Abyssal Lich

Barbarian

Druid

Necromancer

Paladin

Rogue

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Spiritborn


<p><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo 4</a> has released a small but important update with Hotfix 2.5.1 that was added today, <strong>January 14, 2026</strong>. This hotfix is specifically targeted at the Paladin Class.</p>



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            <img decoding="async" class="blizzard-logo" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/static/public/blizzard-icon-small.png" alt="Blizzard Logo" />
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            <a class="source-link" target="_blank" href="https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/d4/t/hotfix-2-january-14-2026-251/240457"><span class="white">(</span> Source URL <span class="white">)</span> </a>
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    <h3>HOTFIX 2 &#8211; January 14, 2026 &#8211; 2.5.1</h3>
    <div class="blizzard-blue-post-content">
        <p><strong>Bug Fixes</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where various Paladin skills didn’t apply Judgement as intended.</li>
</ul>
    </div>
</div>



<p>According to Blizzard, this hotfix addresses a problem that was <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/paladin/builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">affecting the Paladin</a>, where multiple skills were not applying <strong>Judgement</strong> correctly. They did not go into detail about the complete list of abilities that were impacted, but the fix should restore expected behavior across affected Paladin builds.</p>



<p>If you are playing a Judgement-focused Paladin, this update should help you get more consistent skill interactions and overall better damage.</p>



<p>As usual with hotfixes, the update is server-side and does not require a download or anything. Blizzard has not mentioned any other balance changes or modifications, so that is all for this little update!</p>



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<p>For more guides, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-best-builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tier lists</a>, or information, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-lore-bites-prime-evils-never-truly-die/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">check out our latest news</a>!</p>


Diablo 4 Finally Fixes Paladin Judgement Bug


<p>With <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-lord-of-hatred-prequel-novel-announced/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lord of Hatred</a> launching this April, Blizzard is introducing a new endgame system called <strong>War Plans</strong>, and out of everything teased so far, this might be one of the most important additions for <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo 4</a>&#8216;s future endgame. </p>



<p>We do not have much information, but War Plans are described as a way for players to <em>&#8220;craft their own endgame progression path.</em>&#8221; This would mean you can pick the activities you want to focus on, apply modifiers to them, and push toward higher-value rewards. It does sound like Blizzard finally wants to give players more control over how and where they spend their time.</p>



<p>For those who play <a href="https://www.poe-vault.com/poe2/news/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Path of Exile</a>, it seems like it takes inspiration from the Atlas Map, so that can give you a very small idea.</p>



<p>But what does that actually mean in practice?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Are War Plans, Exactly?</h2>



<p>As mentioned, Blizzard has not revealed any specifics, but the idea is pretty clear: War Plans act as a <strong>meta progression layer</strong> over Diablo 4&#8217;s endgame. Instead of running the same activity over and over just because it is the most efficient, War Plans appear to let you:</p>



<ul>
<li>Prioritize specific endgame activities</li>



<li>Modify their difficulty</li>



<li>Influence the type of rewards you get</li>



<li>Chain different activities together into a longer progression loop</li>
</ul>



<p>In short, it is about <strong>making more of the endgame relevant</strong>, not just the fastest content.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Diablo 4 Needs This</h2>



<p>Right now, one of Diablo 4&#8217;s biggest problems is that once you hit Torment IV, most content stops feeling dangerous very quickly. <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/the-pit-of-the-artificers-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Outside of The Pit</a> and a handful of high-end challenges, a lot of activities become something you breeze through without thinking.</p>



<p>War Plans look like Blizzard&#8217;s attempt to fix that by:</p>



<ul>
<li>Letting the difficulty scale beyond the base world tier</li>



<li>Making underused activities worth running again</li>



<li>Turning the open world into something you actively engage with, not just pass through</li>
</ul>



<p>If it works, it could mean fewer &#8220;dead&#8221; systems and more meaningful choices about how you progress.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Scaling Difficulty Without Just Adding Torment V</h2>



<p>One interesting thing Blizzard seems to be avoiding is simply adding another Torment tier.</p>



<p>Instead of Torment V, War Plans may allow<strong> scaling across multiple activities</strong>, meaning you stay in Torment IV but push difficulty higher in a more controlled way. That avoids the problem where a new difficulty just becomes &#8220;the new normal&#8221; after a few weeks.</p>



<p>If Blizzard gets this balance right, War Plans could offer a real challenge without invalidating existing content.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Custom Rewards Could Be the Real Win</h2>



<p>Another important part of the War Plans will be the reward targeting. Rather than hoping the right dungeon, boss, or activity drops what you need, War Plans could let you focus on materials, uniques, or specific upgrade paths depending on what your build needs. </p>



<p>That alone would go a long way toward making endgame grinding feel much better.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential vs. Reality</h2>



<p>Sadly, War Plans have only been teased briefly so far. We do not know if it will become a deep, flexible system or just another menu layered on top of existing content. Everything remains to be seen.</p>



<p>But if Blizzard truly lets us scale difficulty across the entire game and get more meaningful rewards, War Plans could end up being one of Diablo 4&#8217;s most important systems.</p>



