Season 13: Lord of Hatred (launched April 28, 2026, Patch 3.0.1) is the biggest shakeup Diablo IV has ever seen. The expansion adds two brand-new classes (Paladin and Warlock), a new region (Skovos), level cap increase to 70, the Horadric Cube crafting system, Talisman itemization, War Plans endgame activities, and a complete skill tree rework across all classes. The meta is still settling after early hotfixes (April 29, May 1-2) that nerfed Sorcerer Blizzard and adjusted Druid/Rogue interactions. Source: Blizzard patch notes, Icy Veins, Blizzard Watch
Class Notes — Season 13
Source: Mobalytics, Game8, Odealo, PlayerAuctions — May 2026
| Class | Builds named in the snapshot | How the snapshot describes it |
|---|---|---|
| Warlock | Dread Claws, Summoner | Shadow damage with double-cast demon mechanics; the Summoner variant is described as AoE from demon summons. The write-ups also record that Blizzard launched the class strong. |
| Paladin | Wing Strike (Arbiter), Hammerdin | Permanent Arbiter uptime from kill-based cooldown resets, attached to high-end Pit pushing; described as demanding high mechanical skill. |
| Barbarian | Whirlwind Dust Devil, Rend, HoTA | Near-constant spin uptime with low mechanical overhead; Rend is named as the single-target option, HoTA as the boss-damage option. |
| Necromancer | Pure Golem Summoner, Blood Wave | Passive survivability from Concentrated Golem scaling with low mechanical complexity; Blood Wave is described as the screen-clearing variant. |
| Sorcerer | Static Field Blizzard, Hydra, Charged Bolts | Blizzard was cut in the April 29 hotfix; the variants here are the ones the post-hotfix write-ups list. |
| Druid | Companion, Lightning Storm, Lacerate Rabies | Lightning Storm was adjusted in the same hotfix; Companion is described as consistent damage, Lacerate Rabies as a damage-over-time alternative. |
| Rogue | Dance of Knives, Death Trap | Full-screen crowd control and burst through Grenade Jumper and Freeze synergies; attached to Helltides and Whispers. |
| Spiritborn | Crushing Hand, Rake | The write-ups record a lower position than the one they gave it in Season 12; both builds are still listed as functional for casual content. |
The table records what each source writes rather than who comes out ahead. None of the outlets named above published damage, clear-speed or win-rate figures alongside these descriptions, so this page does not order the classes against each other.
Warlock — Dread Claws and Summoner
Builds named: Dread Claws, Summoner, Hell Fracture
The write-ups record that Blizzard launched Warlock strong to encourage players to explore the new class. Dread Claws is described as shadow damage with Summon Laalish for double-cast mechanics, Nether Step for mobility, and Dread Claws as the main DPS ability. Resource management (Wrath, Shadowform, Dominance) is the part those notes describe as needing attention — not a one-button class. The Summoner variant is described as trading single-target burst for AoE from demon summons. Source: Mobalytics, Fragster, Game8
Paladin — Wing Strike (Arbiter) and Hammerdin
Builds named: Wing Strike (Arbiter), Hammerdin, Holy Light Auradin
The Paladin returns as the "sword and board" holy warrior the write-ups describe. Wing Strike Arbiter reaches permanent Arbiter uptime through kill-based cooldown resets, and Mobalytics, Game8 and Nerdschalk attach that build to high-end Pit pushing while describing it as demanding high mechanical skill. Hammerdin is described as the progression build using the Light's Epiphany set, named for both levelling and endgame. Holy Light Auradin is described as passive AoE damage through auras, attached to farming. Source: Mobalytics, Game8, Nerdschalk
Barbarian and Necromancer
Barbarian — Whirlwind Dust Devil
Odealo and Game8 describe Whirlwind Dust Devil as multiplicative scaling with near-constant spin uptime and low mechanical overhead. Rend is named as the single-target alternative, and HoTA (Hammer of the Ancients) as the boss-damage option. The same notes describe the class as self-sufficient and suited to solo play. Source: Odealo, Game8
Necromancer — Pure Golem Summoner
Mobalytics and PlayerAuctions place Pure Golem Summoner in the low-complexity, first-character direction: Concentrated Golem scaling provides passive survivability with low mechanical complexity. The Blood Wave variant uses Kessime's Legacy pants for screen-clearing damage. The notes attach it to a relaxed playstyle. Source: Mobalytics, PlayerAuctions
Sorcerer and Druid
Sorcerer — Static Field Blizzard
Blizzard was nerfed in the April 29 hotfix, which the patch notes describe as scaling "far more than intended". The post-hotfix write-ups record a lower position than the pre-hotfix ones and keep Static Field and Hydra as the named variants; this page records that revision without reproducing their orderings. Source: Blizzard hotfix notes, Game8
Druid — Companion / Lightning Storm
Lightning Storm was also adjusted in the hotfix. The Companion build is described as consistent damage, and Lacerate Rabies as a DoT-focused alternative. The notes keep both listed as playable. Source: Blizzard hotfix notes
Rogue and Spiritborn
Rogue — Dance of Knives
Rogue is the class the notes attach to speed farming in Season 13. Dance of Knives with Grenade Jumper + Freeze synergies is described as full-screen CC and explosive burst, named for Helltides and Whispers. The Pit-pushing direction sits outside what those notes describe for the build. Source: Odealo, PlayerAuctions
Spiritborn — Crushing Hand / Rake
Game8 records Spiritborn at the front of its Season 12 ordering and further back in the Season 13 one, citing the new Warlock and Paladin classes and the class rebalancing. The notes keep both builds listed as functional for casual content. Source: Game8
Where the Snapshot Puts Each Build
The snapshot sorts builds by the content they are named for rather than by strength:
- Pit pushing: Paladin Wing Strike Arbiter and Warlock Dread Claws — the two builds the Mobalytics, Game8 and Odealo notes name in that direction
- First character: Necromancer Pure Golem Summoner — described as the lowest mechanical complexity of the set
- Solo play: Barbarian Whirlwind Dust Devil — described as self-sufficient
- Speed farming: Rogue Dance of Knives — attached to Helltides and Whispers
- Boss damage: HoTA and Warlock Dread Claws — the builds named in that context
- Relaxed play: Necromancer Summoner and Paladin Holy Light Auradin — attached to low-input play
Source: Mobalytics, Game8, Odealo, Blizzard patch notes — May 2026