Diablo 4‘s next major expansion following Vessel of Hatred is still likely a ways off, being delayed until 2026 despite Blizzard’s original plan for yearly expansion drops. However, that hasn’t stopped Diablo 4 from including some hints at what players might expect from this next DLC release. While nothing has been confirmed yet, the Vessel of Hatred expansion and its subsequent seasons reveal that Diablo 4‘s next expansion will likely continue one trend regarding the inevitable new class it adds.
Players can already find a potential story tease for the next expansion in Diablo 4 Season 9, which suggests that the DLC will be taking players back to the Diablo 3 location of Westmarch in a plot focused on the Church of Light. This tease opens the door for plenty of speculation on what the next new Diablo 4 class may be, with options like Diablo 3‘s Crusader or Monk classes high on the list of possibilities. Whatever class ends up being added to Diablo 4 with this next expansion, it’s likely to follow the Spiritborn up to the top of Diablo 4‘s seasonal meta.
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Diablo 4 Season 9 comes with the bonus of letting players try out one Vessel of Hatred mechanic for a limited time, even if it’s not exactly the same.
As expected of a newly added class, the Spiritborn dominated the Diablo 4 Season 6 meta when it was released alongside the Vessel of Hatred expansion. This was largely due to the fresh class lacking the previous five seasons’ worth of balance changes and adjustments, but could also have been a way to entice players to pick up the new DLC. With a consistently strong unique like the Rod of Kepeleke and an overpowered skill like Quill Volley, the Spiritborn became a breakout star in Diablo 4‘s meta.
This prominence has largely remained in the seasons since Vessel of Hatred’s release. While the exact placement of the Spiritborn within Diablo 4‘s seasonal build tier lists has varied, it has usually remained close to the top thanks to the near-unbeatable combination of the Rod of Kepeleke and Quill Volley. Now, the Spiritborn tops the list of best Diablo 4 Season 9 endgame builds once again with its new Balazan’s Maxtlatl unique pants that offer a similar versatility to that of the Rod of Kepeleke, allowing sheer dominance of the meta with build options like:
Season 9 has once again proven that Diablo 4‘s Spiritborn is the class to beat in terms of meta powerhouses, and the diversity of S-tier builds it has is a testament to the love the class continues to receive. As a DLC class, it’s unlikely that the Spiritborn will leave the meta anytime soon, but its time in the spotlight could face competition when the next expansion finally releases. Regardless of what new class is added in Diablo 4‘s second expansion, it’s likely to get the same treatment the Spiritborn is getting today.
Part of the fun of jumping into Diablo 4 for each new season is testing out different builds, so classes that offer a variety of viable builds tend to become player favorites. It’s clear this is what Blizzard set out to accomplish with the Spiritborn by giving it so many powerful tools to work with between its skills and uniques, encouraging players to pick up the Vessel of Hatred DLC to see just how powerful the Spiritborn can be. When the time for Diablo 4‘s next expansion to release rolls around, the focus is bound to shift away from the Spiritborn and onto whatever new class is added, making it a likely candidate for future meta dominance in the wake of its release.
9/10
June 6, 2023
M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
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