<p>With Lord of Hatred only a few months away, we likely will not have to wait long to find out!</p>



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<p>For more guides, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-best-builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tier lists</a>, or information, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-finally-fixes-paladin-judgement-bug/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">check out our latest news</a>!</p>


Why Diablo 4’s War Plans Could Be the Endgame the Game Needs


<p>Welcome back to our Diablo Lore Bites series, where we break down important Diablo lore topics in a simple, easy-to-read way. These are not massive lore dumps, but short, easy-to-digest bits that give you the context you need. No homework required. Just enough to understand who is who and what matters, especially if you never paid much attention to the story before.</p>



<p>This time, we are looking at the three Prime Evils, <strong>the main forces behind most of the chaos in the Diablo universe.</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where The Prime Evils Came From</h2>



<p>Long before Sanctuary existed, there was a single being born from the void, called Anu, a perfect entity that embodied all things. Anu eventually rid itself of its own evil, and that cast-off darkness became Tathamet, a massive seven-headed dragon.</p>



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<p>Anu and Tathamet fought, and both destroyed each other in the process. From Anu&#8217;s remains came the High Heavens, while Tathamet&#8217;s corpse became the Burning Hells. His seven severed heads then gave birth to the seven Great Evils. Four of these were later <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-lore-bites-lesser-evils-diablo-4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">known as The Lesser Evils</a>, and above the rest, rose the Three Prime Evils:</p>



<ul>
<li>Diablo, the <strong>Lord of Terror</strong></li>



<li>Mephisto, the <strong>Lord of Hatred</strong></li>



<li>Baal, the <strong>Lord of Destruction</strong></li>
</ul>



<p>Together, the three Prime Evils rule over Hell and sit at the center of almost every major conflict in the Diablo universe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Exactly Are The Prime Evils?</h2>



<p><strong>Each Prime Evil represents a different kind of corruption</strong>, and they all go about it in their own way.</p>



<ul>
<li><strong>Diablo feeds on fear.</strong> He does not just destroy cities; he breaks people mentally first. Paranoia, dread, and hopelessness are his tools.</li>



<li><strong>Mephisto is all about hatred and manipulation. </strong>He plays the long game, turning allies against each other and letting conflicts grow until everything collapses from the inside.</li>



<li><strong>Baal is the most direct </strong>of the three. He brings <strong>raw destruction, war, and total ruin</strong>, with very little subtlety involved.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Together, these three have influenced humanity for centuries.</strong> They corrupted powerful mortals, manipulated entire nations, and directly caused many of the disasters seen throughout the Diablo games.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized has-custom-border"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/diablo-wiki-baal-diablo-mephisto.webp" alt="" class="wp-image 119947" style="border-radius:8px;width:652px;height:815px" width="652" height="815"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Baal, Diablo, and Mephisto &#8211; Image by <a href="https://diablo.fandom.com/wiki/Diablo_Wiki" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo Wiki</a></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Have We Not Killed Them Already?</h2>



<p>Yes. And also no.</p>



<p>Across Diablo I, II, and III, all three Prime Evils were defeated at different points in time. But in Diablo lore, demons on this level do not truly die. When a Prime Evil is destroyed, its essence <strong>returns to the Burning Hells</strong>, where it<strong> slowly reforms</strong> instead of disappearing for good.</p>



<p>Over time, they reform. Slowly, quietly, and often stronger or more careful than before.</p>



<p>That is why the same evils keep coming back, and why Sanctuary never really gets a clean break from them. Even long stretches of peace are usually just the calm before the storm.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Endless Threat of the Three &#8216;Brothers&#8217;</h2>



<p>Even when they are not physically present, the Prime Evils leave damage behind. Fear, hatred, and destruction do not just vanish once the final boss fight is over.</p>



<p>In Diablo 4, <strong>Mephisto</strong> once again plays a major role, but the influence of all three Prime Evils still hangs over the world. Their legacy affects events, characters, and choices, even when they are not standing front and center. Their legacy explains much of Sanctuary&#8217;s current state and why <strong>true victory in Diablo is always temporary&#8230;</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full has-custom-border"><img decoding="async" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/loot-filter-d4.webp" alt="" class="wp-image 115786" style="border-radius:8px"/></figure>



<p>We will continue this Diablo Lore Bites series regularly. With the next expansion getting closer, future entries will cover topics like Mephisto himself, the Skovos Isles, and how all of this connects to what comes next with Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred.</p>



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<p>If you want more short lore explainers like this, keep an eye on our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/">Diablo 4 news hub</a>.</p>


Diablo Lore Bites: The Prime Evils Never Truly Die


<p>Blizzard has revealed a new official Diablo novel, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538199/the-lost-horadrim-diablo-iv-by-matthew-j-kirby/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lost Horadrim</a>, and this one is clearly meant for players who care about the story behind Diablo 4. The <strong>Lord of Hatred prequel novel</strong> launches on <strong>April 21</strong>, just ahead of the upcoming expansion, and gives us much more information about events that happened between <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo III</a> and <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo IV</a>.</p>



