Diablo Immortal Warlock Class Hands-On Preview

To cap off a year that saw the Warlock class finally make its way to the Diablo franchise, Diablo Immortal is introducing the Warlock to its specific brand of mobile ARPG gameplay. Following in the footsteps of Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 4 before it, Diablo Immortal players will soon get to bend the minions of Hell to their will when the Warlock joins the game on June 17. As the 10th class on Diablo Immortal’s roster, the Warlock is an appropriate pick for the franchise’s 30th anniversary, and completes what has been a stellar year for the series as a whole.

In anticipation of the Warlock’s Diablo Immortal debut, GameRant was invited to go hands-on with the class to see how it compares to the other Diablo Warlock incarnations. During this preview, I got to experience not just the Warlock, but other Diablo Immortal 5.0 content as well, including a new Warlock-themed quest, new Helliquary Bosses, and Diablo Immortal‘s take on the iconic location of Lut Gholein. From my time with the class, I can already tell that Diablo Immortal nailed its version of the Warlock, creating a class that feels familiar to fans who’ve played it in other Diablo games while carving an identity that has a unique place in the franchise.

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Diablo Immortal’s Warlock Layers Its Skills to Fine-Tune Build Difficulty

Jumping into Diablo Immortal‘s Warlock, I was initially curious to see how it would differentiate itself from the other versions of the Warlock across Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 4. I have to say, I’m very pleased with how Diablo Immortal adapts some of the skills I’ve come to love from other iterations of the Warlock while still making it feel wholly unique. My favorite Warlock build in Diablo 4 is the Lunatic Warlock, so I was glad to see that Lunatic Rush is one of the Warlock’s Primary Attacks in Immortal.

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The Warlock class plays as a hybrid ranged-summoner in Diablo Immortal, and has a variety of skills that support this playstyle. Diablo fans will likely recognize some returning Warlock skills like Tyrant’s Grasp and Lunatic Rush, as well as some iconic symbols of the class’s design, such as the use of chains to bind demons and Hellfire as an arcane magic. However, the class goes above and beyond what we’ve already seen from Diablo Warlocks, and part of this distinction comes from the ability to shift their playstyle on the fly.

Demonic Portal Opens the Door for Game-Changing Summons

Summoning demons is a core feature of the Warlock’s identity in the Diablo series, and Immortal has an incredibly unique take on this system. The Demonic Portal skill is the primary way Warlocks will bring demons from the pits of Hell onto the battlefield, and players can customize which demons they want to summon at any given time. When clicking Demonic Portal, I was prompted to click one of three other main buttons to choose which demon I wanted to summon. Which demon gets assigned to which button can be changed in the Skills menu, and there are five different options for players to choose from.

Once these demons have been summoned to the field, they are more than just summons. Players are able to interact with them in a variety of ways to receive buffs or deal additional damage. For example, I liked using the Lash of Pain skill, which buffs any ally demon it hits by whipping it into a frenzy and boosting its damage and attack speed by 25% for 4 seconds, at the cost of reducing its health by 5%. This risk-reward type of gameplay is a common theme of the Warlock’s skills, with skills like Spiteful Sacrifice and Siphon Life putting the Warlock and their demons at risk for a substantial buff.

Soul Gorger is the Best Fiend of Diablo Immortal’s Warlock

Like the Warlock’s unique demon-binding mechanics that other versions of the Diablo class boast, Diablo Immortal‘s Warlock puts a heavy emphasis on the Soul Gorger demon. Playing through the Warlock’s origin quest was a great way to understand the relationship between the Warlock and this demon, but seeing Soul Gorger put into action is another thing entirely. While Soul Gorger can be commanded to attack enemies via a skill like Warp Strike, the most interesting thing about this demon is its Devour mechanic.

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Soul Gorger can gain a variety of different enhancements by devouring the demons summoned by the Warlock. While it can only have two Devour effects active at a time, these buffs can often be a difference-maker in the heat of battle. For example, I enjoyed summoning the Rasplet Hulk from my Demonic Portal skill, and then having Soul Gorger Devour it to gain forearm blades that deal increased damage and inflict Bleed on enemies.

Diablo Immortal Offers a Variety of Warlock Builds Beyond Summons

Even if a Summoner Warlock isn’t your thing, Diablo Immortal offers plenty of other build options that emphasize other aspects of the Warlock’s kit. The class has a surprising amount of mobility for being more range-oriented, with skills like Brimstone Gateway and Burning Ascent offering some of the best traversal options I’ve experienced in Diablo Immortal. Hellfire skills are also a huge part of the Warlock’s skillset, with skills like Hellfire Bolt and Infernal Eruption offering great AoE options, especially with Hellfire Bolt’s Ultimate, Rain of Chaos.

Diablo Immortal Adds an Expanded Version of Diablo 2’s Lut Gholein

The Warlock class isn’t the only new content that I got to experience during this Diablo Immortal preview. Along with the new class comes the return of Lut Gholein, the iconic desert city that is home to Diablo 2 Act 2. This version of Lut Gholein is much more expansive than its Diablo 2 version, with new areas like the Common Ward and an overhaul Port that will feel fresh yet familiar to Diablo 2 fans.

I wasn’t expecting to face so many enemies in Lut Gholein itself, given that it acted as a safe zone in Diablo 2. However, Andariel has seized control of the city since players last saw it in Diablo 2, and is threatening to bring Lut Gholein to ruin. The new Bloodied Jewel quest for Diablo Immortal 5.0 will take players through Lut Gholein and pit them against Andariel’s demonic forces.

Players Can Face Three New Helliquary Bosses in Diablo Immortal’s 5.0 Update

I also got to test out how the Warlock faired against the three new Helliquary bosses coming with Diablo Immortal‘s 5.0 update. By far my favorite, and the most challenging, was Shackled Maw, Primordial Soulgorger, which was essentially a souped-up version of the Soul Gorger that the Warlock has bound to themselves. This massive monstrosity has a disgusting mouth on its stomach and can be a headache to fight. Other new Helliquary bosses include Yradus, the False Seer and Gulakht, Night Clan Trickster.

In general, I came away from this preview feeling like Diablo Immortal‘s Warlock can stand toe to toe with the other versions of the class throughout the Diablo franchise. There is a ton of depth within the Warlock’s skills that I can imagine players will be able to find a wide variety of synergies within. If you’re a fan of Diablo 2: Resurrected or Diablo 4‘s Warlock, it’s definitely worth checking out Diablo Immortal‘s take on the class when the 5.0 update launches on June 17.