Classes and races September 30, 2026, official class deep dive
Hunter pets scale with gear but cannot take player stat buffs
Blizzard clarified the beta rule: the Hunter’s gear strengthens their pet, but player stat buffs no longer apply to it.
Description
In its September 30 deep dive, Blizzard explained : pets gain stats from the Hunter’s gear. Pets can no longer receive player buffs that raise stats. The article treats this as class design, not a bug. It does not state an exact gear scaling rate.
Effect
When choosing gear, consider its value to both the Hunter and the pet. In a party, do not assume that a character stat buff will give the pet the same increase.
How to reproduce it
- Check your pet’s stats before and after equipping an item with relevant stats. Compare the same pet in the same build.
- Do not keep recasting a character stat buff on the pet when it fails to show an effect. Blizzard says these buffs do not apply.
- If you see an exception, record the buff, stat, build and result before reporting it.
What players report
- SLUMDOG, Blizzard forum
Argues that losing standard buffs hurts pet-focused play. This is an opinion, not a damage measurement.
Read discussion ↗ - Bloodmane, Blizzard forum
Points out that Blizzard described the restriction and gear scaling in its class article.
Read discussion ↗