It’s a pretty common criticism of fandoms these days that fans only really want the same things. This is true for games, too, of course, which unquestionably includes Diablo 4 . When Blizzard’s action RPG launched, it debuted with five classic and classic-inspired classes.
There was never really a chance every class from the series’ history would return or be reborn in some way, but fans knew future expansions would bolster that line-up. One fighting style in particular, however, has been on everyone’s mind because of its absence from the current game. That, of course, being a sword-and-shield wielder.
We’re now closer than ever to the release of Diablo 4’s first expansion: Vessel of Hatred. Even before we got to see the Spiritborn - the class the expansion is bringing to the game - in action , Blizzard said it won’t be a reimagining of any existing Diablo class, and would instead be something entirely new to the series. That assessment ended up being accurate, even if the Spiritborn looks like it’s taking a few cues from various existing classes and moulding them into something new.
It did not, however, change the fact that Diablo 4 still doesn’t have a class for the slow and steady crowd. In Diablo 2, that role was filled by the Paladin, whereas the Crusader carried the mantle in Diablo 3. Blizzard, of course, knows the Spiritborn is not going to fill that hole, but the developer wanted to attempt a creative challenge for the first post-launch class to com.