The release of Diablo 4 Season 10's patch notes heralds some big changes for the game when the Season of Infernal Chaos officially drops. While the PTR for Diablo 4 Season 10 gave players a peek at what they could expect from the upcoming season, it was subject to change based on player feedback before the new season's September 23 start date. It's clear that Blizzard has taken steps to balance some of the new additions from the PTR, but one new Unique seems to have gotten the short end of the stick.
The patch notes for the upcoming season paint a fairly clear picture of how the meta will shake out, revealing a few classes that should be top-tier in Diablo 4 Season 10. Spiritborn, Sorcerer, and Druid all have access to new tools like Uniques, Chaos Perks, and Chaos Armor combinations that should allow them to stand head and shoulders above the crowd. Conversely, the Rogue may find itself struggling to keep up this season, and the wildcard that was its new Orphan Maker Unique is not heading in a promising direction, according to the patch notes.
Diablo 4 Season 10's Patch Notes Take the Rogue's New Orphan Maker Unique in the Wrong Direction
Diablo 4 Rogues are in a tough position heading into Season 10, coming off an underwhelming performance in the Season 9 meta. The bright spot for the class appeared to be the new Orphan Maker Unique Two-Handed Crossbow, as it comes with the brand-new Reload keyword that alters how skills function when using the weapon.
- Inherent: +130% Vulnerable damage
- +4-6 Ranks to Marksman Skills
- +2-4 Ranks to Exploit
- +32-45% Chance for Marksman Skills to Cast Twice
- +125-170% Vulnerable damage
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Unique Affix: Basic and Core skills that use this weapon now Reload. Reload Skills gain 250-300% increased damage and every 2nd Reload Skill gains twice this bonus.
- Skills with Reload have a slight delay in which they cannot Cast again. Their damage and Reload speed benefit from 50% of your Attack Speed Bonus.
The Orphan Maker Was Already Underpowered in the Diablo 4 Season 10 PTR
Players on the PTR for Diablo 4 Season 10 were able to put this new Unique into practice to see how the Reload keyword would play out. While the increased damage from Reload provides the Rogue's Basic and Core skills with a nice boost, the delay between Casts hinders the Unique's utility and dramatically drops the Rogue's DPS potential. It wasn't looking good for the Orphan Maker after the Season 10 PTR ended, but there was hope that it would get a buff or a rework in the final patch notes.
The Orphan Maker is Getting Hit with a Nerf Before it Even Officially Debuts in Diablo 4 Season 10
Unfortunately for Rogue players, the Orphan Maker seems to have gotten worse between the PTR and the Diablo 4 Season 10 patch notes release. Rather than buffing the Unique Affix on the Orphan Maker, it has been reworked in a way that could be considered a pretty significant nerf. The new Unique Affix reads:
- Basic and Core Skills that use this weapon now Reload. Reload Skills gain 250-300% increased damage and every 2nd Reload Skill increases this bonus by 50%[x] for 2 seconds.
Rather than doubling the damage bonus from skills that Reload, the Orphan Maker only increases the bonus by 50% for every 2nd Reload, and caps the buff at 2 seconds. While the latter part of this change could simply be semantic, the damage percentage change is a clear downgrade compared to its previous version. Not only will Diablo 4 Rogues using this weapon have to deal with a slower Cast time, but a decreased damage bonus as well. As a result, the Orphan Maker seems like a Unique to skip in Diablo 4 Season 10.
Diablo 4
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- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
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