MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was able to play Vessel of Hatred in advance and now believes he knows what will happen with Diablo 4. Because the story of the expansion is packed with clues – obvious and somewhat hidden ones.
Spoiler Warning: I’m talking about pretty much everything you will discover during the campaign of Vessel of Hatred and about the ending. If you don’t want to know anything yet, you should better not continue reading.
During the early access test, I have already played through the entire campaign of Vessel of Hatred, even though it was harder than expected. The main story is quite straightforward: Find Neyrelle, defeat Mephisto.
Because Mephisto is the new big boss in Vessel of Hatred and his influence is important throughout the entire expansion, at least regarding the story. However, another important figure appears during the quests: Akarat.
For those who do not know the lore of Diablo, Akarat is just a new spirit that somehow has to do with the Spiritborn and appears as a lion and a human. But anyone who has played at least Diablo 3 knows more.
Because Akarat is also the god who founded the Church of Zakarum, meaning the faith from which the crusaders and at least some paladins emerge. With this information in mind, a whole picture gradually emerges from individual parts, suggesting that you will be able to play a crusader at the latest in the next expansion.
Almost everything points to the crusader as the next class
Akarat himself is already a strong indication that the faith of the Zakarum could somehow play a role in the future. The god himself is also important to Nahantu and its inhabitants because he acts as a protector of the land, even after his death.
However, during the campaign of Vessel of Hatred, you also visit the ruins of Travincal, which was the center of the Church of Zakarum before its fall. Here, Mephisto’s soulstone was also kept until his influence corrupted the city and ultimately led it to ruin. By the way, you can visit the city in Diablo 2.
So far, these are more hints of lore about the crusaders. Two more events from the campaign make their soon appearance even more likely:
- At the end of the campaign, Akarat dies (again) and promises Neyrelle that they will see each other again.
- Mephisto is defeated, but not vanquished, and is first absent after that.
The holy mission of the crusaders is to remove Mephisto’s corruption from all of Sanctuary. Their god being gone would be even more reason for them to step back into action and clean up.
And by the way: The Western March, where the crusaders were last based, borders more or less on Nahantu. In between lies only Khenduras. If the world is simply expanded westward, these areas would be the next logical step.
Something is still brewing in the church
The initial problem of the campaign increasingly fades into the background during the story. After Inarius’ death, the church is divided: Mother Superior Prava preaches forgiveness, while the Burned Knights demand brutal justice.
In some side quests, the story continues here, but a real conclusion is missing – at least as far as I can see. How the church will continue is still quite open.
This also suggests that a fighter with at least holy abilities would fit into the story. And a holy class with sword and shield is still missing.
Is Xiansai going to be the next area?
However, an alternative to the crusader and the Western March is the northern island of Xiansai. It lies northwest of Scosglen and is somewhat like the Switzerland of Sanctuary: The people there try to stay out of all mainland disputes. Nevertheless, Xiansai plays a role in the lore several times:
- The mage clans regularly recruit their “wunderkind” from there, such as Li-Ming.
- Akarat himself is a Xian.
During the campaign, an important NPC mentions that one certainly would not want the corruption to spread to Scosglen or Xiansai. That could have been a hint.
In Xiansai, mixing poisons is legal. Thus, the foundation for a new class has already been created, even though there are already sufficient poison skills with the necromancer, the spiritborn, and the huntress.
The crusader or the paladin would be the class that many fans have been waiting for since the release of Diablo 4 – and according to the players, the next logical choice for class diversity. Therefore, Blizzard chose the spiritborn first: Fans have been demanding a paladin in Diablo 4 since release – The director explains why you won’t get one now
