Summary
Blizzcon 2023 brought some exciting announcements forDiablo 4fans as Blizzard revealed plans for the game’s future content updates. Of these announcements, the highlight was likely the teaser for Vessel of Hatred, the first major content expansion coming toDiablo 4in late 2024, which promises a new quest, a new region to explore, and a new playable class. While Blizzard didn’t reveal too many details about the content coming in the Vessel of Hatred, it did state that the new class would be one never before seen in the series, which has led to heavy speculation among fans.
Vessel of Hatred appears to be taking players back to theDiablo 2location of Kurast within the region of Nahantuand will likely follow up on the ending ofDiablo 4’s base game that saw Neyrelle flee with the soulstone containing the Prime Evil Mephisto.Diablo 2fans might recall this region from the game’s third act, where players ventured into the Torajan Jungles in pursuit of Mephisto, who served as the boss of the act. Despite the limited information given about this expansion in the brief trailer that was shown at Blizzcon, there are still some predictions that can be made about Vessel of Hatred’s new class based on what has been teased so far.
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Potential Candidates for Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred’s New Class
With the tease thatDiablo 4Vessel of Hatred’s new class will be one never before seen in the series, many classes that were speculated to be coming to the game by fans have been eliminated as possibilities. Popular choices likePaladin and Amazon fromDiablo 2were among the most common theories put forth by theDiablofan base, given how muchDiablo 4pays homage to the fan-favorite entry. The Witch Doctor class fromDiablo 3would also have made a lot of sense given that Kurast is the historic home of the Umbaru tribe, but being inDiablo 3prior eliminates this possibility.
Spiritborn
The most likely candidate forDiablo 4Vessel of Hatred’s class is the Spiritborn, according to leaked information. This leak comes from a datamine of the game’s files on SteamDB, which accurately revealed that the upcoming expansion would be set in the Torajan Jungles and would feature this new Spiritborn class. The class is described as a glaive-wielder who can utilize the natural elements for combat, which sounds like it could be a combination ofDiablo 2’s spear-wielding Amazon and the nature magic-using Druid already present inDiablo 4.
Cleric
Although many players wanted to see the Paladin class return in this expansion, another class that could function similarly while being brand-new is the Cleric. TheDiabloseries has never featured any type of Cleric as a playable class, despite the presence of organizations like theCathedral of Lightbeing integral to the series' lore, but the class was once planned to appear inDiablo 2. This class could create a new experience for players by utilizing holy magic similarly to Paladins but playing more like a caster, performing skills that deal holy magic damage at a range much likeDiablo 4’s Sorcerer class.
Corsair
Another potential possibility forDiablo 4Vessel of Hatred’s new class comes from the fact that the Torajan Jungles are located on the coast of the Twin Seas, and that the ending ofDiablo 4’s base game shows Neyrelle boarding a boat for a trip across this body of water. As such, some type of Pirate or Corsair class may be added to the game in the Vessel of Hatred expansion, as it would be fitting for the expansion’s setting. A Corsair class could play similarly toDiablo 3’s Demon Hunterclass by dual-wielding flintlock pistols instead of crossbows and utilizing similar projectile-based skills.