<p>This is not some random side story. It focuses on characters and places we already know, so it will mostly appeal to players who enjoy digging into Diablo lore.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What The Book Is About</h2>



<p>The novel follows <strong>Lorath, Donan, and Tyrael</strong> during a rough period after <strong>Malthael</strong>&#8216;s Reaping. The Horadrim are barely holding together, humanity is exposed, and evil is spreading fast. Hoping to recover lost knowledge and allies, the group travels to the <strong>Skovos Isles</strong>, where a Horadrim expedition vanished years earlier.</p>



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<p>Skovos appears untouched at first, but that illusion does not last long. Lorath teams up with <strong>Adreona</strong>, <strong>an Amazon</strong> captain, as they deal with rising threats, broken alliances, and dangers lurking beneath the surface. If you read <strong>The Book of Lorath</strong>, you might recognize this expedition, as it was mentioned there but never fully explored. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Official Book Description</strong></h3>



<p><em>The Horadrim must journey to the Skovos Isles to discover the fate of a long-lost expedition in this official prequel novel to Diablo: Lord of Hatred.</em></p>



<p><em>In a world culled by Malthael’s Reaping, the Horadric order—humanity’s only hope—struggles to gain a foothold. Within the dimming lands of Sanctuary, evils rise from all corners, and though the Horadrim are used to facing down the darkest spawn of the Burning Hells, they are far less prepared for the depravity arising within their fellow men. But as Lorath, Donan, and Tyrael seek justice and a path forward, the Horadrim’s numbers have dwindled, leaving humanity vulnerable.</em></p>



<p><em>Hoping to strengthen the order, Tyrael and the two mages set sail to Skovos, where Sho-Ren and four other Horadrim were sent years ago to establish diplomatic relations with the Askari . . . and were never heard from again. Though the risk is great, the chance of reclaiming kin—as well as the Horadric vault hidden deep within the heart of the isles—remains too great an opportunity to pass up.</em></p>



<p><em>At first glance, Skovos appears to have escaped the devastation so many others faced in the wake of the Reaping. But as the Horadrim attempt to ally with the Askari and their rulers, it becomes clear that all is not right on their shores. To gain the trust of the Amazon warriors, Lorath seeks the aid of their captain, Adreona. The Askari leader does not trust the mysterious mainlander, though—not while her soldiers are under constant threat of the Drowned and can ill afford distractions.</em></p>



<p><em>To save both their peoples, Lorath and Adreona must learn to battle together against not only the perils before them . . . but also those lurking just beneath the surface.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where To Get It</h2>



<p>The novel will be <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538199/the-lost-horadrim-diablo-iv-by-matthew-j-kirby/">available on release</a> day in <strong>physical and digital formats</strong>, including hardcover and ebook. There will also be an <strong>audiobook version</strong>, <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Lost-Horadrim-Diablo-IV-Audiobook/B0FSST7R9M?srsltid=AfmBOooTDWdRbAffqCu42fCR1hX1VLA6EcX6Zal6AMtANWnS2mtec8gG" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">available on Audible</a> at launch. That makes it an easy pick for players who prefer listening while grinding dungeons or clearing seasonal content in Diablo 4.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The path to hatred is paved in ink and blood.<br><br>The official Diablo: Lord of Hatred prequel novel arrives April 21. 📖<br><br>📚 Preorder now wherever books are sold: <a href="https://t.co/rPsro3wzbe">https://t.co/rPsro3wzbe</a> <a href="https://t.co/T9ZaJQ17QW">pic.twitter.com/T9ZaJQ17QW</a></p>&mdash; Diablo (@Diablo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Diablo/status/2011141242273644927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>More details will likely surface closer to release, but for lore fans, this already feels like a must-have. Especially now that we are heading toward the next big expansion and will make our way to the Skovos Isles ourselves.</p>



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<p>For more lore updates and expansion coverage, head back to our main <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/">Diablo 4 news hub</a>.</p>


Diablo 4’s Next Expansion Gets a Prequel Novel This April


<p>Mother&#8217;s Blessing returns to Diablo 4, and like all of her blessings, they are powerful yet fleeting. Players who log into Sanctuary now will receive <strong>boosts to XP and Gold for a limited time</strong>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mother’s Blessing Returns</h2>



<p>Along with <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-tower-live-changes-from-ptr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the release of The Tower</a>, Blizzard is dropping a short Mother&#8217;s Blessing event for Diablo 4. So whether you have already been grinding <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Season 11</a> or are looking for the perfect moment to jump in, now is the time.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Worry not, Wanderers. Mother’s here. <br><br>Mother’s Blessing is now Live in Diablo IV. Go forth and get boosted XP and gold alike. <a href="https://t.co/4nigma8y2u">pic.twitter.com/4nigma8y2u</a></p>&mdash; Diablo (@Diablo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Diablo/status/2010775701012480164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>For those who are jumping into Season 11 for the first time, check out our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/tier-lists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tier Lists</a> for the best leveling and Endgame builds, including for <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/preorder-lord-of-hatred-to-unlock-paladin-early-in-diablo-4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the newly released Paladin</a>.</p>


