Diablo 4 patch 1.1.3 notes – update nerfs annoying crowd control

Diablo 4 patch notes 1.1.3 are here, and I’m pleased to report that one of the most frustrating aspects of the RPG game is being addressed directly. Crowd control – those enemy stun, freeze, and slow effects that impede your movement – is a big focus of the next Diablo 4 update, and you’ll soon find yourself losing control of your character less often. Alongside this, Blizzard is also making item comparisons easier with some changes that act as a precursor to a more dramatic overhaul with Diablo 4 Season 2.

This Diablo 4 patch changes some of the most annoying crowd control effects you’ll face, with a particular focus on higher world tiers. Blasting your way through the best Diablo 4 Nightmare Dungeons is a great way to get plenty of XP and endgame loot, but running into effects that dramatically slow down your movement or even lock you in place altogether, unable to act, can be particularly frustrating.

I always make sure to run at least one reliable source of Unstoppable on my best Diablo 4 builds so that I can react to these, but when they’re coming in thick and fast even that’s not always enough. While they can be an interesting mechanic, ultimately the reality is that just not being able to do anything for long stretches isn’t fun, and if chain-stuns or freezes lead to a death it can feel particularly unfair.

While we already saw some minor tweaks in previous updates, this next Diablo 4 patch targets some of the key offenders directly. Fast attacking Cold Enchanted elites won’t apply their freezing effect on every hit, the Cannibal Gorger’s huge stun will now be easier to avoid, the stun duration on those laser-focused Nangari Snake Eyes has been reduced, and the team has made some more general changes to reduce how often you’ll be targeted by crowd control effects, and giving you more recovery time after being hit with such effects.

Elsewhere, those frustrating multi-wave death explosions from Fire Enchanted monsters are being shortened, so you aren’t left standing around for as long waiting for loot. Meanwhile, item affixes will now be sorted in a consistent order to make comparisons between gear smoother. Blizzard says this is a first step, and that the team is “adjusting how affixes are displayed on item tooltips” in the Diablo 4 Season of Blood. The full patch notes can be found below, so read on for all the other changes.

Diablo 4 patch notes 1.1.3 – August 29, 2023

Here are the full patch notes for Diablo 4 update 1.1.3, which releases on all platforms on Tuesday August 29, 2023:

Gameplay Updates

Monsters

Crowd Control Sources

Made various changes to Monster Abilities and Elite Affixes that apply Crowd Control effects, including:

• Cold Enchanted Elites that attack in quick succession (Ex: Ghost Archers and Snake Brutes) will no longer proc the Cold Enchanted on every hit.
• Chilling Wind will spawn overlapping walls less often.
• The Stun ability from the Cannibal Gorger can now be more easily avoided.
• Increased the cooldown on the Cold Goatman Ice Pillars.
• Reduced the amount of Chill applied from the Cold Spider attack.
• Reduced the Stun duration from the Nangari Snake Eyes from 1.5 to 1.25 seconds.
• Other changes that reduce how often the player can be targeted by Crowd Control.

General

• The death explosion from Fire Enchanted monsters releases 1 less wave and deals 20% less damage.
• The damage from the Bloated Corpsefiend’s charge attack has been reduced by 14%.

Miscellaneous

• Affixes on items will now sort consistently.
• The Seasonal and My Class filters in the Codex of Power menu now remember the setting previously selected by the player.
• Navigating the Glyph Upgrade menu on controller will now feel more natural.
• Achievements, Trophies, and Challenges with shared unlock criteria across platforms now transfer via cross-platform progression.

Bug Fixes

Season of the Malignant

• Fixed an issue where the Shadow Clone provided by the Caged Heart of Trickery displayed an improper tooltip in Fields of Hatred.
• Fixed an issue where Crowd Control effects could be applied to the Shadow Clone from the Caged Heart of Trickery and then carried over to the player.
• Fixed an issue where the Caged Heart of the Calculated would not trigger its stun effect if the cast skill was Imbued.
• Fixed an issue where monsters could open the door to the chamber where Varshan is encountered in the Ravening Pit.
• Fixed an issue where the Echo of Varshan quest would not be completed after defeating Varshan if the player previously died to him.
• Fixed an issue where completed Season Journey objectives displayed in the Recently Completed section of the Challenges menu.
• Fixed an issue where the rewards for defeating Varshan the first time wouldn’t go to the player’s Stash if they were missed.
• Fixed an issue where Echo of Varshan did not have a guaranteed Legendary drop chance after Level 35.
• Fixed an issue where Cormond would not appear after defeating Varshan during the Cold Hard Truth quest if the party leader was killed during the fight.

Gameplay

• When the following Skills and Powers were applied by a player on a monster, other players were unexpectedly able to benefit from that effect. This issue has been fixed.
  • Skills and Passives
    • Decrepify
    • Shadowblight
    • Twisting Blades
    • Shatter
  • Paragon Nodes and Glyphs
    • Hemorrhage
    • Exploit Weakness
    • Revenge
    • Dominate
    • Fang and Claw
    • Deadraiser
    • Amplify
• Fixed an issue where a Druid player’s inventory could fill up with Spirit Blessings, blocking progression for Quests that had items associated with them.
• Fixed an issue where players could lose Aberrant Cinders upon entering a Cellar.
• Fixed an issue where players could become temporarily stationary when trying to evade immediately after casting a channeled spell (Ex: Incinerate or Lightning Storm).
• Fixed an issue where Treasure Goblins did not drop a guaranteed Legendary item when defeated between Levels 15 and 40.
• Fixed an issue where multiple bosses were not guaranteed to drop legendary items at level 35 and beyond.

User Interface

• Fixed an issue where the disbanding of a clan prompt directed the player to enter the clan’s name instead of using the provided code.
• Fixed an issue where the quest marker for searching the Records Room during the Answers in the Ashes quest wouldn’t disappear after advancing past the objective.
• Fixed an issue where the Blessed Mother Departed objective referenced the wrong name for the Echo of Hatred dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where two overlapping icons would display for Cormond’s Workbench in the Dry Steppes.
• Fixed an issue where progress notifications for untracked Whispers could repeatedly display the same update.

Miscellaneous

• Fixed an issue where mounted NPCs could appear to be riding an invisible horse. (GHOST HORSES?!?)
• Fixed an issue where Classes that can’t equip daggers could equip the Skeleton Key, the dagger rewarded for completing the Dead to Rights quest.
• Fixed an issue where progression could be blocked during the Jewel of the East quest in Co-Op Play.
• Fixed an issue where the Spirt of the Lost Grove Druid class quest could have its progression blocked if the player joined a Party after activating the last stone.
• Fixed an issue where Rogues could use Concealment to skip a phase of the Echo of Lilith encounter.
• Various performance and stability improvements across all platforms.

Make sure you’re rocking the best Diablo 4 endgame build and you should have no trouble taking down the hardest content – and grab the best Diablo 4 Malignant Hearts along the way too, because you’ll only be able to enjoy their powerful effects until Season 1 ends.