In the ruins of a forest city, I search for a well used to brew a deadly poison. I have been fighting waves of plague insects, humans and other creatures, summoning shadowy magic to sculpt them with their power. As I approach the fertile flowers used to create the poison, I am greeted by Darm, the Bloom Warden, a hulking figure wielding two axes, each the size of my warlock.
When his health bar appears, I summon a wave of smoking claws from the abyss to rip through him. Even though he’s injured, he still crawls over me, raising his axes high before slamming them down, releasing three poisonous flowers that separate us. I can take the time to remove each bloom, or put on a demon’s eye to shoot him from a distance. Both are excellent methods. But it wasn’t as fun as I thought.
Instead, I disappear into the flames, flying forward like a shadow, dodging the poison of the plants, until I return to the coalescence of smoke and shadow behind Darm. There, I return to the abyss, killing the Bloom Warden as another flurry of claws sends his lifeless body crashing to the ground.
My monster kill happened at Blizzard’s campus in California in late January, just before Diablo’s 30th anniversary show. Media from around the world have been invited to play test the new warlock class in Diablo 4 ahead of its official launch in the future. Expansion of the King of Hate on April 28.
While the warlock was recently added to it Diablo 2: Awakened last month, Diablo 4 is getting a different version of the class, as will Diablo Immortal this summer. Together, the games aim to show the evolution of the class, starting with its origins in Diablo 2.
I spoke with class designers Stephen Trinh and Bjorn Mikkelson at Blizzard for a group chat about the new heavy metal-inspired class. The main identity of the warlock is Hell and demons, Trinh said, “But I think what’s special about each warlock is that it deals with each game differently,” with each version of the warlock built around its own game design philosophies.
Diablo 2’s warlock is a scholar who has just begun to accept the role of exile in order to protect the world, while Diablo 4’s version of the class is a powerful and experienced warlock, charging and casting spells to turn back the tides of Hell, no matter the cost. These soldiers have spent many years fighting, their clothes and weapons being burned by the hell they call fire.
The warlock, shown in a new developer update, is a key feature in Lord of Hatred, one of two new classes being added along with a range of other gameplay changes such as deeper skill trees and tweaked endgame options. The expansion marks the end of the story about the conflict with Mephisto, the titular Prime Evil, and the concepts behind the warlock are a big part of its themes. I’ve played a few different warlock builds in Blizzard, and while I haven’t seen any of the upcoming Skovos setting from Lord of Hatred, I still have a feel for what players can expect from the expansion.
“Demon’s Big Sorrow Party”
Diablo 4 warlock is for players who want to explore the dark, demonic side of Diablo and use those powers to their advantage. Warlocks use two resources in combat: dominion, which is used to summon demons, and rage, the source of your spellcasting. It’s a great option for players who spend the game roaming around hordes of demon monsters and think, “This could really use a lot of demons.” The devs described the class as “demon first” with lots of ways to customize how you use your demon powers.
A warlock views those demons as tools, Mikkelson said. “These demons are not your friends. They’re not pets to help you. You don’t like them. You hurt demons with the demons you hurt. It’s just, like, one big pity party.”
The exact ways you use those demons will vary depending on the subcategory you choose. If you want to increase the number of demons on the battlefield, you can summon a large variety and use them to do what you want. Or if you’re more into power than the demons themselves, there are sub-sections that keep the action focused on you, and others that let you control the demons directly. Or if you really want to feel the rush of power, why not just turn yourself into a demon?
I spent a lot of time playing the mastermind subclasswhich allows you to control your demons a little. For me, the appeal was about the dark mage’s dream, summoning power from the abyss and gaining the ability to reposition or go in and out of hiding. I cleared a strong point with this build and enjoyed the gameplay of maneuvering around the battlefield to better position the next wave of dark magic to use to encircle my enemies.
I made sure to spend a little time with each of the different sections and was amazed at how different they felt from each other. I haven’t played enough of the other classes to compare apples to apples, but these preloaded builds created by the Diablo team feel like completely different classes from each other. The low level of genius made me feel like a walking dark master controlling the battlefield.
Vanguard subclass it allows you to ride in the midst of a fiery hell and summon ferocious skills such as flame-spitting demon heads. Or if you’re tired of demons having all the fun, you can transform your inner demon into your outer Demonform, empowering and transforming your abilities.
Legion subclass will attract people whose first question is usually, “What is the maximum number of summons for this property?” If you’re the type of person who enjoys putting together a wall of demons to break apart and attack hordes of enemies, rain explosive demons from the sky or just target a large demon in the general direction of your enemies, you’ll want to build on this sub-category.
A subclass of ritualists for people who can’t get enough fire and explosions. Ritualists are all about using demons to power catastrophic abilities like imprisoning enemies in dark dungeons and destroying them with lava-filled explosions. You can also summon a demon to replenish your resources and overcome your abilities, using them as your own source of magical power.
For me, the warlock’s ultimate abilities weren’t very prominent in the playtest. Even with skills meant to represent the pinnacle of class power, warlocks ultimately feel fun and powerful.
When I asked about the design philosophy of warlock finals, Mikkelson said the process is “taking dreams, play styles, things we’re working on and asking ourselves what happens if we turn this up to 11.”
That power really comes from the gameplay. Whether it’s a mastermind sending a frenzy of dark energy onto the battlefield, a legion warlock summoning a kaiju-sized demon to cut through enemies or someone scorching the earth and sky with Apocalypse at the end, casting the ultimate skill always felt like breaking the game, in the best possible way.
Raise your horns
While I enjoyed the heavy metal feel of the warlock, it’s not the only category that joins the ranks of Lord of Hatred. A paladin who carries light also joins the battle, and unlocks immediately if you pre-order the upcoming expansion.
These two categories have very different identities. Paladins are holy, warrior warriors who work with conviction and determination, while warlocks are scavengers who enter the darkness to protect the Sanctuary.
That inclusion was intentional, Trinh said. Lord of Hatred focuses heavily on the themes of the Eternal Conflict between Heaven and Hell, and the devs wanted an opportunity to “explore that duality of two different realms” with two new subplots.
The warlock and paladin open up a lot of gameplay options for Diablo 4 players. I had the pleasure of enjoying a campaign with a paladin earlier this year, and I’m looking forward to drawing waves in Hell as a ranger later this year.
If you’ve ever thought that the concept of fighting fire with fire should also apply to demons, I highly recommend the warlock class, which benefits from the deep, customizable skill trees introduced in the expansion.
Mikkelson told me there’s a lot of room for players to come up with “wacky builds” for the warlock. The deeper you go into customization, the more established you’ll be in how you want to play the class.
“It’s a category of demons,” Trinh said, “so we wanted to really explore all the different ways you can interact with demons.”