Mother’s Blessing Returns to Diablo 4


<p>After today&#8217;s patch, Blizzard has noticed an issue affecting the new <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/tower-leaderboards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tower leaderboards</a> in <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo 4</a>. The Tower is currently still in beta, and it is fully playable, but it seems that the leaderboard results are not displaying correctly for all classes, meaning some players may not see their runs properly recorded or reflected.</p>



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            <a class="source-link" target="_blank" href="https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/d4/t/psa-leaderboard-issues/240211"><span class="white">(</span> Source URL <span class="white">)</span> </a>
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    <h3>PSA: Leaderboard Issues</h3>
    <div class="blizzard-blue-post-content">
        <p>The Tower beta is live, and while gameplay is fully accessible, we’re currently investigating an issue where leaderboard results aren’t populating correctly for all classes. We appreciate your patience as we work through this and will provide updates as they’re available.</p>
    </div>
</div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Is Affected Right Now</h2>



<p>This issue appears to be a backend display or tracking issue rather than a gameplay-breaking bug, so you can still <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-tower-beta/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test out the Tower already</a>. Just keep in mind that your score might not be recorded.</p>



<p>Blizzard has confirmed that the team is actively looking into the problem and will share updates once a fix is ready. No timeline has been provided yet, but the issue is officially on their radar.</p>



<p>As mentioned, you can still run The Tower and test your builds in there, just without fully reliable leaderboard rankings.</p>



<p>This is why the Tower is still in its beta version, so Blizzard can figure out issues like this and fix them for the full release of the system. As long as gameplay remains stable, this looks more like a data hiccup than a serious problem.</p>



<p>Still, if you are chasing rankings, it might be worth waiting until Blizzard fixes it.</p>


Diablo 4 Leaderboard Results Currently Bugged


<p>Diablo 4 players logging in today after the <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-upcoming-update-focuses-on-the-tower-and-bug-fixes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">latest patch went live</a> might notice something missing from their runs. Blizzard has <strong>temporarily disabled the Executioner&#8217;s affix</strong> due to a persistent audio bug that appeared after the patch was released.</p>



<p>According to Blizzard, the affix will return only in a future update, but not without changes.</p>



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        <div>
            <a class="source-link" target="_blank" href="https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/d4/t/temporary-disabling-of-executioners-affix/240196"><span class="white">(</span> Source URL <span class="white">)</span> </a>
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    <h3>Temporary Disabling of Executioners Affix</h3>
    <div class="blizzard-blue-post-content">
        <p>Hey there,</p>
<p>With 2.5.2, we are temporarily disabling the Executioner’s affix, as it introduced a persistent audio bug. Additionally, we are making changes to the base affix as well so expect it to return new and improved in a later update.</p>
<p>Specific changes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Added a 1 second spawn cooldown. When killing large groups of enemies with the executioner affix at once, only one sword will spawn instead of multiple.</li>
<li>Removed the tracking period. Swords will now fall as soon as they reach you.</li>
</ul>
    </div>
</div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Executioner&#8217;s Affix Disabled</h2>



<p>The main reason for the removal is a persistent audio issue linked to the affix. Apparently, it could trigger repeatedly and become a real problem during gameplay. Rather than leaving it like that, Blizzard chose to disable it entirely until they work on a fix.</p>



<p>The good news is that this is not just a temporary thing. The Executioner&#8217;s affix is being <strong>reworked at the same time, </strong>meaning it should come back and work even better than it was up until now.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Will Change</h2>



<p>Blizzard has already outlined the adjustments planned for the affix:</p>



<ul>
<li><strong>Spawn cooldown</strong>. A 1-second cooldown will be added, meaning that when you kill large packs of enemies at once, only one sword will spawn instead of several.</li>



<li><strong>Tracking removed</strong>. Executioner swords will no longer track players for a short time. Instead, they will fall immediately once they reach you, making the behavior more predictable.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">When Will It Be Back?</h2>



<p>There is no exact date yet, but Blizzard has confirmed that Executioner&#8217;s affix will come back in a future update. Until then, you will not encounter the affix anymore for now.</p>



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<p>For more guides, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-best-builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tier lists</a>, or information, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-tower-live-changes-from-ptr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">check out our latest news</a>!</p>


Diablo 4 Disables Executioner’s Affix After Patch Audio Bug


<p><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-tower-beta/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Tower</a> is officially live later today in <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo 4 Season</a> 11, but players jumping in will notice that it is not exactly the same version that appeared during PTR testing. Blizzard made a number of balance adjustments and quality-of-life changes based on early feedback, with the goal of making the mode feel fairer, smoother, and more consistent with other endgame activities.</p>



<p>If you spent time testing the Tower on PTR, here is what changed before launch.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Changed Since The PTR</h2>



<p>The Tower <strong>now unlocks tiers the same way the Pit does</strong>, making its structure easier to understand and more familiar for endgame players.</p>



