WithDiablo 2: ResurrectedandDiablo 4on the horizon, fans of the franchise have a lot to look forward to. WhileDiablo 2has often been championed as the best of the best, there’s no doubtDiablo 3had its merits too, and for many players, one of those wasthe Demon Hunter class. Filling the niche of the Dex-based class, the cool design, gameplay, and more made it immediately stand out asDiablo 3’s “wildcard” class. It was something mostly unique, as the Barbarian and Wizard were classics, the Witch Doctor was the Necromancer’s follow-up, and the Monk appeared inDiablo 1’s Hellfire expansion.
Diablo 2also followed this pattern, though only slightly. It contained a slew of standard RPG classes, even though they were mostly all new for the time (except the Barbarian), but theNecromancer truly stood out asDiablo 2’s wildcardand would be iterated on again and again. Fortunately, while Demon Hunter fans are unlikely to see the class appear inDiablo 4, those aspects of its wildcard nature could still be there.
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Diablo 4’s Rogue and The Relationship with Demon Hunter
First,Diablo 4’s Roguewalks a tightwire with its influences. Obviously, the class is being brought back from the first game, but the Assassin was also a new iteration of the Rogue inDiablo 2’s Lords of Destruction DLC. However, in this mixture to create a strong Dex-based character for the upcoming entry, Blizzard looked at the Demon Hunter too.
Specifically, it has been said that the Rogue intended to mimic thegameplay ofDiablo 2’s AssassinandDiablo 3’s Demon Hunter, creating a perfect union of the two in one character. Rogues can use crossbows, imbue arrows with special properties, and much more that all scream Demon Hunter, making it the prime iteration of the class. While the Rogue may not be a Demon Hunter in name, it stands to reason that many of the traits found in the latter will draw fans to the former. As such, even though little is known and its release is far away, Demon Hunter fans probably can’t go wrong for the Rogue in terms of gameplay.
Diablo 4 Classes: New vs. Familiar
Of course, the high Dex-based gameplay was only one reason fans were drawn to the Demon Hunter. The other came from the sheer “rule of cool” factor that the Demon Hunter inherently has; as the “wildcard” class ofDiablo 3, it drew eyes as a less traditionalDiabloor RPG class. Combined with the lore built around it, and it was a win-win scenario. Notably, Blizzard could and should go for the same surprise appeal in itsfinalDiablo 4class reveal.
Right now,every class inDiablo 4has been taken from others: the mainstay Barbarian, the magical Druids and Sorceresses, and the iteration of the Rogue. But if it were to introduce a wildcard class, even though it’s unlikely to be Dex-based, it could catch the “new” that drew many fans to the Demon Hunter in the first place. A heavy tank-based class makes sense, so perhaps instead of going with a Holy Warrior like Paladin or Crusader, it would be interesting ifDiablo 4added a Blackguard/Fallen Paladin (but, of course, this is just speculation).
Either way, while it may not be the Demon Hunter proper,Diablo 4fans who want all the ranged mastery or who want that sheer “new” vibe of a wildcard class may just get what they want in the next game.
Diablo 4is in development, with PC, PS4, and Xbox One as confirmed platforms.
