How to switch weapons in Diablo 4, explained

It's not as complicated as previous games.

Image via Blizzard Entertainment

There is a plethora of new mechanics available in Diablo 4. From the devs changing how itemization works to the game being a fully open world, Diablo veterans will have completely new experiences to discover in the fourth installment of the ARPG series. But one underrated change the devs made in Diablo 4 is how switching weapons works.

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In the past, players had to manually switch their weapons based on whatever skill they wanted to use. For example, if players were using a Rogue character and wanted to swap between a melee weapon and a ranged weapon, they would have to assign a hotkey to switch back and forth.

In Diablo 4, that system has become a thing of the past, and players can now switch weapons much easier now.

Diablo 4 weapon switch: Is there a weapon swap hotkey?

Switching your weapon in Diablo 4 is semi-automatic, meaning you still technically need to press a button. But that’s it.

Diablo 4 makes it so all you need to do to switch a weapon is use a specific skill that calls for a different weapon. So, the switch lies in what button you need to press. Using the previous example, Rogue players can have a melee skill and a ranged skill equipped at the same time.

So, you could try the following options to switch your weapon:

  1. If players want to bring out their melee weapon, they must press a melee-based skill.
  2. Then, if players want to swap back to their ranged weapon, they can press whatever ranged skill they have equipped, and the game will automatically switch to the other weapon.

Depending on what class players are using in Diablo 4, they can have up to four different weapons equipped at any given time. Each class is different in what weapons can be slotted where, but as long as you have a skill dedicated to a weapon, your character will bring it out when you want to use that specific skill. I know it can take a little while to get used to this new mechanic, but it does get easier.

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It can be a little confusing since there is no dedicated keybind to switch your weapons in Diablo 4. But with enough practice, players should master the skill-swapping system.

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Hayley Andrews
Hayley Andrews is a staff writer for Dot Esports with a dual degree in business and human resource management. After discovering her passion for creative writing and gaming, she now writes about MOBAs, MMOs, and cozy games.
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Joey Carr
Joey Carr is a full-time writer for multiple esports and gaming websites. He has 6+ years of experience covering esports and traditional sporting events, including DreamHack Atlanta, Call of Duty Championships 2017, and Super Bowl 53.