You can play Diablo IV’s new Paladin right now — here’s how and why it matters

Why this matters right now

Blizzard dropped a practical kicker at The Game Awards: Diablo IV’s second expansion, Lord of Hatred, arrives April 28, 2026 – but if you pre-purchase today you don’t wait for the expansion to play the new Paladin class. This caught my attention because it turns a future expansion into an immediate, playable testbed for players and theorycrafters – and it’s the clearest, most aggressive pre-order incentive I’ve seen in a while for a live-service ARPG.

• Immediate payoff: Pre-purchase unlocks the Paladin, plus an extra stash tab, two character slots, and bonus WoW housing items.
• Expansion scope: Lord of Hatred also promises a second unnamed class, a Horadric Cube-style system return, reworked skill trees, and an endgame overhaul.
• What to watch: Early access is great for testing builds – but Blizzard has warned of major skill-tree changes coming with the expansion, so expect balance churn.

Quick practical steps: how to play the Paladin right now

If you want the Paladin immediately, the path is simple: pre-purchase Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred on your platform (Battle.net/Steam, Xbox, PlayStation). After purchase, launch Diablo IV and the Paladin should appear on the class selection screen. If it doesn’t: sign out/in, restart the client, and confirm the purchase in your store history. In rare cases entitlement propagation can take a few minutes to an hour — not a dramatic delay, but something to know.

What the Paladin actually plays like

Blizzard frames the Paladin as a classic “sword-and-board” melee archetype with auras, consecrations, and holy bursts — think Diablo II Paladin meets Diablo III Crusader. Expect shields, heavy armor, aura radius mechanics, and a mix of defense and party utility. That means the class is immediately valuable in groups and appealing to solo players who prefer survivability over glass-cannon DPS.

Starter builds you can test today

• Blessed Bulwark (tank/support): Shield-based, defensive aura focus. Prioritize block chance, life, and aura radius. Great for Nightmare Dungeons and groups.
• Judicator (melee DPS): Burst cleave and crit-focused. Weapon damage, attack speed, and leech are priorities.
• Aura Support/Healer: Maximize party buffs and aura efficiency; trade personal DPS for utility.

Why pre-order access is useful — and why you should be cautious

Immediate Paladin access is a real boon for content creators, theorycrafters, and stat-hungry players who want to build meta lists before the full expansion. You can lock in playtime, refine routes through Nightmare Dungeons, and identify which legendary affixes feel strong. But be skeptical: Blizzard said skill trees and endgame are getting major reworks with Lord of Hatred. That means some early builds you like today could be weaker or radically different at full release.

There’s also the marketing angle: offering a class early is a clear pre-order hook. It’s fair game, but worth weighing if you’d rather wait for reviews and patch notes before spending money. And cross-platform entitlement hiccups still happen — so don’t assume the unlock is instantaneous on every storefront.

What else to expect from Lord of Hatred

Aside from the Paladin and a second unnamed class, Blizzard is promising the Horadric Cube’s return (that system could upend crafting/cube meta), expanded skill trees, and an endgame revamp. That’s ambitious — Horadric-like systems historically shift itemization and craft strategies, and a full endgame overhaul suggests some existing vertical progression loops will change. If you play the Paladin now, keep spare gear and crafting mats: you may want to pivot quickly on release.

TL;DR — Should you pre-order to play the Paladin now?

If you’re excited to theorycraft, create content, or just enjoy trying brand-new classes immediately, pre-ordering is a solid, low-friction choice — you get instant access plus stash and slot bonuses. If you’re waiting for stable balance and don’t want your early builds nerfed or reshaped, consider waiting until the expansion’s April 28, 2026 launch and the accompanying patch notes. Either way: this move makes Lord of Hatred more than a future purchase — it’s a live test window for the Diablo community, and Blizzard is banking on that urgency.