Diablo IV hit shelves in early June of this year, fewer than six months ago. During BlizzCon’s 2023 opening ceremony, however, fans were surprised when the developers announced an upcoming expansion due next year.
You can watch the announcement trailer below:
Vessel of Hatred is Diablo IV’s first expansion and continues the main title’s narrative. The expansion is centred around the story of Mephisto, one of the three Prime Evils, known as the Lord of Hatred and who also happens to be Lilith’s father. Set in the Torajan Jungles, players will be led to the southernmost parts of Sanctuary to explore a familiar location in an all-new way. Kurast, one of the expansion’s primary locations, was also featured in Diablo II, but according to developers, decades have passed since players have seen this ancient city, and a lot has changed since then.
We also know that Vessel of Hatred will introduce a new class to Diablo IV, but the studio hasn’t shared any details yet. What they did confirm, however, is that the class is genuinely unique and has not been featured in a Diablo title before, and they added that it would tie into the overall theme of the expansion.
This is very exciting news for Diablo fans, current and returning, and an excellent opportunity for new players to start their adventuring in Sanctuary for the very first time. Diablo IV is in its second season, Season of Blood, which you can play on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via Battle.net or Steam.
We have Diablo IV a huge 9/10 in our review, saying “Diablo IV is an unquestionable win for Blizzard and one of their foundational franchises when it needed it most. An unrelenting commitment to vision, redefined Sanctuary, never-ending player progression, and excellent boss fights are just a few of the reasons Diablo IV isn’t held back by uneven pacing and recycled content.”
