End of an Era: The Season 10 Patch Notes That Just Wrecked Season 9’s Best Necromancer Build

The eternal dance of buffs and nerfs is a core part of any live service game, and in Diablo 4, the arrival of a new season always brings a meta-shift. For players who have been dominating the leaderboards in Season 9 with the Necromancer’s “Shadow Blight” build, the party is officially over. Blizzard has released the official patch notes for Season 10’s Public Test Realm (PTR), and a series of seemingly minor tweaks to skills, legendary aspects, and a key unique item have combined to deliver a death blow to one of the most popular and powerful builds of the last season. While some changes are welcome, others have left the gaming community reeling, with many players now forced to find a new path forward. This article breaks down the precise nerfs that killed the Shadow Blight build and what it means for the Necromancer class as a whole in the coming season.

The Dominance of the Shadow Blight Necromancer

In Season 9, the Shadow Blight Necromancer was an absolute force of nature. The build, which focused on stacking damage over time (DoT) with the “Blight” skill and its legendary aspects, could melt bosses and clear entire screens of enemies with a single cast. Its incredible power was fueled by a number of factors, including a massive damage bonus to enemies standing in Blight, a high-damage legendary aspect that caused your minions to deal more damage, and the overall synergy of the build. The Shadow Blight Necromancer was a staple in high-tier Pit runs, where its ability to quickly dispatch powerful bosses made it a favorite among dedicated players. The build was so effective that it was considered one of the top-tier builds in the entire game, capable of reaching high-tier content with relative ease. It was a well-oiled machine of death, but with the arrival of Season 10, the gears have been gummed up with a series of targeted nerfs.

The Patch Notes That Sealed Its Fate

The Season 10 PTR patch notes, which went live on August 19, 2025, contain a number of changes that, when combined, effectively neuter the Shadow Blight Necromancer. While no single change is a complete build killer, their cumulative effect is undeniable. Here’s a look at the most impactful nerfs:

• Blight Damage Reduction: A core component of the build’s damage was the “Supernatural Blight” passive. In Season 9, this skill granted you and your minions a 20% increased damage bonus to enemies within Blight. In the Season 10 PTR, this bonus has been slashed to a mere 10% and is now specifically “Shadow damage.” This is a massive 50% reduction in the build’s core damage source and a devastating blow to its overall power.
• Sever Return Damage Nerf: The “Sever” skill was a key part of the Shadow Blight build’s damage, as its “return damage” provided a significant boost to your overall output. In Season 10, the return damage of Sever has been reduced from 45% to just 20%. This is a huge nerf that will make the skill feel sluggish and less impactful, a major issue for a build that relies on constant damage.
• Aspect of the Great Feast Nerf: This legendary aspect was a major part of the Minion-based Shadow Blight build. The aspect, which provides a damage bonus based on the number of minions you have, has been adjusted. The essence drain has been increased from 1 to 2 per second per Minion, and from 7 to 14 if no Minions are active. While the damage bonus has been slightly buffed, the increased essence drain makes the build feel more resource-intensive and less sustainable, a major issue in high-tier content.
• Bug Fixes and Unintended Consequences: While the developers are not nerfing the build on purpose, a number of bug fixes have had a devastating impact on its power. A key bug was fixed where “Skeletal Shadow Mages’ attacks gained double benefit from some sources of Summon Damage.” This was an unintended synergy that was a core part of the build’s immense damage output. With this bug fixed, the minion-based version of the build is effectively dead.

A New Dawn for Necromancers?

While the Shadow Blight build has been taken out of commission, the Necromancer class as a whole is not dead. The Season 10 patch notes have introduced a number of new buffs to other skills, including a major damage boost to “Blood Lance” and new unique items that are designed to promote new builds. The new “Chaos Armor” system, which allows you to equip a unique item in a different slot, will likely lead to the discovery of new, powerful builds that were previously impossible. However, the loss of the Shadow Blight build is a major blow to a class that has already seen many of its best builds nerfed over the course of the game’s life. The constant cycle of a “revolving-door meta,” where one powerful build is nerfed to make way for the next, is a frustrating experience for dedicated players who have spent countless hours farming for the perfect gear. While the developers are clearly trying to create a more balanced game, their approach of nerfing the top builds rather than buffing the weaker ones is a contentious one. For now, the Shadow Blight Necromancer is dead, and the community is left to pick up the pieces and find a new way to climb the leaderboards in Season 10. The balance of power has shifted, and a new build is about to rise from the ashes.