Season 11 of Diablo 4 is going to launch on December 11, right after The Game Awards, and players are wondering why this weird schedule. On top of that, Blizzard has repeatedly told players to “make sure to watch the Game Awards,” and that should basically guarantee something will be announced.
The big question is, what exactly?
Why Everyone is Talking About the Paladin
The biggest rumor going around right now is the Paladin class that could be “shadow dropped” during the Game Awards, right before Season 11 launches. The hints are hard to ignore:
- Season 11 is called “Divine Intervention“, and that screams Holy/Zakarum vibes. Although some players argue that it refers more to Angels in general or the church, rather than any Paladin class.
- Datamining clues: “Xpaladin” strings were found in older Patch 2.5 builds, plus recent cosmetic that did not match any current class.
- CN Official Teaser: An “Ultimate Surprise: Brand new content” is promised on December 12th for premium bundle buyers for the Chinese release of the game, so this could possibly be an expansion pre-order bonus.
Some players are also connecting the dots to Blizzard’s past habits too. In WoW, pre-order bonuses sometimes included early access to new classes, weeks or months before the main expansion release. So it would not be totally out of the question for the Paladin to be part of a premium bundle.
What makes this last supposition the most logical one is also the fact that Blizzard has never released a class for “free.” Previous classes were always part of a paid DLC or the next expansion, so Paladin being dropped as part of a DLC or some sort of pre-order bonus, is the most plausible thing.
Not Everyone Is Convinced
Not everyone is buying it. Some think the announcement could be a ton of different things, such as:
- A low-effort collaboration full of microtransactions, similar to the Berserk one that would release with the start of Season 11.
- A teaser for the next expansion, but with no early access to the Paladin.
- Just a skill tree rework teaser, since some doubt Blizzard will release a new class on the old system.
- Or, as mentioned before, the Paladin for Season 11 but only as paid DLC, not free content.
Basically, the hype is there, but trust is not really. Many players are mentioning the fact that Blizzard has been hyping up content for Diablo 4 since years, with no real results in the end, so they remain skeptical.
However, many remain hopeful. Blizzard’s repeated nods to The Game Awards have everyone on edge. Will we see the Paladin shadow drop? A tease for the next expansion? Or just another small announcement to keep the hype alive?
Whatever happens, Season 11 Divine Intervention is almost here, and Diablo 4 players will be watching every second of The Game Awards this week, ready for the reveal!
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