As Diablo 4’s Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim approaches its July 1 launch, the community buzzes with anticipation over which classes and builds will dominate the new meta. While Blizzard’s upcoming season doesn’t radically shake class balance, the Public Test Realm (PTR) reveals three clear S-tier builds poised to lead the charge: the Flay Barbarian, Hydra Sorcerer, and Poison Volley Spiritborn.

The Flay Barbarian currently dominates PTR leaderboards, largely due to the new Hooves of the Mountain God item. This item in Diablo 4 Items is bugged, allowing Barbarians to deal “negative damage,” effectively one-shotting enemies and clearing Pit levels well beyond 100. Though this exploit is expected to be fixed pre-launch—likely dropping the build to B-tier—it exemplifies the raw power Barbarians can wield with top-tier gear synergy.

If the Flay Barbarian is nerfed, the Hydra Sorcerer is primed to take over. Thanks to the Ophidian Iris unique item, this build always summons a three-headed hydra that deals splash damage, with the chance to spawn even larger hydras. Like the Barbarian, it currently benefits from a double-dipping bug with Shatter skill scaling, amplifying its damage. Even without the bug, the Hydra Sorcerer excels at speed clearing and boss fights, comfortably pushing Pit 100 and Torment 4 content.

Rounding out the S-tier is the Poison Volley Spiritborn, which leverages the Balazan’s Maxtlatl item to enhance Thorns and Poison synergies. Paired with the Noxious Resonance passive, it becomes one of the tankiest, most mobile builds—ideal for fast clears. This build also exploits a double-dipping bug involving dual Jaguar Spirit Hall powers, boosting its effectiveness.

These S-tier builds showcase the exciting potential of Season 9 but come with caveats due to bugs likely to be patched. Still, they offer a glimpse into the high-powered gameplay awaiting players in Sins of the Horadrim.