Yes, a popular Spiritborn build in Diablo 4 did receive a nerf from Blizzard. This adjustment targeted a specific interaction that was causing an unintended and overpowered gameplay experience.
The Spiritborn Nerf Explained
The nerf was implemented to address a significant bug within a particular Spiritborn build. This bug, when exploited, allowed players to trivialize much of the game's content due to an unintended interaction between core abilities.
Specifics of the Nerf
The primary issue stemmed from a bug involving the Evade skill in conjunction with the Eagle spirit guardian. This combination was causing Evade's cooldowns to instantly reset, leading to continuous and unhindered use of the ability. This constant cooldown reset made the build exceptionally strong, allowing players to clear challenging content with remarkable ease, far beyond what was intended for a balanced gameplay experience.
The core problem was an exploit that granted infinite Evade, fundamentally breaking the balance of the game for those utilizing the build. The nerf was a direct response to correct this bugged interaction and restore balance.
Here’s a comparison of the build's state before and after the nerf:
| Aspect | Pre-Nerf (Bugged State) | Post-Nerf (Corrected State) |
|---|---|---|
| Evade Cooldown | Instant reset, effectively no cooldown | Standard cooldown mechanics applied |
| Spirit Guardian | Eagle Spirit's bugged interaction | Eagle Spirit's intended functionality |
| Content Clearing | Overly easy, trivialized challenges | Balanced difficulty, as designed |
| Build Power | Overpowered due to unintended exploit | Adjusted to align with game balance |
Impact on Gameplay
For players who heavily relied on this specific Spiritborn build, the nerf meant a significant shift in their gameplay strategy. The instantaneous cooldown resets, which previously allowed for extremely fast and safe progression, were removed. This change encourages players to engage with the class's abilities and resources in a more strategic and balanced manner, as originally intended by the game developers. It ensures that challenges within Diablo 4 remain engaging and require appropriate skill and build optimization, rather than relying on a singular bugged interaction.
