D2R Patch 3.2 PTR Guide: Warlock Nerfs & Sunder Changes
15.04.2026 - 08:47:12
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Blizzard is set to launch Patch 3.2.0 for Diablo II: Resurrected in the Public Test Realm (PTR) very soon. This update brings a lot of new balancing changes and bug fixes to the game, with the headlining feature being the nerf to the new Warlock Class. Fortunately, there are some good changes as well!
Most D2R items remain untouched, though there are certain adjustments that will put a smile on your face, especially if you’ve been having trouble farming Sunder Charms in Season 13. If you are interested in knowing the best changes in Patch 3.2.0, then read further to learn more!
What is Patch 3.2.0 PTR, and When Does It Start?
PTR, for those who don’t know, is short for “Public Test Realm.” Think of this as a new environment that’s separate from the main game, which Blizzard uses to test and try out new features for Diablo II: Resurrected. Players are encouraged to hop in and provide feedback so that the company knows if further adjustments have to be made or not.
Having said that, Patch 3.2.0 goes live on the PTR on April 14, at 11 AM PDT. The testing period ends a week after, on April 21, at 11 AM as well.
Character templates will be created to facilitate testing, which just means that some builds are already pre-made with stats and items, so you can play immediately upon logging in. These templates are:
- Miasma Test (Level 15)
- Flame Test (Level 18)
- Bind Demon Test (Level 30)
- Echoing Testing (Level 80)
How to Access D2R Patch 3.2.0 PTR
If this is the first time entering the Public Test Realm in Diablo II: Resurrected, all you have to do is fire up your Battle.net client, select D2R, and in the drop-down menu just above the “Play” button, choose Public Test Realm.
Doing so will download the PTR environment, which is a separate install. That’s why you have to make sure that you have sufficient storage space before you proceed.
It’s important to note that the Public Test Realm for Patch 3.2.0 ends on April 21, so you can safely uninstall the PTR installation when that time comes.
Major Changes in D2R Patch 3.2.0 PTR
So, what does Patch 3.2.0 have to offer? Well, there are balancing changes to a number of Warlock Skills, including Bind Demon, Echoing Strike, and Blood Boil, among others.
On top of that, Blizzard wants you to test the adjustments the company has made to Sunder Charm drop rates, Herald of Terror spawns, and the Colossal Ancients. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Warlock Nerfs
There is no question that the Warlock Class is overtuned in Diablo II: Resurrected—Reign of the Warlock. I mean, the Warlock can literally destroy enemies in Hell Difficulty even with budget gear. That is why it’s not at all surprising that Blizzard has to bring this class down a peg to make it more in line with the others.
So, what has changed? Well, there are a few Warlock Skills that got heavily nerfed in Patch 3.2.0:
Bind Demon
Bind Demon now requires you to have 20 hard points allocated to the skill to bind a superunique demon. This effectively kills it as a “1-point wonder,” though you could invest more points into it if you really want to have a bound demon like the Lister the Tormenter or Ismail Vilehand.
Additionally, the powerful Conviction Aura has been removed from the possible pool of auras that a bound demon can have in Patch 3.2.0. Even if you were able to bind a demon with Conviction Aura (like Hephasto the Armorer), that particular aura will ultimately be replaced by something else, such as Fanaticism, Concentration, Thorns, Vigor, or Holy Freeze.
The “Cursed” affix, which enables the demon to apply Amplify Damage on enemies, now has a significantly reduced chance of casting (from 75% down to 5%). Although I understand why Blizzard did this, a 5% chance to cast Amplify Damage is a bit heavy-handed.
Echoing Strike
The Echoing Strike Warlock is one of the best Warlock builds in D2R Season 13. It utilizes a spell that deals heavy physical damage, which can also benefit from Deadly Strike for double damage! Apparently, its overpowered status is due to a number of bugs, which means that its power will be brought down in the next update when the fixes are implemented.
For one, the damage bonuses to Echoing Strike that are provided by Mirrored Blades and Blade Warp are now calculated additively instead of multiplicatively. Some people argue that this is a necessary change to bring Echoing Strike more in line with other physical damage skills in Diablo II: Resurrected.
In addition, Echoing Strike not incurring durability loss on the equipped weapon per cast is unsurprisingly caused by a bug. Since this has been addressed now, it prompted people to sell their Ethereal Thunder Mauls immediately.
