Diablo 4 has pets now, and Spiritborn class gameplay will be shown off for the first time next month

The Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred opening cinematic shown off during the Xbox Showcase was undoubtedly one of the show’s highlights. Considering there’ll be no BlizzCon this year, it made sense that Blizzard’s content was used to bolster Microsoft’s slate.

Regardless of all the business calculations, the reveal also came with a truly unexpected surprises: pets. That’s right, the feature players have long asked for officially arrived in the June 9 patch, in part to convince you to fork out for the expensive versions of Vessel of Hatred.

Pets work quite like what you’d expect in Diablo 4. They help with material collection and item pick up. If you log in, you’ll be greeted with a new quest that, upon completion, unlocks your first one.

Vessel of Hatred’s pre-orders went live after the show, and several of the available editions include instant unlocks of different variations of pets. The expansion’s starting price is $40, but goes up to $60 for the deluxe edition, and $90 for the ultimate edition.

As for the new content, the big news is, of course, the reveal of the Spiritborn, the new class coming to Diablo 4 with the expansion. We didn’t get a look at it during the showcase, but the first gameplay of the Spiritborn will be revealed on July 18.

The Spiritborn is a class that’s entirely new to Diablo. From Blizzard’s description, it appears to wield mystical spirit magic born in the jungles of Nahantu – the new zone coming with Vessel of Hatred. The expansion will also add new skills to existing classes, and revamp some (unnamed) existing systems when it arrives October 8.

The other major addition is the ability to hire companions, called Mercenaries. We still don’t know much about them, but it’s looking like the system is going to function like it did in Diablo 3. They each wield different equipment to complement your class, and come with unique abilities. They also level up and grow in power alongside you.

So far, it looks very exciting, and July isn’t that far off. We’ll have to wait all the way until October to play it, though.