Diablo 4 Season 11 Tier List - Best Class & Builds (2.5)

Season 11 of Diablo 4 is bringing sweeping changes to both itemization and class balance, redefining the landscape for both casual and hardcore players. With a complete overhaul to the masterworking and tempering systems, alongside a new endgame sanctification mechanic, the way players build and optimize their characters will feel much different this time around. This guide walks you through the major updates affecting class power, summarizes the new environment, and provides a comprehensive tier list and build recommendations for Season 11.

Diablo 4 Season 11 Tier List (2.5.0 PTR)

As Season 11 launches, players are facing a noticeably tougher world. The intent from the development team is to raise the difficulty across the board. Classes are receiving power reductions, monsters are smarter and more dangerous, and the leveling curve feels longer. The days of explosive, over-the-top builds from Season 10, with chaos perks and stacked legendary powers—are behind us.

Major itemization changes define this season. Tempering and masterworking now work differently: instead of stacking multiple upgrades, you gain a single temper per item and can guarantee a perfect roll with enough rerolls, but upgrading stats is now limited to the base effect like damage, armor, or resistance. Legendary items drop with an extra random stat, and the new sanctification system introduces high risk, high reward for endgame gear crafting. Uniques such as Melted Heart of Selig have been reworked to offer fresh interactions, especially for builds scaling with maximum resources. Overall, the power level of most builds has dropped by a third or even half, especially when comparing to the overinflated output of previous chaos-themed seasons.

Diablo 4 Season 11 Best Class Tier List

To help you choose your next main, here’s how each class stands after the sweeping changes introduced with Season 11.

1. Barbarian

Barbarian has received some much-needed attention in Season 11, especially with the rework of unique items like the Melted Heart of Selig. This item now acts as a powerful mana shield, massively boosting resource pools and enabling powerful synergies with builds such as Hammer of the Ancients. The class can reach previously unseen heights of survivability and burst damage, making Barbarians a competitive choice once again after a long period of relative weakness.

2. Druid

Druid enters Season 11 facing a series of heavy nerfs. Key defensive mechanics such as fortification have been slashed across the board, and Grizzly Rage – a staple of many top builds – has lost its infinite uptime and stacking duration. Legendary aspects and unique items for Druid have also been hit hard, reducing both survivability and resource generation. While Pulverize and Ravens builds remain strong contenders, the overall power level has dropped significantly, and many players will notice a slower and more resource-starved experience. Despite these challenges, Druid still stands as one of the stronger classes, particularly in the hands of experienced players.

3. Rogue

Rogues are also feeling the pinch from the masterworking and tempering changes. Builds that relied on stacking attack speed, cooldown reduction, or skill ranks have lost a huge portion of their previous power. While movement speed and crit chance can be patched up with careful gear planning, the loss of double or triple dipping on stats means that damage output is down to roughly a third of previous seasons in many setups. Nevertheless, Rogue remains highly mobile and versatile, with Hardseeker and ranged builds still viable for those who adapt to the new systems.

4. Sorcerer

Sorcerers benefit from the new universal applicability of items like Melted Heart, which can funnel massive resources into both defense and offense. However, certain teleport enchant builds and those relying on intense cooldown reduction no longer function as before, given the drastic changes to item scaling and the inability to masterwork up to previous breakpoints. Sorcerers must now rely more on core skill synergies and resource management, but inventive players will find plenty of room to experiment with the new itemization landscape.

5. Necromancer

Necromancer faces a tough season due to changes in itemization and the loss of powerful stat stacking options. Popular minion and shadow builds have lost much of their edge, and scaling up damage now requires creative use of sanctification and careful gear selection. While Bone Spear, Blood Surge, and Shadow Minions builds can still reach endgame content, they are not as effortless or dominant as before and require more meticulous optimization to stay relevant.

Diablo 4 Season 11 Best Build Tier List

Within each class, certain builds are performing better than others under the new systems, so here’s a look at which setups are rising to the top this season.

1. Hammer of the Ancients (HOTA) Barbarian
The reworked Melted Heart of Selig unlocks wild scaling for HOTA. With thousands of Fury and the right gear, this build can reach damage levels far beyond other options. Each 10 Fury grants a 5x multiplier to crit damage, and with resource stacking, damage soars.

2. Pulverize Druid
Even after receiving heavy nerfs, Pulverize Druid maintains its place. The loss of damage and infinite uptime for Grizzly Rage is felt, but the build’s base mechanics and remaining scaling keep it at the forefront.

3. Companion/Ravens Druid
This build retains much of its utility and damage. The main drawback is resource management, as spirit generation has been slowed and spirit-regenerating items like the Minaric Ring have been nerfed. Despite these obstacles, Companion Druid remains reliable.

4. Spiritborn Vigor Stacking
By leveraging unique rings and the new sanctification system, Spiritborn can amass enormous resource pools and respectable damage. Survivability is a key strength, and the build shines with the right gear.

5. Kick/Brawler Barbarian
While not as dominant as HOTA, this build can post impressive numbers with resource-stacking and double-dipping mechanics, but it requires more precise gear to reach its potential.

6. Hardseeker Rogue
The loss of key stat stacking and tempering options means Hardseeker Rogue does much less damage compared to previous seasons. With careful tweaks and build optimization, it still performs well in challenging content, but it no longer stands out as a powerhouse.

7. Shadow Clone Rogue
Similar to Hardseeker, Shadow Clone builds are hampered by the new itemization and have to work harder to keep up. The focus now shifts to maximizing additive sources and making use of sanctification where possible.

8. Mana Shield Sorcerer
With the new Melted Heart, Sorcerers can construct tanky, resource-based builds. While not the top damage dealers, these setups provide unique survivability and are suitable for pushing higher difficulties.