Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s new class turns Sanctuary into a zoo

The task of creating a new class for the Diablo series, which has stretched for nearly three decades now, is not easy. The newly detailed Spiritborn class, a major component of Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion, represents a step forward for Blizzard on its journey to make Diablo 4 and its retinue of job classes more personalized for individual players. At an event held at Blizzard’s headquarters, I sat down with theDiablo 4 team to go hands-on with the Spiritborn class in a slice of Vessel of Hatred and discover its origins.

It’s a zoo out there

The newest class to Diablo will likely remind many series fans of the Monk at first blush with its relentless attacks and nimble movement. That comparison does not last beyond the menu screen, however; the Spiritborn’s connection to the ethereal animals of the region is a different beast altogether. This rare kinship not only allows the class to channel different forms of a fun and ferocious battle style, but opens up personal customization for the class in a way Diablo has never seen before.

Spiritborn, both the class and the character, was born of the jungles of Nahantu. That biome was first seen in Diablo 2 and is known as much for its verdant overgrowth as it is for its connection to the spirit realm. “That was actually our point of inspiration,” Diablo 4 director Brent Gibson explained at the event Digital Trends attended. “We started with the idea that the class should be related to Nahantu.”

From this thought, the team jumped to the idea that Vessel of Hatred’s new class should be a warrior in tune with not only nature, but the spirit realm as well. This realm exists separately from the High Heavens and the Burning Hells as a third and mostly neutral party in Diablo’s eternal war. After the character concept was decided, the narrative team set to work on figuring out why this powerful class has been content to sit things out so far, setting up a story for the Spiritborn to go hand in hand with the new expansion.