Diablo Immortal character classes: Which ones are playable in the Technical Alpha?

Diablo Immortal is an upcoming entry in the Diablo series that can live in your pockets. Diablo Immortal is set to be an isometric, top-down, hack-and-slash title that combines the feel of a Diablo game with the added benefit of an MMO experience all on mobile.

With more information now available for the game, we have a deeper understanding of just what types of classes will be in the game, as well as some of the abilities and functions they will serve. You can also read our Diablo Immortal hands-on to get a better look at the game on Android.

What classes are available in Diablo Immortal?

When Diablo Immortal launches, it will include six playable classes, although only four - Wizard, Barbarian, Monk, and Demon Hunter - are available in the Technical Alpha. Each class has four abilities, which will be different and unique across each class. According to Blizzard, the current plan is for each class to get 12 unlockable skills, with players allowed to use five at the same time while they play. Classes in Diablo Immortal include:

• Barbarian: The likeliest first class for many players, Barbarians will likely be a strength-based class, and use brutal and powerful weapons to take down foes. Attacks like the Hammer of the Ancients and Ancient Spear will help clear enemies quickly and efficiently.
• Monk: Monks will focus on precision in Diablo Immortal, and use lightning-fast attacks that focus heavily on mobility and swiftness.
• Wizard: Wizards are all about magic, and will have a wide range of arcane abilities, including a meteor attack, a lightning blast, and the power to teleport on the battlefield.
• Demon Hunter: The Demon Hunter is another class that will take advantage of long-range attacks, utilizing a crossbow to take down enemies. Players can expect to learn a ton of crossbow-based attacks, including abilities that can stun and knockback enemies.
• Crusader: This class seems like the closest thing to a Paladin that might exist in the game. Crusaders are clad in armor and look to take down whatever evil might exist. Blizzard hasn't revealed exactly what types of attacks to expect for this class just yet.
• Necromancer: This was the final class announced for Diablo Immortal, so there's not a lot of information available yet. According to Blizzard, they will "use their powers over life and death" to take the fight to whatever enemy they may have.

How does leveling up work?

As you gain levels in Diablo Immortal, you'll begin to unlock new skills, which have their own skill powers that also increase as you level up. Players will have one primary attack slow and four skill slots for their character, and can freely assign skills to those slots as they see fit.

For example, players who want to be Wizards may choose to have a basic attack that electrocutes enemies, and pair it with moves such as Meteor, Black Hole, Teleport, and Ice Crystal skills. This setup would allow for players to trap enemies with a Black Hole, drop a Meteor on them, electrocute them, and finish them off with an Ice Crystal. Being able to freely customize your skills will open up how you can approach certain fights, and with multiple skills and powers available, the opportunities to create a unique character are endless.

Is the Paragon system in Diablo Immortal?

Diablo Immortal brings the Paragon system over to its world, allowing players to continue powering up their character even after they hit the level cap. For those unaware, once you reach max level, you'll be able to earn Paragon Points, which stack up as you continue gaining XP. Paragon Points can be spent on Paragon trees, which are additional skill trees that open up for even more customization.

Each Paragon tree offers permanent attributes and specialization skills that can also help your character become even more powerful. Permanent attributes are stat boosts that you'll continue to get as you spend points. Specialization skills, on the other hand, only benefit you when you activate the specific Paragon tree that holds them. Having different passive and active boosts will make for a deeper experience, and should help you create the perfect character for your play style.

Will more classes be added later?

Blizzard has said that other classes would be added in the future, although it's unknown exactly what type of roles or classes the company is considering. However, Diablo III did have extra classes included through later expansions and DLC packs, so it's possible for more classes to be included later in the game's life.

In a recent blog post, Blizzard also detailed the two biggest ways characters will be shaped: cosmetics and class changing. 

Much like its name suggests, cosmetics will allow players to "radically change" your character's appearance without affecting any of your gear or stats. Instead, they act much like special skins players can wear, and will come in sets, some of which will include custom animations. 

According to Blizzard, the current plan is to roll out a new cosmetic set for all classes each month, themed after that particular month's Battle Pass. Players who own the Battle Pass will be able to unlock a cosmetic set for any one class, while the Premium Battle Pass will include custom portal skins and portrait frames that match that month's cosmetics. Other cosmetic items will be available in Diablo Immortal's in-game Shop, but there will also be free cosmetics made available as well, some of which can be earned through play. 

Legendary Gems found in Diablo Immortal will also have their own visual reference for how powerful they're becoming, with each Legendary item in the game having its own unique visual progress to show off how far you've leveled up the Legendary Gems. 

When it comes to class changing, Blizzard has noted that players will be able to change their existing character to a new class and a new visual customization. When you do this, players will retain their progress on Paragon levels, and receive a new set of equipped items that will match your class. You'll also be able to transfer all of your item progress and gems to that new class, and your progress on things like Horadric Vessels and the Helliquary will also stay the same as it was.