<p>Encounters also received multiple adjustments. Monster populations have been tuned to feel fair for both ranged and melee builds, and bosses no longer show problematic behavior such as self-healing or turning invisible. <strong>Boss health was also lowered to better match Pit bosses</strong>, which should make runs feel less punishing.</p>



<p><strong>Pylons saw the most noticeable changes:</strong></p>



<ul>
<li>The delay between breaking a Pylon Cage and using the Pylon is gone</li>



<li>Pylons are less tanky overall</li>



<li>Spawn order has been tuned to reduce unfair rolls</li>
</ul>



<p>Specific pylons were also updated:</p>



<ul>
<li><strong>Pylon of Power</strong> now grants 3x damage instead of 4x</li>



<li><strong>Pylon of Speed</strong> grants +50% Attack Speed and lets players knock down enemies they pass through</li>



<li><strong>Pylon of Channeling</strong> now provides resource gain per second to help builds that struggle with resource drain</li>
</ul>



<p>Orb behavior was cleaned up as well. <strong>Orbs now drop immediately when enemies die</strong>, instead of waiting for post-death effects. They also spawn closer to the player when possible, cutting down on unnecessary backtracking.</p>



<p>Last but not least, several quality-of-life improvements also made it in since PTR:</p>



<ul>
<li>Dying will no longer respawn players on a previous floor</li>



<li>Exit portals now appear closer to the player at the end of a run</li>
</ul>



<p>Overall, this will help the live version of the Tower feel more refined than its PTR counterpart. Keep in mind that it is still a beta feature, but these changes suggest Blizzard is actively working on making the new leaderboards mode a more reliable endgame pillar for future seasons. </p>



<p>You can read <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/tower-leaderboards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Tower</a> part of the patch notes here:</p>



<div class="blizzard-blue-post">
    <div class="d-flex align-items-center">
        <div>
            <img decoding="async" class="blizzard-logo" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/static/public/blizzard-icon-small.png" alt="Blizzard Logo" />
        </div>
        <div>
            <a class="source-link" target="_blank" href="https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24244466/diablo-iv-patch-notes"><span class="white">(</span> Source URL <span class="white">)</span> </a>
        </div>
    </div>
    <hr class="blizzard-line" />
    <h3>2.5.2 Build #70156 (All Platforms)—January 12, 2026</h3>
    <div class="blizzard-blue-post-content">
        <h1>Game Updates</h1>
<h3>The Tower and Leaderboards</h3>
<h4>General</h4>
<ul>
<li>Tower now unlocks Tiers the same way the Pit does.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Encounters</h4>
<ul>
<li>Monster populations have been tuned to be fair to both ranged and melee builds.</li>
<li>Bosses have been adjusted to remove unwanted behavior such as self healing and invisibility.</li>
<li>Boss health has been lowered to have parity with Pit Bosses.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Pylons</h4>
<ul>
<li>Removed the delay between when a Pylon Cage is destroyed and when a Pylon can be used.</li>
<li>Pylon health has been reduced in an effort to make them less tanky.</li>
<li>Tuned the pylons to be more balanced to avoid unfair rolls of pylon spawn order.</li>
<li>Pylon of Power
<ul>
<li>Damage from 4[x] to 3[x].</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pylon of Speed
<ul>
<li>Player gains a chunk of Temporary Attack Speed (+50% Attack Speed).</li>
<li>Player can Knockdown enemies they pass through.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pylon of Channeling, Shrine of Channeling
<ul>
<li>Resource gain per second to support builds that drain resource which don&#8217;t benefit from Cost Reduction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Orbs</h4>
<ul>
<li>Orbs drop immediately when the monster dies, and no longer wait for post-Death effects (Elite affixes like Fire enchanted, certain spiders, etc.)</li>
<li>If the orb drops close enough to the player, orbs will appear closer to you to avoid backtracking. If you are too far, orbs will drop at the corpse of the enemy that dropped it.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Quality of Life</h4>
<ul>
<li>Dying will never respawn players on the previous floor.</li>
<li>Exit portals now spawn closer to the player at the end of a run.</li>
</ul>
    </div>
</div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>For more updates on Season 11 and beyond, head to our <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/">main Diablo 4 news hub</a>.</p>


Diablo 4’s Tower Goes Live With Major Changes From The PTR


<p>Hardcore mode in <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diablo 4</a> is not just &#8220;harder Diablo.&#8221; It is a completely different mindset. One death and your character is gone forever. No revive, no checkpoint, no second chance. If you are jumping into Hardcore for the first time, the goal is not to be fearless, it is to be smart.</p>



<p>Here is how to approach Hardcore in Diablo 4 if you actually want to make progress instead of rerolling at level 20.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">First Rule of Hardcore</h2>



<p>This sounds pessimistic, but it is actually freeing. You have to keep in mind that the first rule of Hardcore is that you will most likely eventually die. So be prepared for it.</p>



<p>Hardcore is not about never dying. It is more about seeing how far you can go this time. Once you accept that, your decisions become way better! You stop over-pushing difficulty, you prepare backups, and you do not panic when things get scary.</p>



<p>Planning for death is part of playing Hardcore properly.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do Not Rush Difficulty</h2>



