Class Design
Ongoing coverage on Class Design.
Latest coverage
Bad news for shaman tank hopefuls—World of Warcraft: Forever won't have Season of Discovery's zany class design just yet: 'But never say never, y'know'
World of Warcraft: Forever will not include the experimental class designs like healing mages and shaman tanks seen in Season of Discovery. Senior game designer Josh Greenfield stated that while lessons learned from Season of Discovery are carried over, the 'forever' version aims to stay closer to the original WoW class identity, though future experimentation is not ruled out.
WoW Devs Confirm Paladins Are A “Dad Class”
World of Warcraft senior game designer Josh Greenfield confirmed that the Paladin class is officially considered a "dad class." He explained that the class's dependable, supportive, and armored toolkit aligns with common stereotypes associated with fatherhood.
Diablo 5 panel reveals first details: Plague Knight class, revamped loot, and more
Blizzard Entertainment revealed early details for Diablo 5 at BlizzCon 2026, including a new Plague Knight class, a revamped loot system inspired by Diablo 2, and a story where Diablo has conquered Sanctuary. The game is slated for a 2029 release, with regular updates planned starting in 2027. Diablo 4 will also receive updates and a Nintendo Switch version.
ArcheAge Chronicles previews the Ranger, Warrior, and player housing in new dev blogs
XL Games has released new details on ArcheAge Chronicles, focusing on the Warrior and Ranger classes, as well as player housing. The Warrior class can wield longswords or greatswords, while the Ranger can choose between a hatchet or longbow. The game has experienced multiple delays.
Darrington Press Releases New Daggerheart Summoner Playtest, Introducing New Arcane Power
Darrington Press has released a new playtest for the Daggerheart Summoner class, a spellcasting role focused on conjuring otherworldly beings. This playtest material, available for free on the Daggerheart website, introduces two subclasses: Necromancer and Theurgist, and includes mechanics for managing Stress and summoning spirits. A player feedback survey for the Summoner class will open on July 23rd.
Darktide's new Skitarii class is its most unique yet, but it also advances our understanding of Warhammer 40k lore
The new Skitarii class in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide offers a unique, support-focused playstyle that advances the game's lore by defining previously ambiguous elements of the Skitarii's identity. Developer Fatshark is praised for creating a distinct class that emphasizes teamwork and lore integration, moving beyond a purely combat-centric design.
Blending my way through Hive Tertium's tunnels as a towering murderbot might make the Skitarii my favorite Darktide…
The new Skitarii class in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide offers a unique and imposing playstyle, standing taller than other human classes and featuring customizable cybernetic enhancements. Players can choose from various abilities and weapons, including the Chordclaw and Galvanic Rifle, with a unique radial skill tree that provides more player freedom and encourages experimentation with charge mechanics and elemental effects.
Pantheon Rise of the Fallen takes a deep-dive into its refreshed Shaman
Visionary Realms has provided a deep-dive into the refreshed Shaman class for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, detailing its lore, weapons, and two mastery lines: Oracle and Fateweaver. The game's next major update, including class mastery lines, is slated for release after mid-July, with the Shaman's new kit already available on the public test realm.
Monsters & Memories offers a deep dive on its magical and mystical Wizard class
Upcoming indie MMO Monsters & Memories is highlighting its Wizard class with a new deep dive article. The developers at Niche Worlds Cult have modified the Wizard's core kit, including mana regeneration and introducing an optional 'Incantation' system for combining spells. The studio plans to balance all 18 classes during the beta phase.
One Overpowered WoW Class Just Defied Years Of MMO Design, So Of Course Blizzard Nerfed It
A group of five Guardian Druids in World of Warcraft recently cleared a +20 Mythic dungeon without healers or DPS, challenging traditional MMO design. This accomplishment led Blizzard Entertainment to nerf the Guardian Druid's Thrash ability, which had been overperforming due to recent buffs, impacting the game's balance.
Lord of the Rings Online makes huge changes to the upcoming Angmarim Sorceress PvP class
The Lord of the Rings Online is implementing significant changes to its upcoming Angmarim Sorceress Player versus Player class, which will be exclusive to the PvP zone for players aligned with Sauron. Lead designer Orion detailed adjustments made over the past year, emphasizing the class's role as a flexible support character with four distinct stances. The Angmarim Sorceress is expected to return to the test server soon, and the game's 19th-anniversary festival has been extended.
For Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred DLC, Blizzard designed the new warlock class to feel like it could beat the necromancers and sorceresses in a "fist fight"
Blizzard Entertainment designed the new warlock class for Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred DLC to feel distinct from necromancers and sorceresses, focusing on summoning living demons rather than reanimating the dead. The developers aimed for a class that could stand its ground in a direct confrontation, with skills that involve summoning demons to attack or create defensive barriers.
Monsters & Memories promises to make classes with ‘distinct identity’ that are ‘genuinely fun to play’
Developer Niche Worlds Cult is focusing on creating distinct and fun-to-play classes for their upcoming MMORPG, Monsters & Memories. The studio is reviewing all classes to ensure they have unique identities, align with genre conventions, and offer meaningful progression, with early access scheduled for October.
WoW Factor: The glaring hole in World of Warcraft’s class line-up
This opinion piece argues that World of Warcraft has a glaring omission in its class lineup: the lack of throwing weapon specializations. The author highlights how throwing weapons were iconic in the original RTS games and have been underrepresented in the MMO, proposing several new specialization concepts for existing classes.
First impressions of Diablo IV Lord of Hatred and the Paladin class
This preview of Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred focuses on the return of the Paladin class and the expansion's narrative progression. The author found the gameplay smoother and more engaging than the base Diablo IV, with improved itemization and new systems like the horadric cube and warplans. While the Paladin class is a strong addition, the article suggests the game still needs to forge a more distinct identity within the ARPG genre.
Spiritborn Could Be Diablo IV’s Most Fascinating Class Addition Yet
Blizzard Entertainment is introducing the Spiritborn class in the upcoming Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion. This new class draws power from the lore of Nahantu and offers a unique playstyle centered around four animal spirits: Jaguar, Eagle, Gorilla, and Centipede, allowing for deep customization and hybrid builds.
LOTRO Legendarium: One change I’d make for each of LOTRO’s classes
This article discusses potential changes and improvements for each of the 12 classes in The Lord of the Rings Online. The author suggests specific enhancements for classes like Beorning, Brawler, and Warden, focusing on aspects such as visual variety, new specializations, and combat mechanics to enhance gameplay and class fantasy.
Pantheon takes a deep-dive into how combat updates will affect the Warrior specifically
Visionary Realms has released a dev blog detailing how upcoming combat updates will specifically affect the Warrior class in Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. The changes aim to provide Warriors with a more complete kit from level 1 to 50, featuring more impactful skills, a robust toolkit, and masteries that emphasize either defense or offense. This analysis is the first in a series that will cover other classes like the Dire Lord and Paladin.
Diablo 4's upcoming Warlock class looks like a god mode hack designed to be an "edgelord" that would "win in a bar fight"
The upcoming Warlock class for Diablo 4 is described as an "edgelord" character designed to be overpowered, potentially making the game easier. This contrasts with the expectation of a more straightforward Paladin class.
Diablo 4’s New Warlock Class Lets You Turn the Power of Hell Back on Itself | Hands-On Preview - IGN
The upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4 will introduce the Warlock class, a new character that utilizes demonic powers against their own kind. Players can expect diverse builds for the Warlock, ranging from aggressive melee combatants to summoner archetypes, offering significant build diversity. The expansion also features a new region, Skovos, an overhauled endgame experience, and improvements to skill trees and loot.
