Diablo VI’s Warlock Lets You Be A Hellish Hulk, A Demon Wrangler, And A Horrifying Powerhouse

Blizzard has been breathing new life into the Diablo series in honor of the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary. Diablo II: Resurrected came with a new and improved class, the Warlock. Not to be undone, the team working on Diablo IV has also found a way to bring that class archetype to the more brutal sequel in some pretty stunning ways.

Designed with multiple possible approaches for players to tackle, the Warlock comes to players as part of the “Lords of Hatred” expansion. It’s a powerful spellcaster class, with elements in common to baseline playstyles like Sorcerer and especially Necromancer. However, the new class has a grisly physical edge that gives it a real advantage over other classes. ComicBook attended a press preview event at Blizzard where we got to try the Warlock firsthand and can attest to just how brutal — and fun — the new archetype is.

How The Warlock Fits Into Diablo IV

With an art design that recalls heavy metal cover art as much as it draws on fantasy archetypes, the Warlock is a rebellious figure who uses Wraith to dish out damage and Dominance to control demons as their personal warriors. After binding a demon to the Warlock and unlocking the class, players can use Soul Shards to flesh out their approach to the class with different abilities, passive skills, and resources. There are a lot of options that come with the Warlock builds, all of which build on your ability to tap into infernal powers to deliver devastating attacks. The four primary archetypes are Legions, Vanguards, Masterminds, and Ritualists.

All of them utilize dark powers and drag minions out of hell to serve at their beck and call, allowing them to dish out massive waves of damage. Intended less as an example of a magic user who has embraced the demonic for the sake of power, Warlocks have given their souls to control portions of the demonic world and fashion that malice into weapons and armies. It’s a compelling approach to an archetype that comes with a shocking amount of depth and flexibility. Crafting the Warlock into your idealized state is an exciting challenge and a rewarding one once the player has upgraded the Warlock enough to reach their full potential.

Why The Warlock Is About To Become Your Favorite Diablo Class

Described as the grungey rocker of Diablo IV‘s magical classes by the game’s developers, the Warlock has a compelling and harsh edge that really works for the game and the type. While all of the approaches to Warlock in Diablo IV have their advantages, playing with a touch of Legion and Vanguard styles was immediately fun. Summoning the massive hellhound arfhfiend known as Abodian as a Vanguard was immediately entertaining, allowing the player the opportunity to run around with a surprisingly capable monstrous companion, dishing out plenty of damage alongside the Warlock’s own attacks like Blazing Scream or DreadClaws.

While all of the Ultimate Skills are likewise impressive, there’s something to be said about seeing a nominally spellcaster character type suddenly use Metamorphosis to effectively transform into a Demon Hulk, allowing them to leap headlong into the fray. Playing as a Warlock was a balancing act between delivering powerful attacks, unleashing minions, and knowing the right time to transform and take on a whole wave of monsters on my own. It’s a naturally entertaining approach, keeping the player alongside their creations. Even though the demons in-game lore are monstrous beasts you’ve chained in ethereal servitude, it’s hard not to personify your newfound soldiers.

The Warlock is a more action-packed approach to the Necromancer, with a greater emphasis on getting your own hands dirty instead of just letting the legions of hell do the work for you. Warlocks do have the ability to maintain plenty of damage output, but the maneuverability and brutality afforded to the Warlock give it an edge that other classes and archetypes in the game lack. Playing as the Warlock provides the player with a good ability to hop between combat styles on the fly, reflecting a spellcaster of a more grounded variety.

If the situation calls for ranged attacks, the Warlock can move around the map with ease, leap into a strategic position through a Nether Step or Metamorphosis, and deliver a massive amount of damage. If the threat is up and close and personal, transforming into a monstrous new state delivers on some intense and brutal action. It’s a perfectly fitting class for the game’s narrative and the overall worldbuilding, fitting naturally into the experience. While the other spell casters are great characters in their own right, Diablo IV‘s Warlock feels like the unholy fusion of a brawler and a sorcerer, truly delivering on the harsher edge promised by the character.

Diablo 4’s Lord of Hatred expansion will be released on April 28, for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.