<p>Early on, it is very easy to feel overpowered. Normal difficulty will quickly make you feel overpowered, especially if you are following a solid build. That does not mean you should instantly move up.</p>



<p>A good rule during leveling is that if elites start doing noticeable damage (even small chunks), it means you need to pause and change things on your build. You need to upgrade your gear first before touching the difficulty. So when you start melting things, first go over your build, make sure to upgrade weapons and defenses first, before you increase your difficulty. Defense matters more than speed in Hardcore. This mode punishes overconfidence way harder than bad builds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defense > Damage</h2>



<p>Yes, killing things fast feels good. No, it does not matter if you die to one bad elite combo. When leveling in Hardcore, you want to pay attention to a few things:</p>



<ul>
<li>Prioritize armor, resistances, and survivability</li>



<li>Upgrade weapons regularly</li>



<li>If something starts feeling &#8220;sketchy,&#8221; it probably is</li>
</ul>



<p>If enemies take a bit longer to die, but you feel safe, that is a win.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Reduce Exposure</h2>



<p>Most Hardcore deaths are not heroic but technical. Disconnects, crashes, lag spikes&#8230; all of these can kill a Hardcore character without warning. Because of that, shorter and faster activities are safer than longer ones. The idea is to kill mobs in one or two hits, kill bosses in a few seconds, and avoid content that drags on forever early on.</p>



<p>Less time in danger means fewer chances for something to go wrong.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Level Smooth, Not Slow</h2>



<p>Constantly stopping to inspect gear actually makes Hardcore riskier. A better approach is to level for long periods without micromanaging, store anything that looks like an upgrade in your stash, and do proper gear cleanups around every 10 levels (20, 30, 40, 50).</p>



<p>Strongholds around level 40 are excellent XP and help bridge the gap to endgame safely. <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/helltide-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Helltides</a> are also great, as long as you do not get greedy. It can become tricky very fast, so be careful when you do Helltides, especially when your threat level hits max.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Always Be Ready to Escape</h2>



<p>Hardcore characters should always have:</p>



<ul>
<li>A Scroll of Escape in their inventory</li>



<li>That scroll bound to a hotkey</li>



<li>An otherwise empty inventory</li>
</ul>



<p>If something goes wrong, hesitation kills characters. Also, <strong>never teleport directly to another player</strong>.<br>That is how you teleport into combat or PvP and instantly die. Always use waypoints or dungeon entrances and walk.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Alts Are Your Extra Lives</h2>



<p>If you are serious about Hardcore, do not play like you only have one character. The best way to do this is to create one or two other Hardcore characters, stockpile <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/tree-of-whispers-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Whisper Caches</a> on your main, and open them on alts to power-level backups and pass down gear when possible.</p>



<p>This way, when your main dies (not if), having a level-ready alt makes restarting much less painful.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Endgame &#8211; Slow and Safe Beats Fast and Risky</h2>



<p>Once you hit 60, power will go up quickly, but so do the risks. Here are a few things you need to pay attention to first:</p>



<ul>
<li>Increase your toughness as much as possible before pushing Torment</li>



<li>Level glyphs steadily, not aggressively</li>



<li>Push Pit levels one at a time. Do not try to farm tiers that deal too much damage, farm those you can easily run through</li>



<li>If something feels stressful, step back and do something else</li>
</ul>



<p>Grinding efficiently in lower Torment tiers is always safer than forcing higher ones.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hardcore Is Worth It</h2>



<p>Hardcore Diablo 4 is intense, frustrating, but also incredibly rewarding. The adrenaline rush of barely surviving a fight that would have deleted hours of progress is something Softcore just does not offer. But it only feels good if you play smart, otherwise, it will only be frustrating. Take it slow, prepare for fights but also for failure, and reduce risks as much as possible. </p>



<p>And when your character eventually falls, roll the next one and go again.</p>



<p>If you have never tried Hardcore before, and you have access to the <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/paladin/builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paladin in Season 11</a>, this is a great way to try it out! Paladin is extremely OP right now and can give you a head start in Hardcore, compared to other squishier classes.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>For more guides, <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-best-builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tier lists</a>, and information, check out <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-tower-beta/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our latest news</a>!</p>


How to Survive Hardcore Mode in Diablo 4


<p>Blizzard is rolling out a new Diablo 4 patch on <strong>January 12</strong>, and it introduces the<a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/tower-leaderboards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> new Tower</a> on top of fixing some bugs and making a few balance changes.</p>



<p>This update is heavily focused on The Tower, fixing some balance issues and frustrating mechanics, and adding a long list of quality-of-life improvements across the game. If you have been spending time in Season 11&#8217;s endgame, this patch should make things feel noticeably better.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Tower Gets Major Adjustments</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/diablo-4-season-11-tower-beta/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Tower is clearly the main target of this update</a>. It gets finally added to the game, and Blizzard has reworked it a little bit since PTR. They changed how progression works so that Tower tiers now unlock the same way The Pit does, making it easier to understand how far you can push.</p>



<p>Encounters inside the Tower have also been changed to be fairer for both melee and ranged classes, and bosses got several important fixes. Issues like bosses randomly healing themselves or turning invisible during a fight have been removed, and their health has been lowered to better match Pit bosses.</p>



<p>Some pylons were also adjusted. The Pylon of Power got a small damage nerf, and the Pylon of Speed now gives you an attack speed boost and lets you knock down enemies that pass through.</p>



<p>More changes in this patch are clearly also aimed at improving the overall feeling of Tower runs, especially in longer Tower sessions. Orbs now drop immediately when enemies die, instead of waiting for post-death effects to finish. They will also appear closer to the player when possible, reducing unnecessary backtracking. Dying in the Tower no longer respawns you on a previous floor, and exit portals now spawn closer to your character once a run ends. Small changes, but ones that should make a big difference over time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quality-of-Life Improvements Across the Game</h2>



<p>Outside of the Tower, Blizzard added a handful of useful QoL updates. Locked <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/capstone-dungeons-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Capstone Dungeons</a> now appear on the map with tooltips explaining how to unlock them, and the game does a better job explaining why certain items cannot be sanctified instead of leaving players guessing.</p>



<p>Some dungeon hazards were removed, several navigation and teleport issues were fixed, and general stability and performance improvements were rolled out as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class and Bug Fixes</h2>



<p>The patch includes a long list of bug fixes, with <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/paladin/builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paladin</a> and <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/spiritborn/builds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spiritborn</a> getting the most attention. These fixes address everything from skill behavior and Paragon nodes to enchantments, affixes, and UI issues. So far, Paladin has not been nerfed in any way, so you can keep enjoying it!</p>



<p>There are also fixes for:</p>



<ul>
<li>Bosses breaking or leaving their arenas</li>



<li>Infinite enemy spawns in certain dungeons</li>



<li>Out-of-bounds issues</li>



<li>Controller-related problems</li>



<li>Accessibility features not behaving correctly</li>
</ul>



<p>One particularly nasty bug, where Soul Drinker elites could scale endlessly, becoming massive and nearly unkillable, has finally been addressed.</p>



<p>Overall, this patch feels like Blizzard is preparing for The Tower&#8217;s beta launch and fixing a lot of bugs across the game ahead of the next season. A lot of other issues have not been addressed yet, but they might just be bigger to fix and come with <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/guides/diablo-4-latest-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">next season or the expansion</a>, so <a href="https://www.icy-veins.com/d4/news/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">keep an eye on our news</a> for more information!</p>



<p>Here are the complete Patch Notes if you want to take a look:</p>



<div class="blizzard-blue-post">
    <div class="d-flex align-items-center">
        <div>
            <img decoding="async" class="blizzard-logo" src="https://static.icy-veins.com/wp/static/public/blizzard-icon-small.png" alt="Blizzard Logo" />
        </div>
        <div>
            <a class="source-link" target="_blank" href="https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24244466/diablo-iv-patch-notes"><span class="white">(</span> Source URL <span class="white">)</span> </a>
        </div>
    </div>
    <hr class="blizzard-line" />
    <h3>2.5.2 Build #70156 (All Platforms)—January 12, 2026</h3>
    <div class="blizzard-blue-post-content">
        <h1>Game Updates</h1>
<h2>Base Game</h2>
<h3>The Tower and Leaderboards</h3>
<h4>General</h4>
<ul>
<li>Tower now unlocks Tiers the same way the Pit does.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Encounters</h4>
<ul>
<li>Monster populations have been tuned to be fair to both ranged and melee builds.</li>
<li>Bosses have been adjusted to remove unwanted behavior such as self healing and invisibility.</li>
<li>Boss health has been lowered to have parity with Pit Bosses.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Pylons</h4>
<ul>
<li>Removed the delay between when a Pylon Cage is destroyed and when a Pylon can be used.</li>
<li>Pylon health has been reduced in an effort to make them less tanky.</li>
<li>Tuned the pylons to be more balanced to avoid unfair rolls of pylon spawn order.</li>
<li>Pylon of Power
<ul>
<li>Damage from 4[x] to 3[x].</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pylon of Speed
<ul>
<li>Player gains a chunk of Temporary Attack Speed (+50% Attack Speed).</li>
<li>Player can Knockdown enemies they pass through.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pylon of Channeling, Shrine of Channeling
<ul>
<li>Resource gain per second to support builds that drain resource which don&#8217;t benefit from Cost Reduction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Orbs</h4>
<ul>
<li>Orbs drop immediately when the monster dies, and no longer wait for post-Death effects (Elite affixes like Fire enchanted, certain spiders, etc.)</li>
<li>If the orb drops close enough to the player, orbs will appear closer to you to avoid backtracking. If you are too far, orbs will drop at the corpse of the enemy that dropped it.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Quality of Life</h4>
<ul>
<li>Dying will never respawn players on the previous floor.</li>
<li>Exit portals now spawn closer to the player at the end of a run.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Game Updates</h3>
<ul>
<li>Spinning hazards in certain areas in the Vault of the Crucible dungeon have been removed.</li>
<li>Locked Capstone Dungeons will now show on the map and display a tooltip which describes requirements to unlock.</li>
<li>Various updates to The Tower.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p><strong>Developer’s Note: </strong><em>With the release of the Tower in this patch, we&#8217;ve made a ton of change since we initially had players dive in for the Season 11 PTR. This includes various Quality of Life improvements and bug fixes. The Tower will be releasing as a Beta so please continue to provide feedback! For more details on the Tower, you can read our blog <a href="https://news.blizzard.com/article/24247514/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</em></p></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Meteors spawned by the Essence of Hellfire now only deal damage over time, and no longer deal immediate damage or Stun players hit.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p><strong>Developer’s Note: </strong><em>This part of the power will be re-enabled with the release of this patch.</em></p></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>When attempting to sanctify items that cannot be sanctified, you’ll now be better informed why it can’t be sanctified.</li>
</ul>
<h1>Bug Fixes</h1>
<h2>Expansion</h2>
<h3>Paladin</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where Flails couldn’t be enchanted or drop with the following affixes:
<ul>
<li>Critical Strike Damage</li>
<li>Damage</li>
<li>Bonus Damage over Time</li>
<li>Damage to Vulnerable enemies</li>
<li>Overpower Damage</li>
<li>Lucky Hit to Gain Resource</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where Paladins could become stuck while climbing.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where Shield Charge could fail to hit enemies who were close to the player.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the player would get stuck in place if using Advance assigned to the right mouse button while March of the Stalwart was equipped.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Rite of Mercy upgrade for Holy Light made Paladins untargetable by Spiritborn&#8217;s Toxic Skin Passive when playing in PvP.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where Falling Star with the Freefall upgrade and Rally with the Words of Sacrifice upgrade didn&#8217;t generate resolve when the Aspect of Valiance was equipped.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Aspect of Valiance could not be imprinted on the expected equipment slots.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Strength node next to the Ironclad Rare node in the Castle Paragon Board was magic instead of normal.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Renewal passive was granting healing instead of Fortify.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the player could go out of bounds and get stuck when casting Falling Star towards a Fog Wall.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Screen Reader did not read the Paladin Unique Icon on items.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Spiritborn</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where Spiritborn players could not use the Armory until after unlocking Spirt Halls.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the below balance changes to Spiritborn, introduced in Season of Infernal Chaos, were unintentionally reverted.
<ul>
<li>Skills
<ul>
<li>Rampant Crushing Hand
<ul>
<li>Damage bonus increased from 3% to 5%, up to 40% from 24%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Devourer
<ul>
<li>Line damage increased from 140% to 200%.</li>
<li>Spit damage increased from 40% to 95%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Harmonious Devourer
<ul>
<li>Poison damage bonus increased from 50% to 100%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Key Passive
<ul>
<li>Vital Strikes
<ul>
<li>Vulnerable damage bonus increased from 80% to 100%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Paragon
<ul>
<li>In-Fighter
<ul>
<li>Damage bonus increased from 15% to 30%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Viscous Shield
<ul>
<li>Stacking damage bonus increased from 1% to 2%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Bitter Medicine
<ul>
<li>Poison damage bonus increased from 40% to 60%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Revealing
<ul>
<li>Damage bonus increased from 15% to 30%, up to 60% from 30%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Base Game</h2>
<h3>Accessibility</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Screen Reader did not properly read out buttons in the Season Rank menu.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dungeons and The Pit</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Hellfire Adherent boss in the Hellish Descent dungeon could leave the boss arena.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where quickly leaving boss arenas after entering minor boss arenas in Capstone Dungeons could allow players to circumvent the encounters.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Leave Dungeon ability could teleport the player back to the first floor of Vault of the Crucible instead of outside the Dungeon.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where enemies could endlessly spawn in the second floor of the Enclave of Darkness.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where teleporting via the world map to the Hellish Descent dungeon took the player to the wrong location.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Guardian&#8217;s Lair Portal in The Pit could spawn in an unreachable location.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where Belial could be damaged before he fully spawned in The Pit.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gameplay</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where Druid players could not use the Armory until they unlocked Spirt Boons.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where previously earned renown rewards for extra potion charges still applied for some players.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where Elite Monsters with the Soul Drinker Affix could scale indefinitely, becoming extremely large and eventually unkillable. Who knew drinking souls could be so good for bulking?</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where sometimes mounts would fail to break through barriers when using Spur.</li>
</ul>
<h3>User Interface and User Experience</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where Greater Affixes would lose their unique colored text after being upgraded through Masterworking.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the Boss Health Bar would be duplicated after it revived when fighting the Entwined Souls in Enclave of Darkness.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where Toughness did not display properly when comparing items.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where the visual effect for the Poison Enchanted affix could persist after the damaging effect was complete.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miscellaneous</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed an issue where players on controller could accidentally re-summon Azmodan when trying to collect loot after defeating him.</li>
<li>Various stability, performance, UI, and visual improvements.</li>
</ul>
    </div>
</div>


Diablo 4 Finally Fixes Paladin Judgement Bug

HOTFIX 2 – January 14, 2026 – 2.5.1

Diablo IV News