Demonology Warlocks have spent years fighting alongside their Felguards, but the latest World of Warcraft balance changes have created an unusual situation. For the first time in a long while, the specialization’s signature demon may no longer be the best choice.
Changes introduced with Curse of Ula’tek have significantly altered the damage output of Warlock minions. While several demons received enormous buffs, the Felguard received a comparatively small increase.
The result is something that would have sounded strange to Demonology players not long ago: Succubus and Felhunter builds are beginning to replace the Felguard in high-end content.
Curse of Ula’tek Completely Changes Warlock Pet Damage
The shift comes from minion balance adjustments introduced with patch 12.1.
Both the Succubus and Felhunter received damage increases of roughly 350%. The Felguard, meanwhile, received an increase of only around 20%.
That difference has dramatically changed the value of each demon.
Testing and player calculations currently put the Felguard roughly 0.6% to 2% behind the Succubus in overall damage. That might not sound particularly significant, but small differences matter considerably when players begin optimizing builds for high-end content.
The Felhunter also presents another advantage.
While its damage is competitive, it brings useful interrupt utility that can make it particularly attractive in encounters where stopping enemy casts is important.
Demonology Can Gain More by Skipping the Felguard
The problem goes beyond the individual damage of the pets.
Choosing not to invest into the Felguard node opens additional talent possibilities elsewhere in the Demonology tree.
Players can instead pick up Practiced Rituals, providing an additional 2% Mastery, alongside Dreadlash, which improves Dreadstalkers.
Those bonuses can contribute more to the complete Demonology damage profile than keeping the Felguard.
That creates an unusual situation where the specialization’s iconic demon isn’t simply losing because another pet hits slightly harder. The entire build can potentially become stronger by abandoning the Felguard altogether.
The Felguard Has Defined Demonology for Years
That is what makes this change particularly notable.
The Felguard has effectively been part of Demonology Warlock’s identity since The Burning Crusade. Blizzard has redesigned Warlocks and their talent systems numerous times since then, but the Felguard has remained closely associated with Demonology.
It isn’t merely another summon.
For many players, seeing a Felguard standing beside a Warlock immediately identifies that character as Demonology.
Replacing it with a Succubus or Felhunter therefore feels considerably more significant than a normal pet balance adjustment.
High-End Players Will Follow the Numbers
Most players aren’t forced to abandon their Felguard.
Anyone playing casually can continue using whichever demon they prefer, particularly when the difference can remain within only a few percentage points.
High-end players are another matter.
Mythic raiders, competitive Mythic+ players and players pushing their characters as far as possible will naturally gravitate toward whichever combination produces the strongest results.
If the Succubus provides better raw damage while the Felhunter offers competitive performance alongside interrupt utility, there is little reason for optimization-focused players to remain attached to the Felguard purely because it has traditionally been the Demonology pet.
The additional talent flexibility makes that decision even easier.
Could Blizzard Buff the Felguard Again?
The current situation does not necessarily mean the Felguard will remain sidelined permanently.
Blizzard regularly makes class and specialization adjustments throughout major patches, particularly when an unintended build becomes dominant or a core part of a specialization’s identity stops being competitive.
A further Felguard buff could quickly restore the traditional setup.
Without another balance pass, however, Demonology players may spend much of the current patch using demons that previously would have been unusual choices for the specialization.
Broader changes could also arrive alongside The Last Titan, depending on how Blizzard decides to develop Warlock class design moving forward.
WoW: Forever Continues to Develop Separately
The change arrives while World of Warcraft itself is going through an unusually busy period.
The WoW: Forever beta has attracted enough players that Blizzard has already needed to increase server capacity. The project is expected to receive continued updates without simply raising the level cap or restoring old expansions in sequence.
Meanwhile, Midnight Eclipse and The Last Titan were revealed at BlizzCon as the Worldsoul saga approaches its conclusion.
Not everything being tested through WoW: Forever is destined for the retail game either. Features such as the Skyborne elves and the two-name character system are currently expected to remain separate, while retail World of Warcraft continues through patch 12.1.5 and subsequent balance updates.
For Demonology Warlocks, though, the immediate concern is much smaller.
After years of being the unmistakable companion of the specialization, the Felguard has finally found itself sitting on the bench.
And unless Blizzard changes the numbers, the Succubus and Felhunter may be taking its place for quite some time.
