Diablo 4, the fourth title in Blizzard’s long-running action-RPG series, doesn’t currently have a release window. However, since the game’s announcement in 2019, Blizzard has released a steady stream of information on its new features. Diablo 4 will launch with five playable classes, three of which were announced during the game’s first reveal.
The fourth class, the Rogue, was recently revealed during BlizzCon 2021. The Rogue is a returning class from the very first game in the Diablo series, which launched way back in 1996. Just like her predecessor, Diablo 4‘s Rogue is a dexterity-based class able to utilize ranged or melee weapons. She’s also taken influence from similar Diablo classes like the Assassin and Demon Hunter, as well as having some brand new tricks of her own.
Of all the playable classes in Diablo 4 that have been revealed so far, the Rogue is the most flexible. As well as being able to use both ranged and melee weapons, the Rogue can pick up three different Specializations. These special abilities are acquired by completing quests for groups of Rogue NPCs in Diablo 4.
The first Specialization is called Combo Points, and is borrowed from Diablo 2‘s Assassin class. Combo Points are gained through the use of point-generating abilities, and spent on other abilities that gain a boost from them. This will be a familiar system to Blizzard fans, as it’s also employed by World of Warcraft‘s Rogue class.
Like Combo Points, the Rogue’s second Specialization is also inspired by an existing game feature, though not one from another Blizzard title. The Exploit Weakness Specialization allows the Rogue to counter-attack when enemies are winding up their big attacks. This is a system that will be familiar to players of action games like the Batman: Arkham series or Shadows of Mordor.
The third and final Specialization that Diablo 4 players will be able to choose for their Rogue is called Shadow Realm. This Specialization functions a little like the Ultimate abilities of characters in games like Overwatch. After slowly building up the ability, Rogues can escape into the Shadow Realm for a short time. While in the other Realm the Rogue cannot be harmed by the real world, however she can drag enemies in with her. This allows a great deal of crowd control, as the Rogue divides the battlefield into more manageable fights.
The Rogue’s other unique system in Diablo 4 is Imbuing, which only adds to her flexibility. The Imbue System allows her to change all of her attacks and abilities to deal a specific elemental damage. It sounds like the Rogue will be able to switch between elements fairly frequently, giving her a tool-set to take on any monster with the right weapon.
The Imbue System will not only change the base damage of weapons and abilities, but also grant new features to the latter. Targets who have been hit with a Frost Rain of Arrows will begin to freeze, while Diablo 4‘s monsters will take damage over time after being hit by a Poison Rain of Arrows.
As well as a hard counter to resistances and immunities, the Imbue System will also be key in Diablo 4‘s co-op gameplay. Rogues aren’t traditionally a class known for playing well with others, and are often lone wolves in co-op games. However, the Imbue System gives the Rogue the ability to combo up elemental attacks with her teammates. This could range from accelerating the freezing effect of a Blizzard spell with Frost arrows, or adding extra stacks of Burning with a Fire ability.
The Rogue in Diablo 4 is a hybrid class in every sense of the word. Skilled with both melee and ranged weapons, and proficient in elemental and physical attacks, she’s a character designed to have an answer for every problem. A lot of her hybrid nature comes from her inspirations, particularly the three classes that have had the most influence on her design, the original Rogue, the Assassin, and the Demon Hunter.
Blizzard has made it clear that it wanted to make sure that fans of the Demon Hunter and Assassin would see a reflection of their favorite classes in Diablo 4. To this end, the studio has borrowed heavily from the strong points of those classes. The Rogue will most likely draw melee and short-ranged attacks from the Assassin’s pool of thrown knives, dashing thrusts, and martial arts. Similarly, we’re likely to see medium and long-range attacks borrowed from the ranged-focused Demon Hunter.
There’s still one class to be revealed for Diablo 4, and speculation is running high in the community as to what it might be. The return of a Diablo 1 class in the form of the Rogue means that nothing is particularly off the table, and Blizzard is clearly willing to mix and match its previous creations in order to come up with something new.
Diablo 4 is currently in development. A release date has yet to be announced.
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