Diablo 4 update doubles rare Duriel drop rates, but not for long

Diablo 4 fans are eating well this Christmas, with exciting content and frequent updates from Blizzard to boot. The behemoth developer’s most recent hotfix brings a long-awaited change to the grueling Echo of Duriel boss fight and its extremely rare Uber Unique drop rates. For a limited time only, the dev is doubling the rates to ensure that all players have a fair shot at obtaining some seriously powerful loot.

The latest Diablo 4 hotfix, 1.2.3a, comes soon after Blizzard’s previous update which increased guaranteed Lost Heirloom drops from Frigid Husks and, more significantly, increased Blighted Fragments and Lost Heirloom rewards from Midwinter Nightmare Spoils Caches. The RPG game dev has plenty of boosts in store to balance out any nerfs, with an ear open for player feedback regarding tedious in-game grinding.

While last week’s drop rate increases were more than welcome, these new ones are even bigger. No longer will you spend hours upon hours trying to snag the Harlequin Crest, or ‘Shako.’ Get ready to see Diablo 4 builds become overpowered and unstoppable as 1.2.3a doubles the drop rates for Uber Uniques obtained from the grim Diablo 4 Season 2 boss, Echo of Duriel until Monday, January 8.

As is the case with all boosts though, we are getting some nerfs with this update, too. It’s more a fix than a nerf really, but the unstoppable buff you gain from Metamorphosis is seeing its duration changed to a flat rate instead of scaling with your Vampiric power level. It will now be capped at 2.5 seconds regardless of level, with a slight damage increase as well.

Diablo 4 patch notes – 1.2.3a hotfix – Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Here are the Diablo 4 patch notes’ highlights for the new 1.2.3a hotfix update. If you’d like a look through Blizzard’s full list of changes, grab one here for an in-depth glance at the recent Echo of Duriel drop rate adjustments and some more general bug fixes.

Gameplay

• Echo of Duriel
  • Drop rates for Uber Uniques now doubled until Monday, January 8
• Vampire Power
  • Metamorphosis
    • Unstoppable duration changed to a flat rate instead of scaling with Vampiric power level
      • Unstoppable duration changed to 2.5 seconds at all levels. No longer increases per level.
      • Damage increased from 80%/120%/160% to 110%/180%/250%

While we’re grateful to see the increase in drop rates from Uber Duriel, a good few fans can’t help but feel that the change didn’t arrive as quickly as it could’ve. On a Reddit thread regarding the hotfix, various players are saying that the update has come “too late,” with some stating that they don’t want to “bother” with the boss anymore as the items will “be useless in weeks.” Others disagree, looking forward to hopping back in.

As you decide whether or not you want to take advantage of the increase in drops yourself, you should take a look at some of our favorite Diablo 4 classes. Sure you can take Hellspawn on as a necromancer again, but you may find that a better-ranked class suits you and your playstyle better. If you want to experience something entirely new, browse our great games like Diablo rundown to fend off fresh hordes of monstrosities elsewhere.

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