During the Xbox Showcase, Blizzard announced new information about the 1st expansion of Diablo 4, Vessel of Hatred. Along with the release date, there is a description of the new class Spiritborn and information about upcoming content.
This is what Blizzard announced:
- With the intro cinematic, Blizzard revealed the release date of Vessel of Hatred, the expansion will be released on October 8, 2024, for Xbox, PC, and PlayStation.
- Pre-orders are now available. Those who pre-order the Deluxe Edition with some bonuses will even receive a few contents right away, including some of the new pets.
- Along with the trailer, a new video from the Game Director of Vessel of Hatred, Brent Gibson, went live, as well as a blog post with some information about the Spiritborn and upcoming content (via YouTube).
This is what we know now about the new class: There is still not much to say. In the Blizzard blog post, the new class is described as the “ultimate jungle predator” and as a “completely new class”.
The blog post also states:
These battle-hardened heroes wield mystical synergies that can only be awakened deep within the jungles of Nahantu. Become the Spiritborn and call upon the ethereal spirits for aid, closely connected to this ancient civilization.
Together with the first image of the Spiritborn, which shows the class with a jaguar tattoo, glaive, and wildcat armor, this at least hints at a few possible skills and themes:
- Spiritborn likely combine spiritual magic with weapon or melee skills, similar to druids and monks.
- The “help of ethereal spirits” suggests the possibility of pet builds, which have become quite strong since Season 4.
- The connection to spirits and an ancient civilization, as well as to the jungle, slightly resemble the witch doctor from Diablo 3.
The class will be fully revealed on July 18. Until then, there will likely be no new information. Here you can read what we already know about the Spiritborn. Along with information about the Spiritborn, the post includes explanations about:
- mercenaries who will be available as companions in Vessel of Hatred
- a new endgame activity for co-op that sounds like raids from Destiny and Co.
- updates for all classes – there will be new glyphs, skills, and paragons
“Oh, please let there be frogs!”
Speculation in the community about the Spiritborn is currently running high. The class is supposed to be completely new in Diablo. However, players are directly comparing what they have seen so far with the characteristics of already known classes.
For many, the Spiritborn looks like a mixture of monk and witch doctor. Others see a bit of the Amazon in it, since it is already referred to as a “hunter” in the announcement and fights with a spear or glaive – just like the Amazon.
These three classes are currently what most consider to represent the Spiritborn in combination. There are only speculations about the skills – some hope for the witch doctor’s frogs, while others think that the class will lean towards the druid.
Even though a good part of the community welcomes a completely new class, others still wish for a paladin. A class that wears heavy armor and shields and uses light as a weapon is still missing in Diablo 4. In the past, paladins and crusaders have filled this gap.
Some fans believe that the class will definitely come in one or two expansions. They hope to keep it “behind a glass” that can be smashed in emergencies to bring out the paladin. At least with Vessel of Hatred, the paladin will not come. In the overview, you will find all information about the 1st expansion of Diablo 4.
