As the highly anticipated Season 8 of Diablo 4 approaches, players are eagerly awaiting the major balance changes coming with the 2.2.0 PTR patch. These adjustments are poised to significantly alter the meta and influence the strength of various builds, especially as players adapt to new changes in skills, gear, and Diablo IV Items mechanics. In this article, we’ll break down the updates for each class, examine the strongest builds emerging from the Season 8 PTR, and provide insight into which builds are likely to dominate the battlefield in the upcoming season.

Barbarian Builds: Dominating the Battlefield
The Barbarian class continues to be one of the most robust and versatile in Diablo 4, with several builds maintaining their prominence in Season 8. With a focus on massive AoE (Area of Effect) damage, the Barbarian is a powerhouse in both solo and group content, capable of dealing heavy blows while maintaining strong defenses. The Earthquake Barbarian remains the go-to build for large-scale damage, but with several buffs across the board, new builds like Mighty Throw and Whirlwind are becoming more competitive.

Barbarian Build Highlights for Season 8
Earthquake Barbarian: As one of the most iconic Barbarian builds, Earthquake Barbarian is staying strong in Season 8, benefiting from buffs to Chest Armor and scaling damage. These changes make it even more powerful in high AoE damage scenarios, ideal for clearing groups of enemies quickly.

Mighty Throw Barbarian: This build, which previously received some nerfs, is now seeing substantial buffs, especially in terms of damage scaling. With the addition of a new unique set of gloves, the Mighty Throw Barbarian is now one of the most reliable choices for both single-target and AoE damage.

Whirlwind Barbarian: Although not quite as powerful as the Earthquake Barbarian, the Whirlwind Barbarian benefits from new buffs that enhance its damage output and survivability. It's a good choice for players who enjoy sustained AoE damage and a more mobile playstyle.

Deathblow Barbarian: This build utilizes the Overpower mechanic, which makes it perfect for quickly eliminating enemies, especially bosses. It’s a quick, high-damage build that can execute rapid kills in intense combat.

HotA Whirlwind Barbarian: Combining the Hammer of the Ancients (HotA) skill with Whirlwind, this hybrid build is competitive but still not as dominant as the pure Earthquake Barbarian.

Top Barbarian Builds for Season 8
HotA Earthquake Barbarian: Best for high AoE damage and versatile enough to handle all content, from bosses to hordes of enemies.

Mighty Throw Barbarian: This build is reliable with excellent damage scaling, particularly when equipped with the new gloves that enhance damage output.

Deathblow Barbarian: A powerful choice for quickly dispatching enemies and boss fights, utilizing the Overpower mechanic.

Whirlwind Barbarian: While stronger with buffs, it remains less potent than the Earthquake Barbarian but still remains a solid choice for players who prefer sustained AoE damage.

Necromancer Builds: Minions and Bone Damage Dominate
The Necromancer class is undergoing some exciting changes in Season 8, especially with a shift toward minion-based builds and Bone Damage mechanics. Army of the Dead, one of the Necromancer’s most iconic abilities, is receiving a huge buff with the introduction of a new two-handed sword and Skeletal Mages, making the Minion Necromancer more viable than ever. Meanwhile, builds like Bone Spirit and Blood Spear continue to shine as powerful alternatives.

Necromancer Build Highlights for Season 8
Army of the Dead Necromancer: With the new buffs to Army of the Dead, including significant boosts from the new two-handed sword and Skeletal Mages, this build is one of the strongest for summon-based Necromancer playstyles. It allows players to control an army of undead minions, dealing massive damage over time.

Blood Wave Necromancer: Though it’s receiving a nerf in Season 8, Blood Wave remains strong due to its high-tier scaling. The Blood Wave Necromancer is ideal for AoE damage, making it a great choice for clearing large groups of enemies.

Bone Spirit Necromancer: Known for its burst damage, Bone Spirit continues to be a top-tier option for boss fights. This build excels at single-target damage and burst DPS, especially for dealing with tough elites and bosses.

Blood Spear Necromancer: This build is a versatile powerhouse, capable of delivering both single-target and AoE damage. Thanks to the Overpower mechanic, the Blood Spear Necromancer has excellent scaling and is effective in various combat situations.

Minion Summoner Necromancer: Benefiting from all of the damage multipliers available in the game, the Minion Summoner Necromancer is now more potent than ever. The army of minions can deal significant damage while the Necromancer remains in the background, summoning and buffing their forces.

Top Necromancer Builds for Season 8
Blood Wave Necromancer: Despite the nerfs, Blood Wave Necromancer remains a dominant choice for high-tier scaling, offering immense AoE damage.

Bone Spirit Necromancer: Perfect for burst damage and boss encounters, the Bone Spirit Necromancer excels in single-target DPS.

Blood Spear Necromancer: A versatile and powerful build, great for both AoE and single-target damage, with massive scaling potential through Overpower.

Minion Summoner Necromancer: With the buffs to damage multipliers, the Minion Necromancer build is now more potent than ever and is one of the most effective summoner builds.

Sorcerer Builds: Ice Shards and Burst Damage
The Sorcerer class is receiving significant updates in Season 8, especially for the Ice Shards skill. The new shotgun mechanic for Ice Shards allows multiple projectiles to hit a single target, which significantly boosts its damage potential, particularly in boss fights. As a result, Ice Shards Sorcerer is likely to be one of the most dominant builds in the upcoming season.

Sorcerer Build Highlights for Season 8
Ice Shards Sorcerer: With its new shotgun mechanic, Ice Shards now deals substantial damage to a single target by firing multiple projectiles that all hit the same enemy. This makes it extremely effective for boss fights and high single-target damage.

Fire Sorcerer: While Fire Sorcerer builds have not been directly impacted by the changes, they will still benefit from other updates to Fire mechanics, though Ice Shards is expected to dominate for single-target damage.

Lightning Sorcerer: Lightning Sorcerer builds will continue to provide consistent AoE damage, but they won’t be as focused on high single-target DPS as the Ice Shards Sorcerer.

Top Sorcerer Builds for Season 8
Ice Shards Sorcerer: Dominates boss fights with its ability to deal massive single-target damage using the new shotgun mechanic.

Fire Sorcerer: Still viable but not as focused on single-target DPS as Ice Shards Sorcerer.

Summary of Strongest Builds for Diablo 4 Season 8 (PTR)
As we head into Season 8 of Diablo 4, several builds are emerging as dominant choices in the PTR Meta:

Barbarian: The HotA Earthquake Barbarian and Mighty Throw Barbarian continue to be top-tier choices, with strong AoE and single-target damage. The Deathblow Barbarian is excellent for quick boss kills, and Whirlwind Barbarian has become stronger with recent buffs.

Necromancer: While the Blood Wave Necromancer is still a strong contender despite nerfs, Bone Spirit and Blood Spear Necromancer offer excellent alternatives for burst damage and AoE. The Minion Summoner Necromancer is now more powerful with buffs to damage multipliers.

Sorcerer: The Ice Shards Sorcerer is poised to be the top build due to its shotgun mechanic, making it perfect for high single-target damage, especially in boss fights.

As always, the final balance of these builds will depend on Blizzard’s adjustments before the season officially launches, but the Earthquake Barbarian, Bone Spirit Necromancer, and Ice Shards Sorcerer are likely to define the meta for Season 8. If you’re looking to optimize your gear or acquire Legendary and Unique items, be sure to consider purchasing 
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