Blizzard's new animal spirit monk class has me excited for the Vessel of Hatred expansion
Diablo 4 Lore | Where is the Paladin? Why Spiritborn was chosen instead
Rumors of a Paladin or "sword-and-board" class have been circulating around Diablo 4 since before its release. Of the five original classes, the "holy warrior" archetype is the one that the acclaimed ARPG has really felt like it was missing.
As a huge Crusader fan in Diablo 3, and a fan of Paladin archetypes, I was hoping to get a Paladin-like character with Diablo 4's first expansion. Instead, Blizzard announced that the all-new Spiritborn would be Diablo 4's first new class, arriving in the Vessel of Hatred expansion on October 8.
At first, I have to admit, my reaction was "How boring." After all, this means waiting another year at least until I can embody an updated version of a Crusader in Diablo 4's open world preserve. But on July 11th, I was able to visit Blizzard and preview Spiritborn to learn what it is, how it plays, and perhaps most importantly, why it's not a Paladin. And after speaking with one of Blizzard's game designers, Bjorn Mikkelson, and associate class designer Stephen Stewart, I've changed my tune. I'm glad the Spiritborn will be the first new class in Diablo 4 instead of a holy warrior.
