Game Director Brent Gibson has explained why the Spiritborn is joining Diablo 4 instead of older classes like the Paladin or Monk.
The Paladin class hasn’t appeared in a Diablo game since the franchise’s second installment. As such, series faithful were hoping it would at least make the cut as a post-launch addition to the Diablo 4 roster.
What the future may hold remains unclear, but Spiritborn represents the new class launching alongside the Vessel of Hatred expansion in October. The class mixes the tenets of a Witch Doctor and Druid by summoning Spirit Guardians for aid in combat.
Some fans can’t wait to try it out, while others dislike the similarities to other character classes. And a contingent of the community wishes Blizzard would’ve revisited its roots.
When asked why making a new class superseded the recycling of another, Game Director Brent Gibson told Forbes there were two distinct reasons for the decision.
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For one, the team wanted Diablo 4’s sixth class to “feel fresh… as opposed to continuing to reimagine what we’d done before.” It was considered an opportunity to explore the gaps in the game’s combat style and examine unexplored power fantasies, he continued.
Additionally, the second goal centered on developing a class inspired by Vessel of Hatred‘s jungle-laden Nahantu setting. Gibson explained, “The other thing was that we wanted it to come from the place we were going, and we knew we were going to the jungle…and that led us on the journey to creating something brand new.”
While Gibson made no promises, Forbes said the team isn’t ruling out the possibility of reviving previous classes such as Paladin for Diablo 4. Blizzard hasn’t detailed its plans beyond the Vessel of Hatred expansion, though.