A new piece of concept art is making the rounds in the Diablo 4 community, adding fuel to a lot of speculation about the game’s next class.
Well-known dataminer inudax shared what appears to be leaked concept art showing two contrasting figures: a light-themed Paladin and a second, much darker character. The image surfaced on Reddit a few hours ago and quickly caught attention, especially because Blizzard has already confirmed that two new classes are planned for Diablo 4’s next expansion: Lord of Hatred.
Warlock, Blood Knight, or Something New?
Based on the visuals alone, most players believe the class leans heavily toward a Warlock-style archetype. Blood magic, shadowy effects, and a massive spectral hand formed from red energy all point in that direction. There are also a few similarities to the Blood Knight from Diablo Immortal, especially in the color palette and the mix of melee presence with spellcasting visuals.
At the same time, there are clear differences. The character in the artwork appears more caster-focused, wielding a large curved sword that could be a channeling focus rather than a traditional weapon. So, it seems only natural that some players suggest this could be a completely new class built as a dark mirror to the Paladin, not divine, but corrupted or occult in nature.
Anything related to the occult would make sense, at this point, due to the Skovos Isles being the next destination in the upcoming expansion, Lord of Hatred.
Names being thrown around range from Warlock and Diabolist to Blood Mage, Cultist, or something entirely new.
Take It With a Grain of Salt
It is important to stress that nothing currently confirms this artwork as official or final. Blizzard has not commented on the leak, and concept art often changes significantly before anything reaches the game. Nevertheless, the direction matches what many players expected: a heavy contrast to the Paladin’s light, leaning into blood, demons, or forbidden magic.
If nothing else, the leak reinforces the idea that Diablo 4‘s next class lineup is continuing the theme of opposites, light versus dark, faith versus corruption.
Regardless of whether this turns out to be real or not, it has definitely reignited excitement and speculation, especially with February announcements and the Lord of Hatred expansion on the horizon.
For now, we are all eagerly waiting for what Blizzard chooses to show next.
Keep an eye on our Diablo 4 news hub for further updates on Season 12 and Lord of Hatred.
