Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred's Release Date Could Put its Classes Between a Rock and a Hard Place

As the launch date for Diablo 4‘s Vessel of Hatred DLC draws closer each day, the anticipation for an all-new story is palpable. This chapter of Diablo 4 will put the focus on Mephisto, promising a harrowing new era for the game’s narrative. Despite the excitement and dread revolving around Mephisto’s moment in the spotlight, one of the most exciting aspects of Vessel of Hatred is the introduction of a new class—the Spiritborn.

The Spiritborn is a never-before-seen class in the Diablo franchise that is likely to play an important role in Vessel of Hatred. The expansion takes place in the jungles of Nahantu, and the Spiritborn are a group of warriors who are intricately tied to the location. The introduction of such a unique class is intriguing, but it also presents Diablo 4 with a challenge. With Vessel of Hatred releasing at the end of Season 5 and the start of Season 6, the Spiritborn could wreak havoc on the game’s co-op.

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The Spiritborn’s Arrival Could Be a Nightmare For Party Balance

Introducing a New Class Isn’t All Roses

Ever since the trailer for Vessel of Hatred was revealed, the expansion’s story has been a fascinating mystery to speculate on. The story is clearly headed in a bleak direction, and it will be compelling to finally see how the Spiritborn is introduced, but it will also likely cause a lot of balancing issues for co-op parties.

Season 5 of Diablo 4 launches on August 6, while Vessel of Hatred is scheduled for release on October 8—the same day Season 6 supposedly starts. On one hand, this gives players plenty of time to experience Season 5 while enjoying their current party builds, but once the DLC launches the Spiritborn could prove to be overwhelming.

Since the Spiritborn is the first class of its kind in Diablo, there will be many players itching to see what the class type is all about. As Diablo 4‘s Season 5 concludes, the influx of players wanting to play as a Spiritborn will potentially make party balance impossible for a while. It’s incredibly likely that there will be parties made up completely of Spiritborn, or at least mostly Spiritborn.

Although it’s completely understandable why so many players would rush to check out a brand-new class, this could quickly become frustrating. That said, there are probably plenty of players who aren’t as intrigued by the Spiritborn class and will continue playing as their preferred character type, but the temptation to check out a major piece of the DLC’s new content will be strong.

Balancing Issues With the Spiritborn is Inevitable

Of course, there isn’t a perfect time for the Spiritborn to be introduced. No matter what type it is, a new class addition to Diablo is going to draw players towards it. It doesn’t matter if the Spiritborn arrived in the middle of Season 5 or at the beginning of Season 6; there will be players flocking to check out the new class regardless.

It will be surprising if Vessel of Hatred doesn’t create some party-balancing issues for a while, but it will eventually die down. The Spiritborn won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, so everything will even out again after the excitement has worn off. There are high expectations for Vessel of Hatred, and the Spiritborn is going to play a vital role in the DLC’s success, as well as the success of Season 6.