Diablo 4 has launched with five iconic archetypes, but the Book of Lorath may already be hinting at how that roster could be expanded in the coming years. The classes of Diablo 4 are made up by some of the staples of its franchise, with Barbarians, Druids, and Necromancers wandering around the demon-infested wastelands of Sanctuary once again. It’s a familiar (and safe) direction to take the sequel in, after Diablo 3 brought newcomers such as Demon Hunters, Witch Doctors, and Monks to the mix.
However, the developers at Blizzard have already announced two expansions for Diablo 4, and given the live service nature of the game, players may not have to wait long to see what’s in store next. All signs point towards a return to familiar lands, be it Kurast or Lut Gholein, but comments made by Blizzard imply that expansions could come bundled with news classes. This is where the Book of Lorath comes in, written by the character that many players have come to see as Deckard Cain’s successor.
Namely, a Diablo 4 player by the name Thunderclaww posted an excerpt from the book that speaks of the Crown and Fang of Fernam. These relics seemingly introduce the concept of a Blood Knight class, a vampiric champion whose origins are tied to the city of Gea Kul, a location in Kehjistan that heavily features in Diablo 4. The Blood Knight would hypothetically add the missing archetype of a spear-wielding class to the game, but there is an important angle to consider first.
Prior to the release of Diablo Immortal, the community datamined information about the Blood Knight within the game’s files, and the class has been all but confirmed as the next addition to the mobile game. Though the Blood Knight's arrival in Diablo Immortal is slated for Summer 2023, it does not necessarily forbid its reappearance in Diablo 4. That being said, the greatest obstacle to Blood Knights becoming playable in Diablo 4 are datamined assets and artwork depicting a Valkyrie, which would cover both the missing holy warrior and spear-wielder archetypes.
It’s certainly important to take a measured approach when it comes to speculation, but enough info has been gleamed to confidently ascertain that the next Diablo 4 class will be wielding a spear. Whether it comes in the form of a Valkyrie or Blood Knight, players will no doubt concoct plenty of unique Diablo 4 builds once the class officially debuts in the world of Sanctuary.
Diablo 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
