Spoilers for Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred follow.
Diablo 4 has revealed nearly 12 minutes of Lord of Hatred gameplay, featuring cunning deception, new enemies, and, of course, gratuitous violence. Mephisto has the upper hand in this Diablo 4 expansion, which arrives on April 28, 2026.
By the end of Vessel of Hatred, Mephisto was free to walk Sanctuary once more in the body of Akarat, the blessed prophet of the Zakarum church. In the story of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, “Akarat” heads to the ancient island of Skovos, where the first Nephalem arose, in order to corrupt the Pools of Creation and flood the world with Hatred.
Fanta Is Giving Away Free World of Warcraft, Diablo 4, Call of Duty, Forza Horizon 6, and Halo: Campaign Evolved Items, But There's A Big Catch
Players can get free items for WoW, Diablo 4, Call of Duty, Forza Horizon 6, and Halo: Campaign Evolved via a Fanta promo, but with a big caveat.
The First 12 Minutes of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Look Amazing
To build hype for the new expansion, Blizzard has revealed just under 12 minutes of gameplay footage from the start of Lord of Hatred. The Wanderer meets Lorath Nahr on the docks as they book passage to Skovos. While there, they find a Hand of Akarat preacher heralding his master by proclaiming a coming omen in the form of an eclipse. Lorath and the Wanderer discuss Mephisto and his plans in Diablo 4, but they are interrupted by the same priest, who besieges their ship. The Wanderer fights through a host of new enemies, including merfolk, water aberrations, crabs, and sea serpents, before confronting the Hand of Akarat, who transforms into a horrifying Hateborn Abomination after being briefly possessed by Mephisto himself.
This isn’t the first teaser Diablo 4 has given players ahead of Lord of Hatred. It released a cinematic called “The Queen and The Saint” about a week earlier, featuring Akarat and Adreona, the Amazon queen of Skovos. Lorath tries to warn his old friend, whom he met in the Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred prequel novel The Lost Horadrim, but is deceived by Mephisto’s magic. The Great Evil fools Lorath into killing Adreona, only for "Akarat" to miraculously resurrect her in front of the crowd and then urge the queen to spare the Horadrim.
Clearly, Mephisto is an enemy unlike any other in Diablo history. The Lord of Hatred’s ability to manipulate and deceive the masses makes him a dangerous foe; using Akarat’s face, he has droves of followers willing to die for him, even if only his inner circle knows the truth of his nature. As gamers journey to Skovos in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, they will not only need to deal with the minions of Hatred, but also the mortals Mephisto has tricked into believing he is truly the Shepherd of Light reborn.
Lord of Hatred will finally bring an end to the Age of Hatred in a climactic confrontation against Mephisto – and players will even need to work with Lilith herself in order to do so. Beyond this new story and the zone of Skovos, Lord of Hatred adds two classes: the Paladin, which is available to play right now, and the Warlock when the Diablo 4 expansion releases on April 28. Reworked Skill Trees for every class, a Loot Filter, the War Plans customizable progression system, the Echoing Hatred endless game mode, a fishing minigame, and the return of the Horadric Cube are just a few of the major features fans can look forward to in this expansion. From an exciting story to a rebuilt endgame, it appears as if Lord of Hatred will have something for everyone.
Diablo 4
OpenCritic Reviews
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action-RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot.
Embark on the epic campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through a gripping story in a beautifully dark world, or explore an expansive end game: battle iconic bosses for powerful loot, fight back the encroaching onslaught of Hell in Helltides, master the Forge to create your ultimate weapons and progress powerful characters, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Discover the critically acclaimed franchise that defined the Action RPG genre. As the battle between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages on, hatred devours Sanctuary as evil spreads and a new wave of cultists and worshippers arise to embrace Lilith’s coming. Only a brave few dare to face this threat and bring light to the all-consuming darkness.
Expansive Open WorldForge your own path through the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, an ever-growing, fully explorable world teeming with challenges, quests, enemies, and loot. Join your fellow adventurers, rescue and retake besieged towns, delve into nightmarish dungeons and uncover lost secrets as you fight back evil. The many zones of Sanctuary are yours to explore, and with rotating areas of extreme peril like World Bosses and Helltide, danger lurks at every turn.
Immersive Character DevelopmentCreate and customize your character to face the encroaching darkness. Choose from one of five classes and build your hero with skills, abilities and cosmetics, creating a champion that is uniquely your own. Grow stronger as you progress through powerful Skill Trees and develop even more unique end game specializations with Paragon Boards.
Legendary Gear, Epic BattlesDiscover and experiment with a vast arsenal of powerful weapons, armor and more to fight back against the demons threatening Sanctuary. Explore unique combinations, create your own upgrades and collect a plethora of powerful tools to battle in immersive, action-packed combat against the deadliest of enemies.
Seasons & EventsThe tales of Sanctuary continue to unfold. Create Seasonal Characters and join in fresh adventures - master new mechanics and take on the latest threats in each new Season. Complete harrowing feats of the Season Journey and earn new Battle Pass rewards. Plus, sharpen your swords and get in the spirit of the seasons when Limited-Time Events sweep through Sanctuary.
End Game UndertakingsThere’s even more Diablo® IV to explore as you reach higher levels and more fearsome World Tiers. Face the greatest challenge yet as you take on the most powerful demons in The Pit, steel yourself against Uber Bosses to reap uber unique rewards, fight back overflowing armies of Hell as Helltides emerge across Sanctuary, battle larger-than-life World Bosses, and master the Forge to create the mightiest weapons fit for a hero.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Diablo 3
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- June 5, 2023
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- June 5, 2023
- PS5 Release Date
- June 5, 2023
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Wiki
