How to swap weapons in Diablo 4

Diablo 4 how to swap weapons - a barbarian stands next to a tree
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

If you're wondering how to swap weapons in Diablo 4, you're not alone. It's something that's done automatically, for the most part, though if you're playing a barbarian, you can assign weapons to different skills—something that none of the other classes can do. It's one of the finer points of Diablo 4 Barbarian play, but it's not immediately obvious. Here's what you need to know.

Diablo 4: How to swap weapons 

No single button lets you switch between weapons in Diablo 4, at least, not in the way you have in mind. Most classes automatically switch between weapons depending on the skill you press. A rogue, for example, will whip out their bow when firing a projectile, but for melee attacks, they'll switch to their knives. Barbarians, however, are slightly different.

Barbarians can equip up to four weapons: two dual-wielded weapons, and two one-handed weapons that can comprise either bludgeoning or slicing. Like other classes, these are automatically switched between when using different skills, but unlike the others, some barbarian skills allow you to assign a specific weapon to use. 

(Image credit: Blizzard)

To swap weapons assigned to a skill, open the Skills Menu by pressing S, then hover your mouse over the skill you want to change and press the middle mouse button to cycle through the available weapons for that skill

This isn't just a cosmetic effect either: there is some tactical advantage to playing with the assignment of different weapons. There's even an Aspect—rewarded for completing the Defiled Catacomb dungeon—that provides buffs when you switch between weapon types. 

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Sarah James
Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.