Diablo 4's Barbarian "feels weak" following the beta, but buffs are on the way

One of Diablo 4's Barbarians stands in front of the camp fire — (Image credit: Blizzard)

Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo 4's Barbarian will get a little love to make them more potent at lower levels.

Diablo 4's early access beta has now come and gone, offering players a chance to get their hands on the upcoming loot 'em up. We saw several popular feedback points, though one of the most prevalent is that the Barbarian didn't feel great, especially compared to others like the Sorceress.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, game director Joe Shely explains that the Barbarian shines during the mid and late game. They get four weapons, which means they get more item slots and legendary powers than anyone else. That said, what beta players got was the class during the early game, and it's led to some "actionable class balance feedback".

"We don't want a player who creates a Barbarian to feel weak at low levels," Shely explains. "So we need to balance the class so that their strength at the end game is realised in that they are powerful, but without making the game unfair at low levels.

"Of course, with a game like Diablo 4, the classes aren't balanced such that everyone is exactly the same power level 35, 36, 37, and beyond. Their overall [power] needs to be balanced against each other, and they need to be balanced especially in the end game, in the mid game broadly, and the early game."

As for more specifics, Shely flags the Barbarian's Hammer of the Ancients as one underpowered skill. The team also reckons a frost build for the Sorceress is "really strong", though some of the lightning-focused abilities don't quite stack up.

If you missed the last beta, the good news is that the open beta kicks off March 24, where you'll also get to try the Druid and Necromancer, which Shely says the team will watch for further class tuning.

Diablo 4 is set to release on June 6.

Here's how to access the Diablo 4 beta to get you ready ahead of this weekend.