Blizzard has undone its most recent Diablo 4 hotfix because it interfered with the functionality of the Caged Heart of the Barber, one of the most useful artefacts in Diablo 4. Malignant Hearts are part of the online action RPG game‘s first season and, while undoubtedly powerful, the Barber Heart has become the subject of some player controversy.
Barber Heart’s back, all right! Okay, I just wanted to butcher a Backstreet Boys song. But if you’re a fan of the Caged Heart of the Barber, sometimes just called the Heart of the Barber or Barber Heart, you’ll be happy to hear it’s been restored to full functionality with the latest Diablo 4 patch notes.
Major patches aside, Blizzard regularly updates Diablo 4 with hotfixes and it was hotfix 3 that meant the Barber Heart was no longer working as it should, for some players at least. Now that the hotfix has been undone, the Barber Heart is back in action.
The Barber Heart is part of Season 1, Season of the Malignant. It stores up your critical hit damage temporarily before delivering it as a huge explosion, massively dialling up your damage per second. It’s not the easiest item to come by, but it’s super effective. It’s also proven to be a little controversial.
I’m not talking patch 1.1.0 controversial, Blizzard won’t be putting on a short-notice campfire chat just to talk about it. But some players have grumbled about it being used to prop up weaker character builds.
Does that sound like sour grapes? Maybe a little. But I can understand that if people have put hour upon hour into their build, they could see the Barber’s Heart as a bit of a shortcut.
Should Blizzard pull it from the game? Absolutely not. Besides which, Season 1 is set to end in October, making way for the Season of Blood. And, at that point, Caged Hearts will exit the game, along with all their benefits.
Blizzard hasn’t stated just when Hotfix 3 will be, er, fixed. But in the meantime, there’s nothing to stop you diving into Diablo 4. Make sure to check out the vampiric allure of Diablo 4 Season of the Blood. Or if you feel like raising the dead, here’s the best Necromancer build to bring your minions to life.