If there is any consolation, it seems that Echoing Strike will now proc “on hit” effects like Crushing Blow, which should help improve your damage output somehow.
Blood Boil
Although not an S-Tier skill by any means, it seems that Blizzard deemed it necessary to nerf Blood Boil, specifically its range. You see, Blood Boil allows you to make your minions “explode” for huge AoE damage. However, its range was seemingly unlimited, enabling you to clear the entire screen filled with monsters.
To address that, Blizzard has updated the range of Blood Boil based on its level. At level 20, it only has a maximum of 4 yards. A lot of players expressed their disappointment with this change because 4 yards is pretty much being in melee range, forcing Blood Boil Warlocks to get too close for comfort.
Other Changes
- Demonic Mastery now requires hard skill points to increase your maximum demon cap (to 3 max). This means that skiller charms and other items that provide “+ to Warlock Skills” won’t contribute to this in any way.
- Bound demons now provide bonuses based on difficulty level when consumed. For instance, bound demons from Hell Difficulty will grant bonuses commensurate with their stats.
- Warlocks can only equip a two-handed weapon in one hand if the other one is using a Grimoire. This effectively kills the “Spirit Shield” meta when playing any Warlock Build in D2R Season 13.
- The casting delay of Miasma Chain has been removed, but you can only have up to five active chains at a time.
- Flame Wave suffers from a 15% reduction in damage. Fortunately, Apocalypse is untouched, making the Fire Warlock still viable.
Heralds and Sunder Charm Changes
People often criticized the abysmal spawn rates of Heralds of Terror in Diablo II: Resurrected when Reign of the Warlock was released. This is a huge pain point for those who want to farm Latent Sunder Charms, especially considering that these charms are now required to create the new Renewed Sunder Charms.
The good news is that there are several improvements related to Heralds and Sunder Charms in Patch 3.2.0, such as:
- Heralds of Terror now spawn upon killing any monster in a Terror Zone. This implies that you no longer have to gain their “Ire” for them to start hunting you.
- Latent Sunder Charms can now drop from any monster, whether they are in Terror Zones or not. Take note that it does require you to have Magic Find in some capacity to make this work.
- Latent Sunder Charms now have a higher chance of dropping starting at Tier 2 instead of Tier 4.
- The drop rate of Latent Sunder Charms is no longer heavily modified by player count. This makes solo farming Sunder Charms more viable.
Changes to Colossal Ancients
Colossal Ancients are a new pinnacle encounter in Diablo II: Resurrected, where you try to defeat the buffed-up versions of Korlic, Talic, and Madawc. Apparently, players have been killing these bosses rather easily. So, to make the encounter more challenging, the company has implemented the following changes:
- Colossal Ancients’ Magic Resistance has increased from 50 to 75. This is a bit of a bummer for the Hammerdin, but the build is still viable nonetheless (it just deals noticeably lower damage than before).
- Colossal Talic now hits harder, with his Whirlwind, Fire Twisters, and Volcano attacks getting damage adjustments.
The Colossal Ancients reside in the Colossal Summit, which requires you to have several statues placed inside the Horadric Cube to gain entry. The good news is that these statues can now drop from non-terrorized act bosses, which means that you can now target-farm them from Andariel or Baal without having to wait for their areas to turn into Terror Zones.
FAQ
What Are the Most Notable Changes in D2R Patch 3.2.0 PTR?
The nerfs to the Warlock’s Bind Demon skill are rough. Fortunately, this update is not all doom and gloom, as it added meaningful adjustments to Herald of Terror spawn rates and Sunder Charm availability.
Are PTR Changes Final?
That’s the neat part, they are not. The Public Test Realm (PTR) is all about enticing D2R players to try out the changes in a beta environment so that they can provide feedback to the developers.
Although not all feedback will be taken into account, some changes based on player sentiments are definitely going to be implemented once the actual Patch 3.2.0 goes live on the official servers (historically speaking).
Will D2R Patch 3.2.0 Go Live in Season 13?
Season 13 went live when D2R: Reign of the Warlock released in February. Since Blizzard has a knack for releasing a new season every four months, it is safe to say that Patch 3.2.0 will act as a mid-season balancing update for Diablo II: Resurrected instead of being launched in Season 14.