Blizzard has revealed the first new class coming to Diablo 5, introducing the heavily armoured Plague Knight alongside confirmation that two familiar classes will return when the next entry in the action RPG series launches.
Blizzard shared the details during the Diablo 5 – Forging the Next Era panel at BlizzCon 2026 in Anaheim, where the development team offered an early look at its plans for the upcoming game. Diablo 5 is currently scheduled to launch in spring 2029, leaving Blizzard plenty of time to reveal more about its classes and gameplay systems.
The Plague Knight is being positioned as a completely new addition to the Diablo series, with a playstyle built around disease, battlefield control and using the effects of illness to increase the character’s power.
Plague Knight brings disease to the battlefield
Joe Shely, game director of Diablo 5, described the Plague Knight as the first new class to be introduced in the game. Its design appears to combine heavy armour with abilities centred on spreading disease, giving it a distinct identity compared with more traditional melee-focused characters.
“The Plague Knight is the first new class that will be joining Diablo 5,” said Shely. “This is a heavily armoured class; it’s a walking death.”
The description suggests that the Plague Knight will be capable of moving directly into the middle of combat while spreading harmful effects across groups of enemies. Rather than simply dealing damage through conventional attacks, the class appears to use disease as a resource that can be turned to its advantage.
“You’re going to be roaming the battlefield, spreading disease and consuming it for power,” Shely added.
That mechanic could give the Plague Knight a playstyle focused on managing enemies and conditions across the battlefield. Blizzard has not yet explained the class’s full ability set. Still, the early description suggests players can infect enemies and then use those effects to strengthen their own character.
Demon Hunter and Monk confirmed to return
Alongside the new Plague Knight, Blizzard confirmed that the Demon Hunter and Monk will return in Diablo 5. Both classes have appeared in earlier games in the series and bring established combat styles that should be familiar to long-time players.
The Demon Hunter first appeared as a playable class in Diablo 3, combining ranged attacks, traps and agile movement. The Monk, meanwhile, is a fast-moving martial artist that has also featured prominently in the series, focusing on close-range combat and powerful spiritual abilities.
Their return gives Diablo 5 a mixture of new and familiar class options. Blizzard has not yet provided a full breakdown of how either returning class will be changed for the new game, so it remains unclear how closely their Diablo 5 versions will follow their previous incarnations.
Shely also indicated that the three announced classes represent only part of Blizzard’s plans. According to the game director, Diablo 5 will launch with a larger overall class selection than previous games in the series.
“Diablo 5 is going to launch with more classes than ever before, and I don’t just mean more classes than another Diablo game at ship. I mean more classes total.”
That statement suggests Blizzard intends to make the number of launch classes one of Diablo 5’s major features. With the game still several years from release, additional classes could be revealed as development progresses.
Blizzard promises accessible classes with deep builds
Although Blizzard is introducing new class concepts, the development team says it wants Diablo 5’s characters to remain accessible while offering enough depth for players who want to spend more time refining their builds.
Shely explained that the classes are being designed so players can quickly understand the basics and have fun, while still providing significant opportunities for experimentation and mastery.
“They’re approachable. You can jump in and immediately have an exciting time playing them. But there’s also deep ARPG mastery there, and a multitude of builds to explore.”
That approach matters for a long-running action RPG like Diablo, where character builds and repeated playthroughs are a major part of the experience. Players can expect Blizzard to provide straightforward ways to understand each class while leaving room for more complex combinations of skills and abilities.
For now, the Plague Knight is the biggest new reveal, while the return of the Demon Hunter and Monk establishes some of the foundations for Diablo 5’s launch roster. Blizzard is expected to share more information about the classes, abilities, and broader game systems during the lengthy development period leading up to the planned spring 2029 release.
With more classes promised at launch than in previous Diablo games, further reveals could significantly expand the range of playstyles available when Diablo 5 eventually arrives.
