Diablo 4 Beta: How to swap weapons

One of the newer features of Diablo 4 is that it has swappable weapons for Barbarians. Depending on how you play, swapping weapons could alter your gameplay significantly. Having weapons you can switch on the go may make combat more fluid. However, Diablo 4 has an intriguing way to do this. It took me some time to figure it out. Since the game does tell you, here’s a guide on how to swap weapons in Diablo 4. 

Note: If you want some of the most powerful Barbarian armor in the game, then check out how to get Gohr’s Devastating Grips in Diablo 4.

How to swap weapons in Diablo 4

The more you play, the more you level up your character. This results in you earning experience points, which can be spent on a skill tree. These skills are the main way to change your weapons. To use your other weapon, you need to activate the skill tied to it.

Each weapon you pick up will show you what type it is. For example, I played as the Barbarian. His main weapons are classified as Blunt Weapon for the left hand, and Slasher Weapon for the right. So, I would need to find weapons that belong in the appropriate section.

Each class has different weapon types, but only the Barbarian can swap weapons since they can equip up to four weapons. Since I play a Necromancer, I have the option to equip two weapons or a weapon and a shield, but I can’t swap weapons since I have nothing to swap to.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

How to equip skills to a key bind

To get skills to use other weapons, head to the Skills Tree menu by pressing the ‘A key’ or appropriate controller button. There, you can unlock skills with a skill point once you’ve leveled enough to earn one.

Equipping the skill is done in another menu. Tap the ‘S key’ to bring up the skills you’ve bought. From there, drag the skill to a key bind or mouse button. Additionally, there’s more than one skill per weapon type. Adding key binds that can be switched on a whim could help you create any build you see fit.

For example, my dad plays a Barbarian and he uses a two-handed Bludgeoning weapon as his main weapon for attacking, but he swaps to his two Slashing weapons when he uses Whirlwind because they deal more damage, have a higher crit rate, and bleed enemies better in Whirlwind. This is how you can effectively swap weapons in Diablo 4. Experiment for yourself to find the best ways and times to swap weapons.

At the start, this new way of switching weapons may be confusing, and a step up from Diablo 3 where you would simply drag the weapon into the right slot. But this seems to be a much more engaging way to play. Knowing how to swap weapons early on may make the combat of Diablo 4 a little easier, especially if you’re playing it on a harder difficulty.