Diablo Immortal reveals 'Druid' - "Diverse transformations... will introduce new strategic combat"

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On July 3rd, the third new class to be introduced after the launch of Diablo Immortal, the Druid, will be unveiled.

The Druid appearing in Diablo Immortal are reclusive guardians of nature's balance, originating from forgotten wild regions deep within. They can transform into various beasts such as wolves and bears, engaging in diverse strategic combat.

Amid growing expectations for the druid, this newspaper had the opportunity to meet with Senior Narrative Designer Ryan Quinn and Senior Game Designer Nan Jiang, where we learned more detailed information about the druid.

The 9th job in Diablo Immortal, 'Druid'

According to Ryan Quinn, Lead Narrative Designer, and Nan Zhang, Senior Game Designer, the Druid appearing in this 'Diablo Immortal' is much more primitive and focuses on speed in combat because they are further removed from civilization compared to Druids found in other regions of the Sanctuary. These Druids are the fastest, most agile, nimble, and flexible among the Druids introduced across various Diablo games.

One of the most significant features of the Druid class this time is that they can transform into a beast form at any time by utilizing this 'Primal Power,' and they can continuously summon land magic as their power gradually consumes the Primal Power. 'Primal Power' refers to a new resource system that is generated over time and charges faster the more various skills are used.

The key point is that the druid can summon wolves, gray bears, and oak sages, and can transform into a bear, a flock of ravens, or a stag that rams through the battlefield. Among these, the werewolf is speed-oriented, while the bear form is strength-oriented.

In terms of attack techniques, the werewolf lunges slightly forward, dealing damage to enemies in its path with claw attacks (Claw Attack) as its main weapon. The bear person utilizes the mangle (Mangle) technique to grab two enemies in front, collide them with each other, causing area-of-effect damage and stunning effects.

Human magic skills summon a sustained flame whirlwind to a designated location for 4 seconds, attracting nearby enemies and dealing burn damage in the ■ Fire Whirlwind (화염 회오리바람). A thorny pillar rises from the location of the enemy, causing area-of-effect damage and knockback effects, piercing through enemies as it tears them apart in the ■ Surging Stone (쇄도하는 암석) technique. There is also ■ Transformation into the Wind of Nature (자연의 바람으로의 변신).

As a result, users who choose Twerid will have their play style centered around crossing over the skills used in human and beast forms, aiming to maintain the power of the primitive for as long as possible. This diversity is expected to enable dynamic gameplay in both solo play and group combat.

Lionel Quin (above) and Nan Jian (below) full Q&A session

Q: UD News: The Druid is a popular class that has appeared in both Diablo II and Diablo IV. If there are distinctive features that set it apart from the Druid introduced in other titles, could you introduce those? Please explain in terms of concept, appearance, and gameplay aspects.

Ryan: First of all, we are fans of the Druid in 'Diablo 2' and '4', and having grown up playing these characters, we have strived to represent various aspects of each Druid as accurately as possible. You can feel this effort in the silhouette, equipment, bear form, and wolf form.

The biggest difference between the druids in the original series and those in "2" or "4" is that the druids from "2" or "4" come from Scosglen, while the druids in "Immortal" come from the Shabval Desert. As a result, their attitudes, equipment, and costumes are more primitive and imbued with a more animalistic sensibility. Additionally, because they have lived apart from human society, they exhibit a lack of social graces, which can be seen in their dialogue and voice acting.

Nan JIan: The gameplay differences will also be significant. For example, as a druid who lived in Charbal's wilderness, movement and combat have more speed. Since Immortal's battles generally proceed quickly, this aspect was considered, and combat was designed to be faster and more exciting than that of existing druids.

Q: UD News: The druids featured in previous series played a role in cooperating to purify the corruption of the forest. With the release of this new druid, it seems that the related story will be explored more deeply. In Diablo IV at Scosglen, there is a conflict depicted between the druid and the witch. I am curious if Druids are also portrayed in opposition to witches in Diablo Immortal as well.

Ryan: This time it's also a conflict relationship. The druids and the witch have very different views on how their magic affects the forest. The witch sees the druids as intruders invading her land, while the druids think the witch uses magic that harms the forest. Basically, the story will continue with the conflict and interaction between the druids and the witch.

Q: UD News: It seems to have all the features of a druid including elements, summoning, transformation, and nature magic. I want to know if the gameplay involves specializing in one aspect, or if it allows for combining these elements in various ways.

Nan Zian: When first designing the druid, I envisioned a character with powerful abilities, and we pondered together how to incorporate hybrid gameplay into a single class. A key point I emphasized was not to rigidify any build, but rather provide various possibilities so that players could enjoy the game in their preferred way.

Q: UD News: How many species of animals can a druid draw power from? If there are any special parts you paid particular attention to, such as skin effects, to showcase different combat styles in animal forms, please introduce them.

