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Diablo 4 boss admits the Spiritborn is 'going to have some issues that need to be addressed,' but 'some people don't recognize the difference between 'fix' and 'nerf''
Diablo 4's new Spiritborn class has been causing issues with its overpowered abilities due to bugs, leading to debates about whether to 'fix' or 'nerf' the class, with Blizzard considering both the player enjoyment and the overall game balance.
Diablo 4's new Spiritborn class has certainly been making waves since its arrival in the action RPG earlier this month, but as the series' boss tests the waters on whether or not certain things should be fixed, he's reminded players that there's a "difference between 'fix' and 'nerf.'"
The Spiritborn was introduced alongside Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred DLC, and since then, players have discovered bugs that allow it to deal quadrillions of damage, as well as a problem where it's possible to break animation frames when casting Evade. Needless to say, not everything has been working as intended from the get-go, but the general manager for Diablo, Rod Fergusson, is clearly pondering whether some things should be left as they are since players are "having fun" with the class.
On Twitter, Fergusson shared what he's calling a "non-binding poll" to ask players, "Should we fix the Spiritborn so that it's closer in balance to the other classes OR should we leave it as it is because you're having fun?" Looking at the results so far, the majority of respondents – 63.2%, to be exact – are in favor of the Spiritborn being kept as it is, but some responses have clearly prompted the general manager to clarify what he actually meant in the first place.
"Interesting some people don't recognize the difference between 'fix' and 'nerf,'" he writes in a follow-up tweet. "I'm not saying we're doing anything, I'm just saying that a class that's been out for three weeks versus 16 months is going to have some issues that need to be addressed. Real question is when."
Interesting some people don't recognize the difference between "fix" and "nerf". I'm not saying we're doing anything, I'm just saying that a class that's been out for 3 weeks versus 16 months is going to have some issues that need to be addressed. Real question is when.October 24, 2024
With that in mind, it sounds like regardless of the poll results, some changes are most likely inevitable. Again, considering the big bugs that've been found, that's probably for the best, and as Fergusson suggests, it's not necessarily about making the class weaker, but making sure it actually functions as intended. However, as he points out in a reply, "when millions of players are having fun, there's a lot more to take into consideration," so it sounds like Blizzard will have to find the right balance with any potential changes first.