Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred

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Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred – The Second Major Expansion Is Now Live

Expansion Release Date and Launch Times

Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred, the second major paid expansion for Blizzard’s action RPG, officially launched on April 28, 2026 (with early access beginning on April 27 in many regions).

Global launch times were as follows:

  • April 27, 2026 – 4:00 PM PDT (7:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM CDT)
  • April 28, 2026 – 12:00 AM BST / 1:00 AM CEST / 9:00 AM AEST

Players on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S can now access the new content. Pre-load was available several days before launch.

New Region: The Skovos Isles

Lord of Hatred introduces the Skovos Isles, a brand-new explorable region inspired by ancient Amazonian lore. This tropical area features dense jungles, coastal strongholds, mysterious temples, and heavy demonic corruption tied to Mephisto’s growing influence.

The Skovos Isles serve as the primary setting for the new campaign and significantly expand the world of Sanctuary with fresh environments, new enemy types, and deep lore connections.

Two New Playable Classes

The expansion adds two brand-new classes, offering very different playstyles:

  • Paladin – The holy warrior returns. Focused on defensive abilities, auras, shields, and support, the Paladin excels at protecting allies while smiting demons with divine light and powerful crowd control.
  • Warlock – A brand-new demonic caster class that summons and commands infernal forces. Warlocks specialize in dark magic, curses, life-draining effects, and powerful demon summons for high-risk, high-reward gameplay.

Both classes come with fully fleshed-out skill trees and integrate with the expansion’s reworked progression systems. Purchasing Lord of Hatred also grants access to the Spiritborn class and Nahantu region from the previous expansion in certain editions.

Story Continuation – The Age of Hatred

Lord of Hatred continues directly from the events of Vessel of Hatred. With Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, spreading his corrupting influence across Sanctuary, players travel to the Skovos Isles to confront his plans. The campaign builds toward a major climactic confrontation and delves deeper into Prime Evil lore, ancient orders, and the fragile balance between light and darkness.

Major New Systems and Features

Lord of Hatred brings substantial updates that benefit all Diablo IV players:

  • Skill Tree Reworks – Every class receives significant updates with new skill variants and deeper customization.
  • Horadric Cube Returns – A long-requested system for powerful item crafting, transmutation, and unique build-enabling effects.
  • War Plans – A new endgame progression system that lets players plan and execute large-scale campaigns against demonic forces.
  • Talisman System – A new layer of character customization for even more build variety.
  • Improved Loot Filter – A highly requested quality-of-life feature to better manage the flood of loot.
  • Level Cap Increase and expanded endgame activities, including new bosses and challenges tied to the Skovos Isles.

These system-wide improvements enhance hero progression and build mastery for everyone, while the full campaign, new classes, and Skovos region remain expansion-exclusive.

Editions and Bonuses

Multiple editions are available, including Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate versions. Higher tiers include cosmetic bundles such as the High Heavensguard set, cross-class armor, mounts, and extra Platinum currency. Some bundles also provide instant access to Vessel of Hatred content.

Who Should Play Lord of Hatred?

This expansion is ideal for:

  • Players invested in the ongoing story who want to see the next chapter against Mephisto.
  • Fans excited to play a modern Paladin or experiment with the dark summoning power of the Warlock.
  • Endgame veterans looking for deeper build customization, the Horadric Cube, and new high-level challenges.

Lord of Hatred represents a major step forward for Diablo IV, delivering substantial new content while overhauling core systems for better long-term engagement.

The expansion is now live. Sanctuary needs you, Wanderer. Will you answer the call and face the Lord of Hatred?

 

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