A dramatic nerf to the best Unique item in Season 5’s Public Test Realm has stunned Diablo 4 players.
Diablo 4’s Season 5, Season of the Infernal Hordes, launches on August 6 at 10 AM PT, bringing several new uniques and a new game mode. After looking at the patch notes, players who experienced the PTR discovered that the season’s most coveted item, Crown of Lucion, received a drastic nerf.
Players initially praised the Crown of Lucion for its powerful affixes. The helm included increased maximum life, shadow resistance, cooldown reduction, and a significant damage boost when using resource-costing skills.
However, Blizzard reduced its effectiveness, raising resource costs while slashing its damage bonuses. This change shocked many players who had hoped to wield the helm’s once-potent power.
In the Diablo 4 subreddit, player reactions to this nerf varied widely. One player humorously lamented, “Crown of Lucion got melted in a pot of acids and oxidizing solutions.”
Another expressed relief, stating, “Thank god it was insane. Literally best in the slot for every single class.”
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A third player agreed with the sentiment but criticized Blizzard’s approach to nerfing in Diablo 4: “Agreed, but as usual, when Blizzard nerfs something, they effectively kill it.” They then analyzed how this change would effectively change the Crown of Lucion, saying “75% multi for 150% Resources Cost Increase. No thanks.”
This felt like a double nerf to some players since the Crown of Lucion will now deal less damage but cost more mana.
The community has had a mixed response to the Season 5 changes. Many players feel underwhelmed by the adjustments to various unique items.
“Many uniques are still useless,” one player noted, “and it’s almost like they used the redesign as a smoke screen to nerf some of the more powerful uniques.”
Despite the controversy, Season 5 promises exciting content, including the return of iconic bosses from Diablo 2. Many players believe these additions will “finish” Diablo 4, bringing the game closer to perfection.