In many ways,Diablo 4represents the pinnacle of the long-running ARPG series. Already the game has smashed records for the franchise and its developer Blizzard as the fastest-selling title in the company’s history, and critical reception to the title has been strong. One of the factors that has led to the game’s early successes is arguably its selection of starting classes, which represents a selection of fan-favorites from across the series alongside the new Druid class. Blizzard has hinted at the existence of a sixth class coming toDiablo 4as DLC and Internet-sleuthing has indicated it may very well be the Death Knight.
Although Blizzard has yet to confirm the existence of a sixth class, careful examination of a real-world merch item on Blizzard’sDiablostore has revealed the presence of six emblems, five of which represent the game’s current starting classes. The sixth emblem is that of the Triune – the cult that worship the Prime Evils and are responsible for Lilith’s resurrection inDiablo 4. This real-world clue suggests that theDeath Knight could beDiablo 4’s sixth class, and there are actually several benefits to this class archetype making its way into the game.
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The Death Knight is a Suitable Alternative to a Missing Diablo 4 Class Archetype
Despite the “less-is-more” sentiment held among some players regardingDiablo 4’s approach to starting class typesversusDiablo 3, there are still some notable absences from the game’s launch lineup. Most notably, there are no heavy armor classes available inDiablo 4that follow in the footsteps of the Paladin and Templar classes fromDiablo 2andDiablo 3, respectively. Despite being connected to the enemy through lore, the inclusion of the Death Knight class would be an unexpected and welcome addition of an armored tank archetype toDiablo 4.
The current meta forDiablo 4makes the absence of an armored tank sorely felt given how fragile some of the more popular classes are. Even though “glass cannons” like the Sorcerer or Rogue are more than capable to handling most ofDiablo 4’s challengessolo, the frustrating occurrence of being one-shot by powerful elite enemies or bosses makes the need for a new tank-type that much more apparent. The Death Knight could easily fill that gap, and look cool while doing it.
How the Death Knight Fits Into Diablo 4
Even though its purely speculation prior to confirmation from Blizzard, the possibility of the Death Knight beingDiablo 4’s sixth classmakes sense given the current selection of classes and state of the endgame. Both the Barbarian and Druid are reliable heavy melee class options, with the differentiation between the two being the Druid’s ability to summon creatures and transform into a wolf or bear themselves. A heavy melee tank-type that also has access to magic would fit nicely into the suite of starting classes. Further, having the tank-type use shadow or blood-magic instead of faith-based magic would be a nice shift from previousDiablotank archetypes.
Not only does the Death Knight make sense from a gameplay perspective, it also fits squarely into the lore ofDiabloas a class type from the Triune cult. The Triune are not only dedicated to the Prime Evils (of which Diablo and Lilith’s father Mephisto are two), but they are the driving force behind Lilith’s resurrection and campaign of destruction across Sanctuary. The addition of the Death Knight class could accompany aDiablo 4story DLCthat sheds light into the Triune’s motivations and reasoning behind Lilith’s resurrection. Whatever the case, a sixth class gives more incentive for players to invest more time in the compelling world that Blizzard has created, and moreDiablo 4is never a bad thing.
Diablo 4is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
