Blizzard Entertainment recently released the Paladin class for those who pre-ordered the Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred expansion. It is unbelievable and a first for any Diablo game. Even the Diablo III necromancer was released as a separate paid add-on pack. It’s absolutely bonkers to let us play the new class now, before the expansion arrives in such a shock-and-awe fashion. But that’s great news.

World of Warcraft has already adopted that marketing engagement by bringing returning and new players to play an Allied Race before the expansion launch. Except that there is no pre-purchase requirement needed.

Small rant aside, I am astonished there will be two new classes. That’s new. It also signals that future expansions might have two new Classes. Not always, but the door was open.

Let’s think a little bit about how things unfolded before the Paladin class was announced.

I won’t discuss Prava and the Knights Penitent. There is already a Paladin-like order in Diablo IV. On October 8, 2024, the developers launched Season 6: Hatred Rising, early during the Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred campaign. Does anyone remember what the reputation name was for that Season? It was the Zakarum Remnants, based on Zarbinzet (Hawezar). Of course, these are more Crusader-like, but their order originated as Paladins of the Zakarum faith. Their teachings are those of Akarat. I’m simply pointing out the developers’ intent to introduce the groundwork before the Paladin class announcement.

Mephisto returned to the Diablo II location, Upper Kurast, where he had corrupted the Zakarum Que-Hegan and the Paladins. What are the Infernal Hordes’ bosses but the former Zakarum Council of Kurast. The intent of the Paladin class has been with us from the very beginning of the game. You don’t launch two classes within months apart unless you have been working on it for a while.

There are no coincidences. It’s a master plan. A roadmap.

Diablo IV: Lord of Destruction What is the Unannounced Class?

The Diablo IV: Lord of Destruction expansion will introduce a new zone: Skovos Isles. Very peculiar choice. It was not Xiansai… where Akarat’s parents hail from, as the Vessel of Hatred story revealed. It was not Kingsport, or Lut Gholein, or Westmarch — three of the most well-known ports in Sanctuary. It is Skovos Isles.

Let’s go back to the Diablo IV campaign. What was the one thing used during the campaign that has ties to Skovos Isles? The Sightless Eye.

According to Lorath, Elias used the Sightless Eye artifact to contact Lilith. Players use the Sightless Eye to peer into Lilith during the Diablo IV campaign Act IV: A Gathering Storm, quest: Prying the Eye.

We used the Sightless Eye again while inside the Burning Hell to track Lilith during the Diablo IV Act VI quest: The Blind Eye.

Vessel of Hatred started with the Spiritborn class. A class that was never heard of before in the Diablo franchise. So it’s difficult to visualize the next Lord of Hatred expansion class as another brand-new class, but that’s not unheard of. Then ends with the Paladin.

If that became a trend… then Lord of Hatred would end with another new class. One before the third expansion and one at launch. That would be wild for the future of the game and for players. On the other hand, with Microsoft tipping the scales (if that’s true at all), the more classes they launch per expansion, the more armor skins and cosmetics for the shop. Nowadays, those cost 2800 Platinum, which translates to approximately $25 US Dollars each.

We visited Kurast, the Paladin stronghold. We got the Paladin class at the end of the expansion.

We are going to visit Skovos Isles. It would make sense if the Amazon class arrived at the end of the Lord of Hatred expansion using that train of logic.

Personally, I want the Amazon to be the unannounced class teased during the Lord of Hatred expansion reveal. But let’s be open-minded in case what we think might be the new class turns out not to be.

When Diablo II: Lord of Destruction launched, the old-school Arreat Summit website added the Amazon history section.

“In the Amazon culture, only the women serve as warriors; their intrinsic superior dexterity and lithe body structures are better suited to combat in the dense rainforest environs of the islands. Their society is far from stratified, however, as men are responsible for any number of positions in the community, government, and clergy, as well as merchant and agricultural occupations.”

The Amazon are female warriors, and as history says in that quote, “men” are responsible for other tasks, including the clergy. Skovos Isles practice a polytheistic religion with multiple deities. What if the new expansion introduces one of those clergy castes as the new Class? I mean, there is already controversy with an Amazon class in Diablo IV, where you can create a male or female character. How can there be a male Amazon? I don’t know how the creative team is going to spin that one, but eventually, we got female druids in World of Warcraft.

Did you see Skovos Isles in the Lord of Hatred gameplay trailer? It showed Inarius and Lilith statues towering on the port. Skovos is a society of Order (balance), believing in many deities that legend says were former members who built their society. Nephalem. Offspring of Inarius and Lilith. This new Skovos class could lean more on the Lilith heritage rather than Inarius’s. A Light and Shadow society. Amazons representing the Light heritage. The new class representing the Shadow heritage?

Well, that would be interesting, but it would certainly infuriate the fanbase that wants the Amazon class or thought that Skovos announcement = Amazon class. But what if we got both? One at the beginning of the expansion, and another one before the third expansion? That would balance things, but still could get people angry if the Amazon isn’t coming first.

There is another possibility: The Witch Doctor. Remember Season 7: Season of Witchcraft? That was based on Witch Doctor stuff. Piranhado. Firebat servants. Hex powers, Vengeful Spirit, Poison Frog servant. Soul Harvest. Really? You forgot about it?

There are no coincidences. Blizzard has been slowly telling us what’s coming ahead for Diablo IV.

Will it be the Amazon? A new Skovos class? The Witch Doctor? A brand-new class like the Spiritborn? Or a well-known class from a past Diablo game?

So far, there are a few Diablo II, Diablo III, and Diablo Immortal classes that are not playable currently in Diablo IV:

  • Amazon
  • Witch Doctor
  • Monk
  • Wizard
  • Demon Hunter
  • Crusader
  • Tempest
  • Blood Knight

The Diablo III Followers: the Enchantress, the Templar, or the Scoundrel as a playable class would feel redundant.

We’ll have to wait until the Diablo IV team is ready to reveal the class.

Pre-order Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred to play the Paladin class today in Season 11.