Summary
There are plenty of things to be excited about inDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion, but the new Spiritborn class has been hogging the spotlight since the DLC’s launch. So far, the Spiritborn has been dominating conversations surroundingDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred DLC, boasting about its overpowered nature and all-around fun and fast-paced mechanics. It’s safe to say that, of all the features included with the launch of Vessel of Hatred, the Spiritborn class may be its best.
Diablo 4’s new Spiritborn classis renowned mainly for its versatility and the freedom it provides players to have full rein over its customization. Despite some Spiritborn builds currently dominating the meta more than others, it is still a class unlike any other inDiablohistory, and players can largely be successful in Vessel of Hatred’s content by going in any direction they want to with the skills and mechanics the new class provides.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn Class Is Its Best Feature
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn Class Is the Series' Most Versatile Yet
At the forefront of theSpiritborn class' popularityis its versatility in combat. Unlike mostDiabloclasses, which generally rely on one or two different skill categories, Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn allows players to mix and match skills from four categories, each of which is the manifestation of a different Spirit Guardian. Jaguar skills, for instance, prioritize an aggressive approach to combat by offering players skills that focus on dealing direct damage with balanced survivability. Gorilla skills, on the other hand, specialize in providing the Spiritborn with more defensive abilities, like blocking and dodging.
Then there are Eagle skills, which grant players plenty of damage-dealing attacks but also provide a decent amount of crowd control. Finally, Centipede skills are all about poisoning enemies, dealing damage over time, and subverting foes before they have a chance to respond. WhileSpiritborn Centipede buildshave largely dominated the playing field since Vessel of Hatred’s release, it doesn’t by any means trivialize the rest of the Spiritborn’s skills, as there are countless combinations that can be effective againstDiablo 4’s toughest monsters.
In a way, Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn class is similar toDragon’s Dogma 2’s Warfarer vocation andDestiny 2’s Prismatic subclass.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn Class Is Overpowered on Purpose
Fortunately, this was all done with great intention, as Blizzard has doubled down on its decision to design the Spiritborn this way. The developer likely knew the Spiritborn would be an overpowered class in Vessel of Hatred, and it plans to leave it that way — at least throughSeason 6 ofDiablo 4. What this could mean forDiablo 4’s other classes is that they could eventually be revamped to become similarly powerful, as nerfing the Spiritborn could ultimately destroy the class, leaving the game with only one direction to go. Either that or more classes that function similarly to the Spiritborn might be developed at some point that would offer players the same level of freedom in their approach to gameplay.
The new Spiritborn class introduced withDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion is arguably its greatest achievement, although the arrival of the DLC also marks necessary improvements to the base game’s quality of life and even new skills forDiablo 4’s core classes. With the Spiritborn’s unprecedented complexity also comes the freedom to playDiablo 4the way players see fit, so long as they discern the full potential of the class. Hopefully, this means even better things are to come forDiablo 4and the series in general, whether that be more classes like the Spiritborn or an evolution of what is already there.
Diablo 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
