In Diablo 4, the Barbarian class comes with a total of 4 weapons equipped at a time. Players will use a two-handed bludgeoning weapon, a two-handed slashing weapon, and two one-handed weapons that are dual-wielded.
All four of these weapons can be upgraded and replaced by better ones as you level up to find your perfect build. Through different attacks and abilities, players will notice their character switching between the different weapons, but they may not always be the exact weapon you want. With multiple options, many may want to know how to switch between each of these weapons in combat.
Updated by Chad Thesen on July 2, 2023: Diablo 4 has a lot of levels to climb up before you make it to the Paragon phase of level grinding, and you will need to keep changing loot throughout your journey to have the highest numbers possible for the hardest parts of the game. This guide has been updated to feature embedded links to a guide for leveling up the barbarian, as well as a list of the best weapons you will be able to find for your barbarian during this journey.
How To Switch Weapons
There is no direct way to switch between each weapon at any time that you want. Your weapon selection is assigned to a skill when selecting the skill, meaning the selected weapon will be used when you use its assigned skill in combat. Different skills are associated with the different weapon types in your arsenal. You have two one-handed weapons that count as Dual-Wield, Bludgeoning, and Slashing (depending on your weapon selection), a two-handed weapon that's Slashing, and the other two-handed weapon that is Bludgeoning. Each skill has one of these words under its name, letting you know which weapon can be used when you utilize that particular skill.
While selecting your skills, you're able to decide which weapon will be used with which skill. That weapon is then tied to that skill selection but can be changed at any time when you go back to the Skill Selection Menu. When selecting a skill and reading its description, scroll down to find the Arsenal Selection menu. This will let you decide which weapon to assign.
Which Weapons Should You Select
When regularly selecting your skills, the game will automatically decide which weapon to assign to that skill based on the total DPS for each weapon when using that skill. While this will often select the better option, there are many bonus abilities on higher-rarity weapons that you may deem more important. Any bonuses to the weapon will only be applied when it is equipped, making it difficult for the game to properly decide what's best for your build with legendary gear and higher. Luckily, it is easy to switch your assigned weapons out of combat, allowing you to test out many different options between battles.