What the studio has confirmed
- There is a wide range of combat classes across melee, magic, and ranged.
- Classes can be changed at any time.
- Classes can inherit passive and active skills from other learned classes.
- Classes are learned through play, including from survivors you rescue.
- Weapon and armour progression also feed class unlocks.
That is the official frame. It does not include a final roster, exact unlock conditions, or launch-day balance. Any page that prints a “complete” class list with exact stats is guessing.
The classes we can actually name
| Class | Status | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Wanderer | Preview build | Starting class demonstrated in the September 2026 preview. Mobility, recovery, exploration utility, Focus Strike. |
| Knight | Confirmed | Heavily armoured shield defender with its own official class trailer. Block and counter tools. |
| Mage | Reported | Listed in demo coverage as part of the demo roster. No official class page or trailer. |
| Warlock | Reported | Press coverage describes an offensive spellcaster. No official detail. |
| More | Unknown | The studio says the roster is wide and more classes are learned through play. |
How class switching works
In the preview build, the class menu has a learn/activate flow and a change-class control. The Mind’s Journal introduces the system in the demo. Activating a class sets your active skill tree; it does not erase your weapon mastery, armour mastery, or character level. That is why experimenting is cheap in time but not in points: you keep the gear knowledge, but a new class starts its own tree progression.
Skill inheritance in the preview build
Inheritance lets you equip a limited number of skills learned in one class while another class remains active. The source skill must first be available and active in its own class; a locked node is not eligible. Character-level milestones open separate slots for inherited passive and active skills.
| Character level | Slot unlocked |
|---|---|
| 20 | Passive slot 1 |
| 30 | Active slot 1 |
| 40 | Passive slot 2 |
| 50 | Active slot 2 |
The key limitation: inheritance does not merge two full class trees. You are adding one selected tool to the active class. A class that has not been unlocked or developed cannot donate a shortcut.
A sane way to plan a build
- Choose the weapon first You will spend the most time looking at its combo and mastery screen. If the weapon feels wrong, the class will not save it.
- Choose the class that solves the weapon’s weakness A slow weapon wants mobility or defence. A fast weapon wants a burst window or a recovery tool. Do not double down on the weapon’s strength.
- Choose the armour weight last Armour is a movement and defence trade. Pick the weight that keeps you in the range where your weapon works.
- Bank one inheritance target Decide which one skill from another class would fix your worst matchup, and develop that class only as far as the skill requires.
Questions from this guide
Can you change class in Emberville?
Yes. The official feature list says classes can be changed at any time, and the preview build’s class menu includes a change-class control. You keep your character level, gear, and mastery progress.
How do you unlock new classes?
Cygnus Cross says classes are learned through play, including from survivors you rescue, and that weapon and armour progression feeds unlocks. The exact unlock conditions for each class are not fully published.
What is skill inheritance?
It lets a developed class donate a chosen active or passive skill to the class you are currently playing. In the September 2026 preview build, inheritance slots opened at character levels 20, 30, 40, and 50.
Is there a full class list?
No. The Wanderer is the demonstrated starter, the Knight has an official trailer, and Mage and Warlock are reported. The wider roster is unrevealed.