Ryan: Primarily, Druids can summon three types of creatures: a wolf, a gray bear, and an oak sage. They can also transform into a bear, a flock of ravens, or a stag that charges through the battlefield. These forms come with basic abilities, but they can be improved or modified through various items such as legendary items, allowing for diverse gameplay styles.

Nan Zian: The wolf was conceptualized in the form of a loyal companion that follows closely. It's a combat summon that both follows and interacts. The grizzly bear was limited by a time constraint to ensure it can only participate in battles for a short duration due to its immense strength. The oak sage, reminiscent of a summon from "Diablo 2," has been redesigned in all aspects to function as a support character that follows and participates in battles, capable of both melee and ranged attacks.

Q: UD News: Unlike the Druid in Diablo II or Diablo IV, who could only transform during the use of skills, why was the decision made to design special transformations with dedicated skills this time?

Ryan: The reason for the transformation lasting for a certain period is to secure visual diversity. There's also a side to it where various transformation techniques were introduced to show the wild power of the druid. I wanted to express the characteristic of surrendering one's entire body to the earth and nature.

Nan JIan: As a game player, I wanted to approach combat with various battle styles through prolonged transformations. A druid-specific resource called Primal Power was introduced; during normal combat, Primal Power accumulates, and this power can be used to transform or to cast powerful elemental magic.

Through this, you can enjoy combat in a more dynamic and strategic way, I expect that you will play by using small-scale skills for charges or basic combat, and then use primal strength when you reach a peak.

Q: UD News: I see some original techniques that I've never seen before, such as the ability to transform into a deer and charge. When creating original techniques or abilities, what were you thinking about?

Ryan: I spent a lot of time thinking about what form of animal to use to fit with Charvel Desert and Druid. Druid is a fantastical class, and from that perspective, I thought about what kind of animal form would be the most intuitive and came up with several ideas.

For example, there's a large crow skill. At first, I tried to create the skill with just one crow, but it didn't feel lively, so I reinforced it to have multiple crows dive. When I tried it out, I felt satisfied as it seemed to capture the druid's chaos characteristic well.

Q: UD News: If there is any recommended way to play or build a Druid in Diablo Immortal, as suggested by the development team, please introduce it.

Nan JIan: Personally, I think Druids are a very powerful class. Their strength lies in good adaptability and response due to the variety of interactions and skills involved.

For example, the Oak Sage can use the 'Smoldering Seed' skill to plant seeds on enemies and then cause them to explode by using another fire elemental skill. Druids have skills and summons related to fire, such as the Flame Whirlwind, Burning Bear, and Fire Wolf. It is also possible for these seeds to explode even if a teammate uses a fire-related skill instead of the druid. Due to the variety of methods provided, players can try out different combat styles.

Q: UD News: In what aspects does the Druid show strength in various content such as soloing, parties, PvP, etc.?

Nan JIan: I think the Druid is a class that new players who are encountering the 'Diablo' series for the first time can use right away. The intuitive skills that beginners can easily use are powerful enough that they don't need to rely on 'Primal Power' to play like a typical magic user in other games with just 3-4 skills. However, to fully utilize the potential of the Druid in PvP or PvE, it will be necessary to make full use of the Primal Power system.

On the contrary, if you are an existing Diablo series Druid player, I would like to see the potential for interactions between skills tried out. When transforming into another style, in addition to the basic skills, three more skills are given, and for example, when transforming into a Werebear or Werewolf, you get additional basic skills, making a total of 9 skills available, allowing for more flexible and functional gameplay.

The ability to intend certain playstyles is also an advantage. Werewolves can be specialized as assassins, while Werebears can be dedicated to tanking or crowd control. Through transformation abilities, healing and other support capabilities can be granted; since Immortals up until now have had limited support-related skills, it may now be possible to play in support or healing roles within a party.

Q: UD News: What is the meaning of the glowing tattoo that appears on the shoulder area when a druid transforms externally?

Ryan: That's a good question. In the world of 'Immortal,' tattoos are depicted as sacred letters to the druids. To some extent, they represent the duality of humans and animals, and also allow one to see human characteristics even when transforming into another beast-like form.

There are practical aspects to consider as well. I've designed the tattoos in two different forms to make it easier to recognize what form it has transformed into. It also includes distinguishable colors, with the intention of being able to identify it quickly even during fast-paced PvP combat.

Q: UD News: The existing new class in Diablo Immortal were the Bloodletter and Stormbringer. So, the Druid feels more welcome. I'm curious about the reason for bringing back the Druid as a new class, and why they chose to select the Druid as the new class at this point.

Ryan: I wanted to mix the new with what already existed well. While the Blood Knight is dark and gothic, the Frost Knight is fast and not socially devoted, isn't it? The Druid can be said to be in between; having lived in a separate world, they were designed to show a primitive, instinctual demeanor without a sense of belonging to a specific society.

Another important reason was that many of the development team had good memories of the Druid from Diablo 2. Additionally, since this season is set in the Shrouded Plains, which has a narrative background, they thought it was a good time to introduce the Druid.