Diablo 5 Classes Revealed: Monk, Demon Hunter, and a Plague Knight

Ready to return to Sanctuary? Blizzard just dropped some major Diablo 5 details at BlizzCon 2026, and if you're a Diablo 3 fan, you're going to like what you hear.

The game isn't launching until Spring 2029, but Blizzard has already revealed three of Diablo 5's playable classes. Two are straight-up throwbacks to Diablo 3: the Monk and the Demon Hunter. The third is something entirely new — the Plague Knight. Described as "walking death," this class spreads disease and pestilence wherever it goes, then consumes that decay to grow stronger. If that sounds a bit like Death Knights from Blizzard's other fantasy franchise, you're not wrong.

But the class reveal is only part of the story. During a panel and a follow-up developer blog post after the cinematic reveal, Blizzard painted a picture of a very different Sanctuary. Diablo himself now rules the world, and it's been destroyed. Instead of hopping between towns like you're used to, you'll build a wandering caravan of survivors. Those survivors aren't just set dressing, either — they'll serve as vendors and companions. Two examples Blizzard gave are a former Sister of the Sightless Eye and a lost treasure goblin searching for meaning "in a world where greed has lost its meaning." That's a surprisingly poignant hook for a game about the Lord of Terror.

Speaking of the world itself, Diablo 5 is going procedural. Terrain, monsters, and points of interest will shift and change in the wake of Diablo's influence. So don't expect to memorize a static map — Sanctuary is going to keep you on your toes.

Now, how will it actually play? Early looks at the inventory screen and items are extremely reminiscent of Diablo 2, which should make longtime fans very happy. Blizzard says its goal is for items to be "readable, memorable, and worth chasing across hundreds of hours." That means item size will matter in your inventory, just like in Diablo 2. Item sets are returning, and so are Diablo 2-style runes and runewords. If you've been missing that classic loot feel, this is a strong signal.

And don't worry if you're still invested in Diablo 4 — Blizzard hasn't forgotten you. A new class, the Amazon, is coming as a standalone DLC pack in the first half of next year, and seasonal content will keep rolling. Diablo 4 Season 15, Hell's Legacy, goes live on September 15 and brings back Deckard Cain. The iconic Horadrim will send players after remnants of the Prime Evils, including Diablo himself.

So, two familiar classes, one creepy new one, a caravan instead of a town, and loot that feels like Diablo 2 again. What do you think of the Plague Knight? Will you be rolling one when Diablo 5 finally arrives?