Blizzard has announced the new expansion Lord of Hatred for Diablo 4 and reveals what new content awaits you there. One of them will likely cause puzzled faces, while a second is even playable right now.
During the Game Awards 2025, Blizzard made two major announcements:
- The second expansion is called Lord of Hatred and will be released on April 28, 2026.
- The Paladin is one of two new classes in the game and can already be played in Season 11 if you pre-order Lord of Hatred.
In a blog post, there is already more information about the contents of Lord of Hatred as well as the story, where you will finally be able to fight Mephisto, who simply disappeared at the end of Vessel of Hatred.
Mephisto plays a VERY big role in the story of Diablo.
These are the new features: Lord of Hatred will take you to Skovos, an area that was originally planned in Diablo 3 but was never finalized. Here, you will encounter the Queen of the Amazons – yes, the class from Diablo 2.
Skovos is the place where Inarius and Lilith found their home in their world created by the Worldstone and the birthplace of the “first civilization.” The island visually resembles ancient Greece. As for gameplay, the focus is primarily on the endgame:
- “War Plans” are coming as a new feature, allowing you to plan your activities yourself and add modifiers for a greater challenge and better loot.
- In “Echoing Hatred,” you will fight endless hordes of enemies, presumably a kind of endless mode where you must get as far as you can.
- Loot filters, which experts have been demanding for ages, will be implemented in some form.
- All classes – including the Paladin and the previously unknown second class – will receive a revamped skill tree.
- Itemization will be revised, the Horadric Cube will return, and through a “Talisman,” you will be able to equip set bonuses.
The feature that will probably cause the most amazement among many of you is… Fishing. In Lord of Hatred, you can catch fish in the waters of Sanctuary during the endgame. Yes, we don’t know more yet – not even why.
Fishing has already existed since 2023 in Diablo Immortal, where you can exchange fish for rewards through a logbook.
Those who pre-order Lord of Hatred will receive Vessel of Hatred for free
Lord of Hatred is now available for pre-order on Battle.net and comes in various editions, with different bonuses and price points:
- The Standard Edition for 39.99 euros grants access to Lord of Hatred, the Paladin, a loot chest slot, two additional character slots, and three items for housing in World of Warcraft.
- The Deluxe Edition for 59.99 euros additionally includes cosmetics for the Paladin, a mount, a pet, and a premium battle pass bundle.
- In the Ultimate Edition for 89.99 euros, there are 3,000 platinum, six cosmetic sets, a back trophy, another mount (with bundle), and a portal.
Additionally, all pre-order customers will receive the first expansion Vessel of Hatred for free. So, if you haven’t played since release, you can dive back in with Lord of Hatred and immediately receive the complete experience.
If you have already purchased Vessel of Hatred, you will receive a small “compensation” in the form of a new pet that actually transforms: the “Herald of Hatred” transforms from a small mini-version of the Mephisto wolf into a Lilith blood wolf with horns on its back when you defeat enough enemies.
In a roadmap, Blizzard has already teased another major drop for February, but so far without any clues. Before the release of Lord of Hatred in April, Season 12 along with a new collaboration will definitely arrive. Season 11 has already started: Diablo 4 Season 11 starts today – everything about the release date and the changes
