Patch 2.2.0 Nears End of Testing

We are only one week from the end of Diablo III Season 2. After that Patch 2.2 will arrive, and then Season 3! The new patch is nearing the end of the testing time on the Public Test Realm. A small build of bug fixes and hotfixes landed on the PTR on Friday, to help the final testing process. In just over a week the patch will be live, for everyone to enjoy!


A small build landed on the PTR on Friday that fixed some bugs, to make it a better testing environment for the last week before the PTR is wrapped up. This is likely the last testing build for patch 2.2. As noted by Diablo III developer Wyatt Cheng, patch 2.2.0 is scheduled to go live on Tuesday, April 7.

Along with the new PTR patch, a range of fixes were implemented by hotfix. These take care of some issues that cropped up in the testing of the revamped Set and Legendary items for the patch, along with skill and rune bugs.

One last major bug currently on the PTR involves the Wizard Hydra skill, which is too powerful right now when used in conjunction with the redesigned Tal Rasha's Elements set. That bug will be fixed before the patch is released. The updated set will likely end up a popular alternative to the Firebird's Finery set, among the Best Wizard Legendary and Set Items in patch 2.2.

@ions03 The bug introduced in the last PTR patch in which Hydra benefits from Tal's 6pc with a *squared multiplier* will be fixed.

— John Yang (@_JohnYang) March 28, 2015

Mr. Yang commented on the gearing prospects for Demon Hunters who are looking to use the revamped Natalya's or Unhallowed Essence Sets. The new set bonuses for the Unhallowed Essence set work off of the Demon Hunter Discipline resource, and any old items with +Discipline will need to have solid alternatives with currently dropping Legendary items.

@gamefrk101 Which legacy items? There should be lvl 70 item alternatives for +Max Disc. We don't want unobtainable gear to be the best.

— John Yang (@_JohnYang) March 29, 2015

The reworked Natalya's Vengeance set is built around the Rain of Vengeance skill, and the new Legendary belt Crashing Rain has the special power of: Rain of Vengeance also summons a crashing beast that deals 3000-4000% weapon damage. The belt is an extra non-Set item that Demon Hunters can obtain to really boost the power of the set.

@Firef1end Think of items like Crashing Rain as the 7th piece to the respective set, similar to Bombardier's Rucksack.

— John Yang (@_JohnYang) March 29, 2015

Once patch 2.2 arrives, we'll see how well those revamped Demon Hunter sets fare. Now is the time to wrap up any Diablo III goals you want to accomplish in patch 2.1.2 or Season 2, because both are in their final week!