With Diablo 4 Season 8 drawing near and the Public Test Realm (PTR) phase concluded, we’ve had a chance to evaluate class performance, builds, and how well they adapt to the changes in this upcoming season. The biggest shift in Season 8 revolves around boss powers, which significantly affect how builds perform. Traditional skill-based damage has taken a backseat, with performance now heavily tied to how effectively a build scales these new powers.
Below is our ranking list of the classes and top builds for pushing Pit content in Season 8, alongside leveling recommendations and class flexibility.
Diablo 4 Season 8 Class Tier List
Choosing the right class in Diablo 4 Season 8 can make a big difference, especially with how heavily builds now rely on boss powers for damage. Each class brings its own strengths and limitations, but only a few truly stand out when it comes to pushing high-tier content. Sorcerer leads the pack with the Evade build, while Rogue offers the best balance between power, variety, and leveling speed. Necromancer and Spiritborn also have strong showings, but Druid and Barbarian are more situational. Here's the ranking of the class meta based on testing and performance from the PTR and 2.2 patch notes.
1. Necromancer (S Tier)
Necromancers are entering Season 8 strong, with Blood Wave and Blood Spear builds leading the charge. Despite nerfs, Blood Wave received a post-PTR buff and remains a top-tier boss killer. Improvements to Blood Lance and minion-based builds add extra variety. Shadow Disease builds also show promise with strong synergy to new boss powers. Overall, Necromancer is expected to be a dominant force across all content types.
Ratings:
2. Sorcerer (S Tier)
Sorcerers remain excellent for speed farming with teleport mobility. Lightning Spear builds are still strong, especially if unintended overpower snapshotting remains viable. Burning builds (via Combustion key passive) are another solid choice, though they've been slightly nerfed. New builds like Ice Shard with new uniques and aspects look promising too. Despite some uncertainties, Sorcerers are expected to be among the best for pushing high Pit tiers.
Ratings:
3. Bararian (A Tier)
In Season 8, Barbarians shift focus back to direct weapon attacks rather than environmental effects like Earthquakes or Dust Devils. Whirlwind builds are receiving buffs and will be strong for leveling. Mighty Throw builds, empowered by new uniques like the Bane of Agit gloves, will excel in boss fights - especially important with the new Lair Boss system. However, nerfs to Earthquake builds and some scaling adjustments keep Barbarian in a more moderate spot overall.
Ratings:
4. Rogue (A Tier)
Rogue isn't as dominant as in previous seasons, but the Death Trap build keeps it highly competitive. It boasts top-tier mobility, excellent AoE, and great bossing potential. The Potion Tech variants and Shadow Imbuement builds add versatility. While other builds have been nerfed, Rogue remains a safe and efficient choice, especially for farming and leveling.
Ratings:
5. Spiritborn (B Tier)
Spiritborn (formerly Spiritorn) has potential but lacks execution. Builds like Quill Volley, Touch of Death, and Evade Spiritbomb are solid for farming and leveling, but the class struggles to keep up with others in bossing and deep Pit pushing. It has many build options but no standout kingpin. Spiritborn may surprise us later in the season if new synergies emerge.
Ratings:
6. Druid (C Tier)
Druids are leaning heavily into Cataclysm builds again, with improvements to resource generation and buffs to key passives like Earthen Might. New unique items promote human form builds, but the most consistent success is still expected from Cataclysm-focused storm builds. Poison builds might also emerge due to new boss powers, though testing will be needed to gauge their real strength.
Ratings:
Related Read:
Diablo 4 Season 8 Leveling Tier List - Best Class & Builds for Leveling
Diablo 4 Season 8 Best Build Tier List for Endgame & Pit
Boss powers are the real stars of Season 8. The best builds all revolve around how well they scale these powers, while traditional skills act more like triggers. Below is our Diablo 4 S8 Build Tier List of the best builds sorted by performance:
S+ Tier (Pit 120+)
S Tier (Pit 110+)
Blood Wave Necromancer - Season 7’s strongest build returns even stronger, offering a safe and devastating choice for Necromancer players.
Bone Blood Spear Necromancer - Benefitting from numerous bug fixes, this build now consistently overpowers and outputs extreme damage.
Cataclysm Druid - Still powerful due to snapshot mechanics, though maintaining snapshots is now more tedious.
Quill Volley Poison Spiritborn - Massive potential with the Ashava boss power buffs, though future nerfs could impact it.
Mighty Throw Barbarian - The best boss-killing Barbarian build, capable of one-shotting bosses even without boss powers.
Lightning Spear Sorcerer - Bolstered by Beastmaster boss power, this build excels in speed farming and AoE, though it faces some boss challenges.
Death Trap Rogue - Despite nerfs from PTR, remains the strongest Rogue build
A Tier (Pit 100+)
Stone Burst Druid - Gains guaranteed overpower after channeling but is less suited for speed farming.
Bone Spirit Necromancer - A clunky but powerful build that could move higher with optimal play.
Blood Lance Necromancer - Overpower-focused build with strong single-target damage.
Firestorm Feather Evade Spiritborn - A potent farming build thanks to buffs, bug fixes, and the new Sunbird Gorget amulet.
Double Swing Barbarian - Enjoys reduced fury costs, increased damage, and synergy with new mechanics.
Poison Ashava Rogue - Benefitted from a significant buff to Ashava's boss power, making it a strong option.
Rapid Fire Rogue - Still effective, but the Fist of Fate changes make it harder to stagger bosses.
Blizzard Sorcerer - One of the best cold builds this season, with Ice Spikes, key passive buffs, and aspect improvements making it very powerful.
B Tier (Pit 90+)
Whirlwind Barbarian - A strong starter build with buffs to bleed scaling and direct damage, but still struggles with single-target damage in endgame content.
Earthquake Barbarian - Suffered heavy nerfs, damage reduced by around 30-fold, but remains a reasonable choice given its previous dominance.
Spiritborn Builds (Razor Wings, Rushing Claw) - Received solid buffs and are decent options for mid-tier gameplay.
Ice Shard Sorcerer - Benefitted from Avalanche buffs and Frozen Memories, but overshadowed by stronger Sorcerer builds.
Fire Builds (Fireball, Meteor Sorcerer) - Solid but generally slow; uncapped combustion remains viable.
Minion Necromancer - Strengthened by the Beastmaster boss power multiplier but still outclassed by other Necromancer builds.
Blood Surge Necromancer - A great farming build.
Rogue Options (Rain of Arrows, Poison Death Trap) - Still viable, but hit hard by nerfs to boss power scaling.
Druid Options (Wolf Companion, Poison Druid) - Decent but not top-tier despite buffs.
C Tier (Experimental or Needs Buffs)
Blade of Zear Necromancer – Great idea, poor execution. Needs a rework.
Trap Rogue – Doesn’t currently function well.
Evade Spiritborn – Struggles to clear above Pit 80.
Meteor Sorceress – Still underperforming.
Other builds like Blood Spear Necro, Bone Spirit, Firebolt Shatter Sorc, and Shred Druid are decent but sit mid-pack. Some may rise with future buffs. If you’re planning to push high-tier Pits or just want a smoother ride through Season 8, Sorc and Rogue are your best picks for performance and flexibility. Just keep in mind, none of these builds come easy—it’ll take time, effort, and good gear to make them shine.
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