Diablo 2 Resurrected Reign of the Warlock is BROKEN: Warlock Class & Update 1.34 Balance Audit
Sunday, February 15, 2026Direct Answer: The Diablo 2: Resurrected – Reign of the Warlock expansion (Update 1.34) is currently considered unbalanced because the new Warlock class can deal over 100k physical damage using the Eldritch skill tree. This class is the only one in D2R history capable of wielding a two-handed weapon alongside an off-hand Grimoire simultaneously. This power creep has rendered classic builds like the Whirlwind Barbarian obsolete just days before the Ladder Season 13 reset on February 20, 2026.
Warlock Meta: The "New King" of Sanctuary
Released on February 11, 2026, as part of Diablo's 30th Anniversary, the Warlock has completely upended the D2R meta. While the update brings legendary quality-of-life changes like built-in Loot Filters and Stackable Gems/Runes, the Warlock’s raw power is the only topic the community is discussing. By "binding" high-level demons like the Defiler and then "consuming" them for massive stat buffs, Warlocks are currently achieving clear speeds that were previously impossible.
PvP Crisis & The "Mosaic" Rework
The balance issues aren't limited to PvE. In the Blood Moor, Warlocks are one-shotting "BiS" Paladins with Ethereal Duplicates of their primary weapons. This has led to a massive influx of complaints on the Blizzard forums, especially since the Mosaic Assassin was recently nerfed/reworked in Update 1.34 to prevent screen-clutter. It seems Blizzard traded one "broken" build for another even more powerful one.
Is Season 13 Worth Playing?
Despite the unbalance, Version 3.0 (Update 1.34) makes D2R feel like a modern ARPG. The Chronicle system now tracks your "Holy Grail" (every item found) and rewards you with unique character glows and stash skins. If you are planning to race to Level 99 on February 20, the Warlock is your only logical choice if you want to remain competitive.