will deal more damage following the fix include the Aspect of Surprise, Trickster’s aspect, Aspect of Artful Initiative, Vengeful Aspect, and Aspect of the Arrow Storms.
As for the rest of the patch, a fix for the Tortured Gift of Amulets chest in Helltides means it will thankfully soon reward more items as originally intended. Boss summoning materials will be worth more gold, so players who aren’t keen on actually using them can now vendor them for more profit. The sale price for Blackened Femurs, Gurgling Heads, and Trembling Hands are increasing from 20,000 to 50,000 gold, while Stygian Stones will increase from 70,000 to 150,000 gold.
In another change, the drop rate for Elixirs is going down, meaning players may need to rely more on crafting Elixirs to suit their needs. Conversely, the drop rates for Tempering manuals is increasing “to be more consistent.” Last but not least, a welcome UI change for Tempered items will mean items will display icons for the associated Tempering affix category, instead of all Tempered affixes sharing the same icon. You can read the full patch notes for the update below.
Diablo 4 is currently in the middle of its Season 4 Loot Reborn update, which brought major changes to its item progression and endgame. Diablo 4 Season 5, set to begin on August 6, will introduce a new roguelite-inspired endgame mode alongside bringing much-needed improvements to the game’s Unique items. The first expansion for Diablo 4, Vessel of Hatred, will release on October 6, and will introduce a never-before-seen class to the franchise, the Spiritborn.
Diablo 4 Update 1.4.4 Patch Notes
GAME UPDATE
The sale price of Boss summoning materials has been increased. Examples: Blackened Femur, Gurgling Head, and Trembling Hand sell price increased from 20,000 Gold to 50,000.Stygian Stone sale price increased from 70,000 Gold to 150,000.Tempering manual drop rates have been improved to be more consistent.Elixirs’ general drop rate has been reduced.Tempered affixes on items now have an icon associated to the Tempering category, instead of the same icon for all Tempered affixes.
BUG FIXES
Accessibility
Fixed an issue where the Screen Reader didn’t function properly when interacting with collapsible menus.
Gameplay
Fixed an issue where boss summoning materials could be lost if transferred to a newly created character.Fixed an issue where the Tortured Gift of Amulets in Helltide didn’t grant as many items as intended.Fixed an issue where a Helltide ambush from a Threat Level increase could spawn within the Iron Wolves encampment.Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in place if the World Tier statue was interacted with while using a Town Portal.Fixed an issue where the Bold Chieftain’s Aspect did not grant cooldown reduction for Druid’s Debilitating Roar or Blood Howl.Fixed an issue where progression in Garan Hold could be blocked if Keeper Xor’lim was killed too quickly.Fixed an issue where progression in Sunken Library could be blocked if the Head Librarian spawned behind a locked door.Fixed an issue where the player could get stuck behind certain Tortured Gift chests.Fixed an issue where the tempering affix to increase the duration of the Damage Reduction granted by Reap also increased the cooldown for how often Reap could form a corpse.Fixed an issue where the Tempering affix for increasing Corpse Tendrils’ Crowd Control Duration instead caused the skill to take longer to pull in enemies.Fixed an issue where Bone Prisons created by Yen’s Blessing would persist indefinitely.Fixed an issue where Firebolts going near but not through Firewall would still split into 3 when using Flameweaver.Fixed an issue where Venous Mote altars could sometimes not be interacted with to complete the Whisper.Fixed an issue where changing mount armor could reset your Spur count.Fixed an issue where some of the Drowned Sea Hag’s attacks were harder to see in dark environments.Fixed an issue where the following Aspects were not dealing as much damage as intended: Dust Devil’s AspectAspect of SurpriseTrickster’s AspectAspect of Artful InitiativeVengeful AspectAspect of the Arrow StormsFixed an issue where Stormbane’s Wrath could teleport to the player during its cast in a Nightmare Dungeon, instantly killing the player.
User Interface and User Experience
Fixed an issue where the Tempered title was used for 2 different title rewards. A new title, Frenzied, has been added as the reward for completing Tier 59 of the Battle Pass.Fixed an issue where the bottom of the Journal could not be interacted with if too many quests were active at the same time.Fixed an issue where the Exceptional Gloves appearance got renamed to Superior Gloves.Fixed an issue where the toggle for comparing stats would reset after logging out.Fixed an issue where interacting with the Pit Obelisk also opened the inventory.Fixed an issue where the icon for an available potion upgrade was only visible when near an Alchemist.Fixed an issue where the Gauntlet Score screen could malfunction if you scored lower and didn’t rank up.Fixed an issue where the Barbarian’s Weapon Expertise icons were all using the same image.Fixed an issue where score updates on the Leaderboard could take longer than intended.Fixed an issue where when completing a Gauntlet dungeon, only the achieved rank would be displayed and would not include an earned Seal.
Miscellaneous
Fixed an issue where the impact sound effects for Hellborne Disciple meteors while fighting the Blood Maiden were louder than intended.Fixed an issue where multi-colored lights would display in front of a Druid’s head when transforming.(Ack! One too many forest mushrooms.)Fixed an issue where audio could stop playing for a variety reasons.Fixed an issue where Interactable objects in Helltide could disappear and then reappear after Helltide ended.Various performance, stability, visual, and UI improvements.
