Diablo 4 Fans Think Season 11 Could Introduce a New Class

Many Diablo 4 fans are convinced that Blizzard is planning to shadow-drop the long-rumored Paladin class at The Game Awards. If added, the Paladin would become the seventh class added to Diablo 4, following the Spiritborn, which launched with the release of Diablo 4‘s Vessel of Hatred expansion in 2024.

The Paladin class was a popular choice for gamers in Diablo 2, but it hasn’t yet returned in the fourth iteration of the series. However, it’s no secret that Blizzard is planning to bring it back at some point, after it was essentially replaced by the Crusader in Diablo 3. Earlier this year, a leaked Diablo 4 build was spotted with Paladin in the name, but the developer never acknowledged its existence. The Paladin was primarily a melee-focused class in Diablo 2, but differentiated itself from the Barbarian through the use of Auras, which gave the class a magical edge, and made it more of a support than a pure damage-dealer. In Diablo 4, it would likely serve the exact same purpose, filling a niche that isn’t already covered by the existing set of classes.

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Diablo 4 Fans Think The Paladin Class Could Shadow-Drop With Season 11

Over the past few days, the Diablo 4 subreddit has been filled with threads of players convinced that Blizzard is planning to shadow-drop the Paladin class as part of Season 11 at The Game Awards. Many point to Blizzard changing the release time of Diablo 4 Season 11 to 30 minutes after TGA is scheduled to finish as one major reason as to why the Paladin could be shadow-dropped, and it makes sense. However, one interesting bit of evidence is that in the original Paladin leak from earlier this year, the build it was a part of was titled “2.5.Xpaladin.67961.” The first Diablo 4 Season 11 build is 2.5.0, indicating it could arrive at any point onward, although plans may have changed since those initial leaks.

In the Reddit threads, amid all the speculation, there was equally a strong contingent of players not expecting to see the Paladin show up, indicating to others to keep their expectations in check to avoid disappointment on the day. It was also theorized that the Paladin could be announced as an addition for all players in the next Diablo 4 expansion, with players who pre-order getting instant access for Season 11. This would allow the dedicated players to have immediate access, while also gathering data on class balance before it rolls out for everyone. Right now, this is pure speculation, so players will have to wait and see what happens at The Game Awards.

It has looked as though Blizzard is gearing up to show something Diablo 4-related at TGA, but it’s still unclear at this point exactly what that could be. The main alternative would appear to be a new expansion, which could happen even if the Paladin is released. However, this wouldn’t explain the change in release time for Season 11, which seems to suggest something that players can immediately enjoy. Blizzard has already confirmed that a new expansion won’t be released in 2025, so expecting a shadow-drop in that department feels impossible.

Whether it launches with the Paladin class or not, Diablo 4 Season 11 is currently set to release on December 11. The seasonal mechanics this time around are Divine Gifts and Sanctification, replacing the very popular Chaos Armor of Season 10. Also on the way are big changes to Tempering and Masterworking, which are intended to make both of these core systems less RNG-dependent, making it more consistent for players to get the exact upgrades they want. However, Blizzard has also confirmed that the long-awaited leaderboards and Tower features won’t be there at the start of Diablo 4 Season 11. While this is disappointing, it should be good in the long run to have these features feel more polished at launch.

Released

June 5, 2023

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact