Diablo III PTR 2.6.9 Update

Blizzard Entertainment deployed a new Diablo III PTR 2.6.9 build with changes based off feedback. Players complained it was difficult to read when Seasonal effects happen. The developers have decreased its effects from every 120 seconds to 90 seconds, and added a buff icon to provide better readability.

The new Demon Hunter set (Gears of Dreadlands) has been tweaked too. Thanks, Corey.

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Seasons

Developer’s Note: We’ve received a lot of feedback regarding the seasonal theme being difficult to track and that it sometimes didn’t feel like it was appearing or doing much to gameplay. We are adjusting the following: 

• The elemental power will now occur every 90 seconds, down from 120 seconds. 
• We have added in a buff to this effect to help better track it. 
• Firewalls will now start at the caster and will become stationary once they hit a wall. Firewalls before were sometimes not appearing with the caster. 
• Meteors will now track players and not stay at the initial location.  We have also decreased the intervals between meteors. 
• Damage has been slightly buffed for multiplayer. 
• NOTE: We’ve also just found out about the season effects proccing Area Damage. This will eventually be fixed but did not make it into the PTR build. 

• The elements have deemed you worthy. With you as their champion, the burning hells will face the Trials of Tempests!
  • Your character will occasionally (every 2 minutes 90 seconds) channel an elemental power which unleashes into the environment for a limited time:
    • Meteors rain from the skies around you.
    • Breathe lightning.
    • A wall of flame engulfs everything.
    • Release twisters of pure energy.
    • Crush your foes under the weight of rolling snowballs.
• Two unique new rewards, a portrait frame and a pet, will be granted to players who complete the Season 21 Journey.

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Items

Demon Hunter

• New Demon Hunter Set: Gears of Dreadlands 
  
  Developer’s Note: We’ve adjusted the 2-Piece Bonus to address the Momentum and damage feedback from players. Momentum will now be a singular buff that affects all Primary skills. You will now be able to use multiple generators without losing the Momentum bonus when alternating between them. The 2-piece bonus will now also give 4 seconds per Primary attack, up to a maximum of 20 seconds. Momentum will also now be applied immediately when using a Primary Skill, instead of when it hits a target. These changes should help with damage output and allow for an easier time when building and maintaining Momentum.
   
  • 2-Piece Bonus
    • Gain a Momentum stack when attacking with a Primary skill. Each Momentum stack lasts 2 seconds at a maximum duration of 10 seconds. Your Primary skills deal 10% more damage per stack of Momentum. Gain 4 seconds of Momentum when attacking with a Primary skill, at a maximum of 20 seconds. Your Primary skills deal 10% increased damage per second of Momentum.

Developer’s Note: We’ve fixed a few issues on the 4-Piece Bonus. Players will now be able to proc bonuses and other powers such as Simplicity’s Strength’s healing bonus from their Primary skills coming from Strafe. You will now also be able to Strafe forever while shooting Primary abilities as you will no longer need Momentum for Strafe to fire off the last used Primary skill. Lastly, we’ve fixed an issue where Hungering Arrow was not piercing correctly when used with Strafe so players will be able to use this with the 4-Piece Bonus reliably. 

• 4-Piece Bonus
  • Casting Strafe against enemies will automatically shoot your last used primary skill, and also give 60% damage reduction while strafing and for 5 seconds after. While Strafing, you move faster per stack of Momentum gain 8% increased movement speed for each second of Momentum.
• 6-Piece Bonus
  • Your primary skills deal 10000% more damage
• Leonine Bow of Hashir
  • Bolas have a 30% 100% chance on explosion to pull in all enemies within 24 yards, and also deal 100-150% increased damage.
• Emimei’s Duffel
  • Bolas now explode instantly and deal 150-175% increased damage.
• The Ninth Cirri Satchel
  • Hungering Arrow has 20-25% is guaranteed to pierce and also deals 450-600% increased damage.
• Odyssey’s End
  • Enemies snared by your Entangling Shots take 20-25% 100-150% increased damage from all sources.
• Hunter’s Wrath
  • Your primary skills attack 30% faster and deal 45-60% 150-200% increased damage.
• Holy Point Shot
  • Impale throws 2 additional knives and deals 75-100% increased damage.

Necromancer

• New Necromancer Set: Masquerade of the Burning Carnival
  • 2-Piece Bonus
    • Your Simulacrums no longer take damage, gains all runes, and its cooldown is refreshed when you die.
  • 4-Piece Bonus
    • While you have a Simulacrum, damage is reduced by 50%. Damage you take is split with your Simulacrums as well.
  • 6-Piece Bonus
    • Your Bone Spear deals 10,000% increased damage. Simulacrums gain triple this bonus.
• Grasps of Essence
  • When an exploded corpse damages at least one enemy, Your Corpse Explosion deals 75-100% 150-200% increased damage for 6 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.
• Haunted Visions
  • Simulacrum now drains 5% 1% of your maximum life every second and lasts twice as long forever. They can now duplicate Grim Scythe instead of Skeletal Mage.
• Razeth’s Volition
  • Skeletal Mage gains the effect of the Gift of Death and Singularity runes. You gain 35-60% damage reduction if your Essence is not full.
• Jesseth Arms
  • 2-Piece Set Bonus: While your skeletons are commanded to attack a target, you deal 400% increased damage.
• Grace of Inarius
  • 4-Piece Set Bonus: Bone Armor grants an additional 2% 3% damage reduction per enemy hit.
• Pestilence Master’s Shroud
  • 6-Piece Set Bonus: Each corpse you consume grants you an Empowered Bone Spear charge that increases the damage of your next Bone Spear by 3300%. In addition, Corpse Lance and Corpse Explosion damage is increased by 1650% 3300%.

Crusader

• Shield of Fury
  • This effect may stack up to 20 10 times.

General

• Stone of Jordan
  • Added power: Each of your elemental’s damage bonus is equal to your highest static elemental bonus to skill.
• Reaper’s Wraps
  • Added a 2-second internal cooldown to the Health globe effect.
• Mantle of Channeling
  • Now works with the Necromancer’s Siphon Blood.
• Convention of Elements

  • Added “non-static” to the wording of the legendary power’s description. The functionality is unchanged

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Skill Changes

• Necromancer
  Developer’s Note: We’ve adjusted some non-intended behaviors with Simulacrum while also addressing the frustration of them getting split off from the Necromancer at times.

  • Simulacrum

    • These will now warp to the Necromancer if they begin to move too far away from the player. This only works if the Necromancer is wearing the Masquerade of the Burning Carnival set or Haunted Visions.

    • Simulacrums cannot use Grim Scythe (with Haunted Visions) or Skeletal Mage unless the Necromancer had either of those abilities while the Simulacrums were created. 

  • Final Service

    • No longer consumes pets.

    • Final Service now activates before Simulacrum’s Self Sacrifice.

  • Bone Prison
    • Simulacrums now benefit from this passive skill.
  • Serration
    • Simulacrums now benefit from this passive skill.
  • Corpse Explosion
    • Damage increased from 350% to 1050%.
• Witch Doctor
  • Spirit Barrage
    • The Spectres from the Phantasm rune no longer benefit from pet bonuses.

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Bug Fixes

• Necromancer
  • Fixed an issue where Skeletal Mages were not attacking certain creatures

SOURCE

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