With the release of Ember, a Sorcerer, who does not have pet abilities even temporary ones it's probably safe to assume next year's Warden and Necromancer companions won't have pets either so no bear, blastbones, mage or spirit in their arsenal. That's fine by me, it does seem a little nonsensical to have even more roaming bodies conjured by the dress-up pet creating additional clutter on the screen. I do like the fact that this year's companions give a little oomph towards specific stats like Ember having base critical strike or Isobel with added cooldown reduction. What I like to talk about is making the next year's companions, Warden and Necromancer, draw more use to some lesser used stats such as Augmented and Prolific.

The Warden companion I'm expecting it to have abilities: Dive, Scorch, Swarm, Fungal Growth, Living Vines, Nature's Grasp, Frost Cloak, Impaling Shards, and Arctic Wind. As for an Ultimate I would like to see them get Werewolf for 30 seconds with racial passives that boosts 3% increased duration on Buffs and Debuffs and 3% critical strike chance. Many of the Warden's arsenal is duration based so making their racial passive that also grants increased duration would be best suited. Werewolf Ultimate adds to that allure, unlike players they can't extend by feeding, getting hit, or with more werewolves in the party encourages you to stack Augmented for longer duration with maximum stats it would bring the total duration from 30 seconds to 40 seconds. Another incentive is to allow them in Werewolf to count as another for player's Call of the Pack passive.

The Necromancer companion I'm expecting it to have abilities: Hungry Scythe, Bone Armor, Bone Totem, Flame Skull, Boneyard, Shocking Siphon, Resistant Flesh, Enduring Undeath, and Braided Tether. As for their Ultimate they get Vampire Blood Scion for 20 seconds with racial passives that boosts 20% increased ultimate generation and 3% increased healing done. This companion like Isobel is heal heavy, but less group more selfish kind of healing; Vampire ultimate adds to that personality they are in it for themselves. RP wise I feel this would draw more Vampire focused players to want to have a fellow blood drinker by their side even if it adds nothing to them unlike the Werewolf providing a plus one to Call of the Pack. For the rest of us it lets them shift from a healing focused companion to an outright damage and tanky machine every time their ultimate comes up.

Neither of their abilities or ultimate is a criminal act, obviously, but I'm sure I have to point that out for those who think they're going to get criminalized for something their companion does.