Since the game’s launch, and for every season thereafter, I’ve told myself I’d dive in and play a different class. But I don’t. I always play Barbarian. Despite nerfs and buffs and stagnation, it’s a go-to class for many that, now in season eight, continues to excel. In this case, my preference doesn’t affect the choice here. Barbarian is still one of the best classes for Diablo IV in its eighth season, all thanks to a few buffs in the patch notes!
As one of the most entertaining classes to play, thanks to its hard-hitting abilities and satisfying number of weapons to wield (and the best cosmetics for your armor and weapons), the Barbarian remains one of the toughest classes. It’s a top-tier zone-clearing class capable of speeding through an area with abilities like Whirlwind , and its damage scales alongside Strength—the main stat of the Barbarian. You’ll constantly outdo yourself as you level.
The Barbarian’s heavy reliance on gear is its one downside. At first, without a sufficient kit, you’ll feel weak. Plus, the early-game dragsto the point where you might want to surrender and play another class, like the Spiritborn or Necromancer. For those who persist and unlock better weapons, you’ll find the Barbarian clears endgame content with relative and unique ease.
For this particular setup, your Basic, Lunging Strike, won’t see copious amounts of use, but it’s worthwhile to spend a point or two simply to unlock your Core, Whirlwind, along with having a Fury generator on standby. With enough Fury, you can continuously pop Whirlwind and swim through your foes.
Whirlwind is, of course, your main focal point here. It saw a significant buff this season, making it a viable zone-clearing ability once more. Everything else feeds Whirlwind or allows you to focus on wiping those mobs out with the Core skill.
Diablo IV Season 8 is ongoing now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs.