Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred launches with two new classes and a revamped endgame

Blizzard's second major Diablo IV expansion is set to launch today and will be available in just a few hours. Lord of Hatred picks up directly from Vessel of Hatred, with Neyrelle once again at the center of the story as Mephisto's influence spreads from the ancient Skovos Isles toward the rest of Sanctuary.

Two new classes, two very different playstyles

The Paladin was the open secret of this expansion, available early to anyone who pre-purchased. Built around holy energy and melee combat, the class uses auras and a signature Arbiter Form... a temporary angelic transformation that increases speed and strengthens disciple skills. It plays closer to a battle mage than a pure tank, controlling fights rather than simply absorbing them.

The Warlock is the expansion's second new class, kept under wraps until launch. Where the Paladin channels the Light, the Warlock bends demonic power against itself. The class binds and weaponizes Hell's own forces, described by Blizzard as a master of forbidden knowledge who doesn't serve Hell... it exploits it.

Skovos and a restructured endgame

Skovos is one of Sanctuary's oldest regions, rooted in Diablo lore as the birthplace of the Amazons and the first human civilization. The expansion's story unfolds along its coastlines, storm forests, and ancient ruins, as Mephisto's corruption spreads inward. Blizzard describes Lord of Hatred's campaign approach as built around influence and control rather than outright invasion, positioning it as a darker and more deliberate narrative than Vessel of Hatred.

The endgame overhaul is arguably the expansion's most significant addition for returning players. The new War Plans system lets players build a structured five-activity path through endgame content, applying modifiers that carry across activities. Echoing Hatred is a rare escalating challenge event triggered by a special drop, throwing increasingly brutal enemy waves at late-game builds with scaling rewards. 

The Horadric Cube makes its return as a gear manipulation system, and players can now add affixes and transform items directly, cutting the reliance on pure drop luck. Set bonuses return through a Charms and Talismans system that activates bonuses based on combinations rather than locking players into specific gear slots.

Other additions include a skill tree overhaul, a level cap increase to Level 70, loot filters, and fishing as a side activity. The base game patch 3.0.0 is available to preload for all players regardless of whether they own the expansion.

Preload and launch times

Preload went live on April 23 across Battle.net, PlayStation, and Xbox. The global unlock is 4:00 PM PDT / 7:00 PM EDT tonight, April 27, putting the expansion in players' hands well before midnight on the East Coast. Lord of Hatred is available in Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate editions, priced from $39.99, and includes Vessel of Hatred for players who do not already own it. The base game is required.