Diablo 4 1.03 Patch Notes, Maintenance Time

Guides, PC Games

Many people had doubts, but Diablo IV has proven to be an exceptional game despite its online-only nature. However, even the best games have their flaws. Fortunately, the dedicated developers at Blizzard are committed to improving the Diablo 4 experience with regular updates and patches that address bugs, balance issues, and more.

Patching It Up

Since its launch, Diablo 4 has received multiple patches, including during its pre-launch phase when only early-access players had access to the game. Along with a significant update, there have been hotfixes that address smaller, immediate issues. It can be argued that not all of these hotfixes have been innocuous, with examples like Hotfix 10 significantly weakening the already underpowered Druid class since the game’s release. Hotfix 12 also decided to nerf the Barbarian’s Hammer of the Ancients.

Anticipating the Upcoming Patch

Naturally, the community was upset after the release of Hotfix 12, as all we had seen so far were bug fixes and nerfs – where were the buffs? However, Activision Blizzard swiftly deployed Hotfix 13 on the same day to revert the changes they had made.

Now, all eyes are on the forthcoming Diablo 4 patch discussed during the latest Campfire Chat. According to Rod Fergusson, the general manager of Blizzard, the patch is so substantial that it has over thirteen pages of notes and is growing. Fergusson mentioned that they might need a maintenance window to implement all the fixes.

Scheduled Maintenance for Diablo 4

The upcoming maintenance for Diablo 4 can be found on the dedicated support website. Initially, the page stated that the game would be unavailable during maintenance, but it has since been updated. The current information states that players may experience service interruptions, such as disconnections, during the update. However, they should be able to log back in once the process is complete. In any case, it’s advised to finish any quests or necessary tasks in the Sanctuary before the maintenance begins.

Here are the dates and times for the maintenance:

June 26 (Monday)

  • Starts at 9 am PDT / 12 pm EDT / 5 pm BST
  • Ends at 2 pm PDT / 5 pm EDT / 10 pm BST

June 27 (Tuesday)

  • Starts at 9:30 am PDT / 12:30 pm EDT / 5:30 pm BST
  • Ends at 2 pm PDT / 5 pm EDT / 10 pm BST

What Can We Expect from the Updates?

If all goes well, we can anticipate the first significant post-launch update for Diablo 4 after the maintenance on June 27. The Campfire Chat provided some insights into the extensive update in store for players.

While awaiting the detailed breakdown, here are some of the expected changes:

  • The unique drops for Druid and Barbarian will be fixed, while unique drops for other classes will still occur
  • Increased material cap
  • Teleportation capability to Nightmare Dungeons
  • Increased XP gain from Nightmare Dungeons
  • Removal of the Fog of War map
  • Disconnect protection for Hardcore players
  • Retention of Paragon stats obtained from Lilith statues
  • New characters will start with Lilith altars and an unlocked map
  • Renown requirements from waypoints, dungeons, and quests will grant Paragon Points, Murmuring Obols, and a third skill point each season
  • Increased impact of resistances in higher WTs in Season 2
  • Quests will be reset for seasonal characters (subject to change)
  • Renown earned for map exploration and Statues of Lilith will carry over between seasons

Notable changes from this list include the disconnect protection for Hardcore players, the increase in material cap, and the ability to teleport to Nightmare Dungeons. In Diablo 4’s Hardcore mode, player-created characters are permanently deleted upon death. While death due to a boss being too powerful is acceptable, server issues or internet troubles leading to death are treated as “player death.”

During the Q&A segment of the Campfire Chats, Blizzard also indicated that future improvements will include:

  • Expanded options for character customization
  • Enhancements to systems/classes, possibly including additional resource generation for certain builds
  • Improvements to the journal and its tracking capabilities

Will Diablo 4 Finally Live Up to Its Potential?

It’s difficult to say at this point, but I remain hopeful that the extensive patch notes mentioned by Fergusson will address many of the game’s main issues. If that is the case, it will be the first step toward realizing the polished vision that developers discussed during the Campfire Chat sessions.