In the wake of Diablo 4's update 2.3.1, several classes have seen improvements that have elevated their viability in the endgame meta. While the start of Diablo 4 Season 9 was dominated by Spiritborn, Sorcerer, and Necromancer builds—since Barbarians and Rogues were hit with nerfs to Overpower Damage—a new contender has emerged as a great mid-season option for players to try out. The Druid has benefited from Diablo 4's mid-season patch, and this update has done enough to take this class from mediocre to meta in Season 9.

Diablo 4 is only scheduled to get one more update before the start of Season 10 in September, with update 2.3.2 mostly addressing bugs like Uber Lilith never starting her second phase. As such, it seems like the current Diablo 4 meta is locked in for the rest of Season 9, with Druid becoming a great option for players who have finished the season for one character and want to start a new build. The Druid's rise in viability over the course of the Sins of the Horadrim season could also be foreshadowing its place in the meta when Season 10 rolls around.

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Diablo 4's Druid Has Only Improved Over Season 9

Diablo 4 Update 2.3.1 Gave the Druid a New Tool in its Kit

Prior to Diablo 4 update 2.3.1, the Druid's best Season 9 build was the Pulverize Druid, since it could take advantage of the new Rotting Lightbringer Unique to add Poison splash damage to the Core Skill. While Pulverize Druid is still the top option for the build in Season 9, a few other builds have become standouts as well. Fleshrender Druid is another solid choice at this point in the season since it capitalizes on the power of Poison Damage in Diablo 4 Season 9, and Companion Druid similarly benefits from minion builds being valuable for Season 9's Escalating Nightmares and Horadric Strongrooms.

However, Stormclaw Druid has quietly become a viable build for the class thanks to the buff the Greatstaff of the Crone received in update 2.3.1. This rework is detailed in the Diablo 4 2.3.1 patch notes:

  • Previous: Claw is now also a Storm Skill and also casts Storm Strike at 200-350% normal damage.
  • Now: Claw is now also a Storm Skill and also casts Storm Strike. Claw and Strom Strike deal 100-250% increased damage.

An important distinction is made with this change, as rather than Storm Strike dealing 200-350% normal damage, both Claw and Storm Strike deal 100-250% increased damage. As such, Druids get two damage sources with increases rather than one. Since Claw and Storm Strike are Basic Skills for the Druid, they don't cost any resources to use, and the separation of damage multipliers means players will be able to deal more consistent damage at a higher ceiling when casting these skills. The only downside is that the Greatstaff of the Crone Unique is required for this build to function properly, but that is a fairly small price to pay for a build that can deal huge melee damage without expending Spirit.

Players Should Keep an Eye on the Druid for Diablo 4 Season 10

With the Druid trending upward in the second half of Season 9, Diablo 4 players may want to keep an eye on the class heading into Season 10. The value of a class for any given season largely comes from how well its new Uniques stack up against other options available, and whether the class receives any nerfs or buffs with the seasonal update patch. While the Druid is in a great position right now, things could still change at the start of Diablo 4 Season 9.

Diablo 4 Season 10 is also slated to gain a new seasonal mechanic in the form of Chaos Powers, which could also impact a class's viability, much like Season 9's Horadric Spells have done.

However, the Druid in particular has a lot of breathing room that could make it a reliable class in the next season. The diversity of the Druid builds that are considered meta in Season 9 means that some Legendary Aspects or Skills could take a hit, and the Druid could come out unscathed. For comparison, the top Spiritborn builds in Diablo 4 Season 9 all rely on the Balazan's Maxtlatl Unique for success, so a nerf to that Unique could cause the class to lose its crown. By diversifying its portfolio of builds, the Druid is setting itself up to carry its mid-Season 9 rise into Diablo 4 Season 10.

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9 /10

Diablo 4
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Action RPG
Hack and Slash
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
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Released
June 5, 2023
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
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DIGITAL
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Engine
Proprietary Engine
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash