Blizzard Entertainment showcased frantic gameplay for the Spiritborn class coming to Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred this fall.
A Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred livestream went live yesterday, and while the expansion is still a ways off, the devs revealed oodles of the new Spiritborn class gameplay. While it is clear the class takes direct inspiration from the Monk introduced in Diablo III with its up close and personal attack scheme (and the use of punches and kicks), combatants in Sanctuary will also be able to harness the power of four mighty spirits to crush the hordes of hell, on top of meeting them in mortal combat. The class trailer can be seen below ICYMI.
First, the Spiritborn received a whole backstory involving Diablo IV‘s two divine troublemakers, Inarius and Lilith. When creating Sanctuary and altering the Worldstone, Inarius and Lilith released a veil of magical energy that birthed the Spirit Realm, a sacred plane directly influenced by human belief. Ancient spirit guardians protect humanity in the Spirit Realm from angelic or demonic influence, and this is where the first Spiritborn came to be.
Akrat, a prophet from Nahantu, believed that humans had the power to overcome the darkness in Sanctuary. After many, many nights of studying the Spirit Realm with his acolyte, they were able to enter the Spirit Realm and these are the teachings of the Spiritborn. To protect the Realm and its spirits and to ensure harmony between the Sanctuary and the Spirit Realm.
Diablo IV Spiritborn Class Features
- The Spiritborn can deploy skills based on four different spirits that behave differently based on which skill is cast. Four spirits being the warrior Gorilla spirit, the hunter Jaguar spirit, the strategist Eagle spirit, and the apothecary Centipede spirit.
- The Gorilla spirit bestows great strength on travellers, using attacks such as Rock Splitter to maim enemies, and Concussive Stomp to keep the hordes of hell at bay. Each skill summons an ephemeral spiritual Gorilla (like all Spiritborn skills) to perform tasks.
- The Jaguar allows travellers to wield fire skills and speed, providing damage over time even while your physical presence has rushed on. Rushing Claw lets combatants hit and run while igniting enemies, and deploying the Ravager skill to allow each strike to hit twice adds to the devastation of the Jaguar.
- The Eagle uses battlefield control and lightning damage to keep enemies where players want them while moving out of the way easily. Soar operates like a Barbarian’s Leap skill and launches the Spiritborn across the battlefield (even over obstacles), while the Ultimate skill The Seeker stays in one area and electrifies enemies in the damage range.
- Lastly, the Centipede deploys poison damage to sap enemy strength and reduce them to lifeless piles on the Sanctuary surface. Skills like Withering Punch chop enemies down from the inside, while slowing them so they cannot retaliate, while Scourge can send them packing, running away in fear of your prowess.
The Spiritborn Class launches alongside the Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion on October 8. Pre-orders are available now for the expansion, and fans looking for more in-depth details can head over to the Blizzard Entertainment website.
