Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred — Complete Expansion Overview
Diablo 4's second expansion, Lord of Hatred, launches on April 28, 2026, and it is going to be a much bigger update than Vessel of Hatred was. Beyond new content, this expansion also drastically changes how the game is played.
Lord of Hatred is the second major expansion for Diablo IV, developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, following Vessel of Hatred. A new campaign against Mephisto, the Skovos region, two additional classes, and a revamped endgame are all part of the package. Whether picking up where you left off or jumping into an all-new adventure, Lord of Hatred also includes the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, so you don't miss a moment of the diabolical Diablo IV saga.
Release Date & Launch Times
The Lord of Hatred expansion launches April 27 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The Season of Reckoning starts 30 minutes after the expansion, at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.
Blizzard is aiming for a staggered global rollout. Players in the Americas region will get to play in the afternoon and evening of the 27th. Players in Europe will have to stay awake to play during the night on the 28th. For players in the Asia-Pacific region, the expansion unlocks in the early morning of April 28.
Platforms: PC through Battle.net and Steam (Steam Deck Verified), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S with full cross-play and cross-progression.
Story — The Lord of Hatred Returns
The campaign picks up after the events of Vessel of Hatred. Mephisto's influence is quietly spreading across Sanctuary, corrupting leaders and affecting events without direct confrontation. As players progress through the storyline in Skovos, they will uncover more of his plans, form alliances, and face growing threats along the way. Unlike Vessel of Hatred, which expanded the world, Lord of Hatred is about control and influence rather than outright invasion.
The story centers on Neyrelle, facing the fallout from the corruption of the Lord of Hatred. The capital Temis becomes a focal hub for this expansion, as demonic legions assault the shores and Mephisto's followers seek to extend their reach across Sanctuary
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Blizzard has teased that players may need to seek out Lilith's "petals" and her lingering essence to stop her father's ascension — meaning Lilith's story is not yet fully concluded despite her defeat in the base game.
New Region — Skovos Isles
Following the events of Vessel of Hatred, players must journey to the Skovos Isles, a fabled Mediterranean-inspired archipelago, to confront the Prime Evil himself.
Skovos is one of the oldest regions in Sanctuary and the birthplace of the first civilization. The area has deep ties to both Lilith and Inarius and now stands under the rule of the Oracle and the Amazon Queen. The zone mixes harsh coastlines, storm forests, and ancient ruins filled with forgotten magic. It feels older than the rest of Sanctuary, like history itself is resurfacing.
New Classes
Paladin
Once outcasts and sinners, the Paladins were reborn through the Wardens of Light — an order devoted to defending Sanctuary, free from corruption and creed. Wield divine justice, restore hope to the innocent, and strike down evil in every corner of the world.
The Paladin is a defensive frontline fighter powered by holy energy. The class blends melee combat, auras, and protective abilities to control fights rather than just burst enemies down. Its signature mechanic is the Arbiter Form — a temporary angelic transformation that makes the Paladin faster, deals damage while moving, and strengthens Disciple skills.
Channel the purest form of Light to ascend into Angelic Form, gaining divine speed and righteous clarity.
The Paladin is playable in the base game Diablo IV immediately for players who pre-purchase Lord of Hatred — you don't need to wait for the April 28 launch date to start playing the class.
Warlock
A brand-new dark caster that utilizes forbidden pacts, curses, and infernal destruction to control the battlefield.
The Warlock was announced as the second new class alongside the Paladin. It is set to arrive with the full expansion on April 28. The Infernal Apostle Warlock Armor Bundle is available as a cosmetic pack from launch day for players who want to customize the class immediately.
New Endgame Systems
War Plans
War Plans let players build a structured path of five endgame activities. Instead of jumping randomly between content, you choose the order and apply modifiers that change how each activity behaves — including enemies, rewards, and mechanics. Modifiers can even carry over from one activity into the next. This is a fundamental shift from Diablo IV's previous approach of disconnected endgame loops.
Echoing Hatred
Echoing Hatred is a rare escalating challenge event triggered by a special drop. Each run features changing enemies, increasing difficulty, and scaling rewards. It is designed as a survival test for long-term builds rather than quick burst farming.
Horadric Cube
The Horadric Cube returns as a gear manipulation system. Players can add affixes, change or remove stats, and transform items into stronger versions. The goal is to give more control over gear progression instead of relying entirely on drops. This is one of the most requested features since the original Diablo IV launch.
Set Bonuses — Charms and Talismans
Set bonuses return, but this time through a combination of Charms and Talismans. Charms are placed into a Talisman, and combining matching ones activates bonuses. This keeps build identity without locking you into specific gear slots.
Major System Overhauls
Lord of Hatred also introduces loot filters, a skill tree overhaul, a level cap increase to Level 70, and fishing as a side activity.
The level cap is increasing to Level 70, alongside new Paragon Board tiers and world difficulty levels running from Torment I through XII.
Additional system-wide improvements include skill tree reworks with new variants for every class — changes designed to refresh how players build characters and interact with endgame systems. These apply to all players, not just expansion owners.
Season of Reckoning
Launching with the Lord of Hatred expansion on April 27, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. PDT, the Season of Reckoning includes Season Rank, Season Blessings, and the return of the Tower and Leaderboards Beta.
This season does not introduce a season-specific story, theme, or gameplay elements. Instead, the major system upgrades — sweeping skill tree updates and class changes, increased level cap, difficulty and progression updates, and quality of life improvements — releasing with this season create a seamless experience between the Season of Reckoning and the Lord of Hatred expansion.
The Season of Reckoning Season Rank is bigger than ever, packed with more goals and rewards. While this season represents a departure from past seasons, future seasons will return to the regular cadence.
Cross-Promotion — Overwatch 2 Collaboration
To celebrate Diablo's 30th Anniversary and the release of Lord of Hatred, Overwatch features new Diablo-themed skins and weapon charms, as well as bringing back Diablo IV cosmetics from previous seasons. This thematic transformation starts on April 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. PDT and introduces five new Overwatch skins with four iconic skins from a previous season.
Two new weapon charms are available through Twitch Drops through May 10, 2026: one hour of viewing time earns the Wolf Pup Weapon Charm, and two hours earns Lilith's Blade Weapon Charm.
Do You Need Vessel of Hatred to Play?
No. The Standard Edition of Lord of Hatred includes the Vessel of Hatred expansion (Spiritborn class, Nahantu region) for those who don't already own it. If you already own Vessel of Hatred, the expansion will not be re-granted — only the Lord of Hatred content applies.
Base game required: Lord of Hatred requires the Diablo IV base game. For new players who don't already have Diablo IV, the Age of Hatred Collection includes the base game, Vessel of Hatred Standard Edition playable immediately, plus Lord of Hatred Standard Edition unlocking on April 28.
