Thanks to a meaty, well-produced Diablo 4 Developer Update, we got to have our promised first look at gameplay of the Warlock, the second of two classes coming to the game with the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion.
The showcase offered a deep look at the Warlock’s core archetypes, its gameplay and skills loop, and where the class sits within the game’s existing roster of diverse classes.
Since the initial reveal of Lord of Hatred, The Warlock has remained the mysterious second class. Anyone who pre-purchased the expansion was able to get immediate access to The Paladin, the other class arriving with the expansion. It wasn’t until February that Blizzard officially revealed the class to the world, but we had to wait until this most recent Developer Update to actually see it in action.
The Warlock’s pragmatism exists as the counterpart to The Paladin’s purity, in that Warlocks don’t shy away from harnessing the powers of Hell to eliminate their enemies. The class can conjure up demons to do their bidding, and utilise attacks previously only available to legions of Hell.
The Warlock is a hybrid pet and caster class. Their gameplay revolves around summoning demons, and undermining enemies with shadow arts. They rely on two resources: Wrath, and Dominance. Casting Skills consumes Wrath, whereas Dominance is what allows the Warlock to summon and exploit demons.
The Warlock has four archetypes players can spec into. Legions are traditional summoners who rely on overwhelming numbers to crush enemies. Vanguards are closer to Sorcerers, capable of dealing damage head-on. Masterminds utilise shadowcraft to slowly drain their enemies. Finally, Ritualists are summoners of the most terrifying Hell demons.
The Warlock is able to do this by fusing Soul Shards into their bodies. Going down any of the four paths becomes available after reaching level 30, which is when the class mechanic is unlocked. Each Soul Shard is tied to a certain demon, and its through that power that the Warlock is able to call upon them in combat. Your choice does, of course, affect your abilities going forward.
Warlocks arrive alongside new Uniques that cater to their specific playstyles, which is similar to what we’ve previously seen with The Paladin, and The Spiritborn before that.
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Lord of Hatred arrives April 28. While we wait, Diablo 4’s next season is kicking off next week to deliver a bit of mindless fun to hold us over until the big day.
