Diablo 4’s Weakest Class Beats the Spiritborn in Season 7 PTR With Insane Damage Numbers
Just when you thought Diablo 4 couldn’t get any more chaotic with its balance issues, the Public Test Realm (PTR) for Season 7 has unveiled yet another mathematical anomaly that’s leaving players both amused and bewildered. This time, it’s not the usual suspect making waves.
While the community is still processing the recent controversies surrounding overpowered builds and game-breaking abilities, an unlikely contender has emerged from the shadows. What’s particularly interesting isn’t just how broken this discovery is—it’s which class is responsible for it.
In a twist that nobody saw coming, one of the game’s most underperforming classes has suddenly found itself at the center of attention, thanks to a peculiar bug that’s redefining our understanding of just how high damage numbers can go in Sanctuary.
When Diablo 4 Math Goes Terribly Wrong
The past few weeks have been quite a ride for Blizzard. The introduction of the Spiritborn class had already pushed the boundaries of what players thought possible in terms of damage output. So much so that Diablo boss Rod Fergusson took the unprecedented step of creating a community poll asking whether they should nerf the class or leave it as is because players were “having fun.”
But now, in an ironic twist, it’s the humble Druid—long considered Diablo 4‘s weakest class—that’s making the Spiritborn’s numbers look positively tame. Content creator NikoWrex recently stumbled upon what might be the most entertaining bug in the game’s history, involving a seemingly innocent Paragon node called “Survival Instincts”:
This is the Druid in #DiabloIV Season 7 PTR. From dealing 17 damage to negative 9.3 Quintillion😎 Even beating the mighty Spiritborn right now! pic.twitter.com/WZJS7lpHx2
— Rob2628 (@Rob_2628) December 5, 2024
That’s not a typo, folks. We’re talking about damage numbers so large they’ve actually broken the game’s mathematical limits and looped around to negative values. As Rob2628 comments, the Druid is somehow managing to deal “negative 9.3 Quintillion” damage—a number so absurd it makes the Spiritborn’s controversial damage output look like a gentle spring breeze.
The bug, originally discovered by user KingShipton, seems to occur when the Survival Instincts node’s Overpower damage begins stacking multiple times with certain skills. Each hit compounds the effect until the damage number reaches such astronomical levels that the game’s code essentially throws up its hands in defeat.
We know this is going to get fixed but I just hope they don’t destroy it. Poor Druid has been so bad for the last couple of seasons.
— Tony (@TechGuyTony) December 5, 2024
While some players are enjoying this moment in the sun for their beloved shapeshifter, others see it as yet another sign of deeper issues:
This game is such a joke now. I don't think anyone at Blizzard knows how to program through what clearly is unorganized and awfully written spaghetti code.
— Scree (@TheScree) December 5, 2024
How you somehow end up with a negative number that size is utterly beyond me. Sure they'll fix it, but at this point its…
The sentiment isn’t entirely unfair. When your game’s damage calculations are producing numbers that would make a calculator explode, something’s clearly gone wrong at a fundamental level.
“The Path” Forward Looks… Different
While our mathematically challenged Druid will almost certainly get a reality check before hitting live servers (that’s what PTRs are for, after all), the timing of such bugs is deliciously ironic. With Season 7’s PTR running until December 10 and the full season launch planned for January 2025, Blizzard finds itself in yet another “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature” moment.
This comes at a particularly awkward time for Diablo 4, as Path of Exile 2 prepares to crash the party with its highly anticipated launch. And while Blizzard is busy trying to figure out how their damage numbers keep ending up in scientific notation territory, Grinding Gear Games isn’t just promising another Diablo clone—they’re rebuilding the ARPG genre from the ground up.
For many players who’ve stuck with Diablo 4 through its rocky seasons, this latest bug feels less like a funny glitch and more like the final straw. The game’s subreddit is already filled with discussions about making the switch to Path of Exile 2, attracted by its promises of stable performance and coherent game design.
But hey, at least for now, we can all enjoy the spectacle of watching our Druids break the laws of mathematics in ways that would make even the Lords of Hell scratch their heads in confusion. After all, how often do you get to see “negative quadrillion billion damage” pop up on your screen?
Have you encountered any bizarre bugs in Diablo 4‘s PTR? Are you planning to give Path of Exile 2 a try? Let us know in the comments below!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
