The following compares the current state of Destruction Warlocks to Havoc Demon Hunters using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Havoc Demon Hunter
+14.55%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Havoc Demon Hunters averaged 14.55% more DPS than Destruction Warlocks (+223K DPS).
Havoc Demon Hunter
+26.52%
When simulating AoE DPS, Havoc Demon Hunters averaged 26.52% more DPS than Destruction Warlocks (+268K DPS).
Havoc Demon Hunter
+13.44%
Havoc Demon Hunters have higher spike damage potential, achieving +1.1M more DPS than Destruction Warlocks.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Destruction Warlock
+1.69%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Destruction Warlock DPS improved the most, +1.69% more than Havoc Demon Hunter. In total, Destruction Warlocks DPS increased by 67.53% and Havoc Demon Hunters by 65.84%.
Havoc Demon Hunter
+3.39%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 8% for Havoc Demon Hunters.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 11.39% for Destruction Warlocks.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Havoc Demon Hunters performed better, as Destruction Warlocks suffered a +3.39% DPS loss.
Destruction Warlock
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Destruction Warlocks had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Destruction Warlock and Havoc Demon Hunter in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Havoc Demon Hunter
Destruction Warlock