Blizzard has unveiled more details about the new character class, the Spiritborn, set to debut in Diablo IV this fall. This class is a dynamic blend of previous Diablo characters, combining the martial arts prowess of Diablo 3’s Monk, the animal abilities of the Witch Doctor, and the aesthetics of Diablo 2’s Amazon.
The Spiritborn is a dexterity-driven class, utilizing powers from four Spirit Guardians. The jaguar offers fire damage, the eagle provides lightning abilities, the gorilla enhances defense and survivability, and the centipede delivers poison and fear skills for crowd control and damage over time. According to Class Designer Bjorn Mikkelson, the Spiritborn is “probably our fastest, most aggressive class,” designed for rapid, high-impact combat using glaives, quarterstaffs, and polearms.
Players can draw on these Spirit Guardians in combat, with short cooldown skills infused with elemental powers. The ultimate ability summons a Spirit Guardian to fight alongside the player, embodying the class’s power fantasy. Diablo IV’s Game Designer Brent Gibson highlighted this summoning as a key feature of the class.
Customization remains a core aspect of Diablo gameplay, and the Spiritborn continues this tradition. Players can specialize in a single Spirit Guardian’s skill tree or mix and match without losing stats. The Spirit Hall class mechanic and new legendary and ancient gear will further enhance this personalization.
In addition to gameplay details, the livestream offered rich lore insights, rewarding hardcore fans with a deeper understanding of the game’s worldbuilding. Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred expansion, dubbed ‘Neyrelle and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,’ will be released on October 8, priced at $40 for the standard edition.
