Blizzard Entertainment revealed Diablo 4's second major expansion at The Game Awards 2025, confirming an April 28, 2026 release date for Lord of Hatred. The expansion closes out the Age of Hatred storyline with a final confrontation against Mephisto.
Players who pre-purchase the expansion can start playing the Paladin class right now. The holy warrior returns after sitting out Diablo 3 and Diablo Immortal, where the Crusader filled the armored melee role instead.
Paladin Pre-Order Access
The Paladin comes back to Diablo with its signature hammer and shield playstyle intact. Blizzard describes the class as combining melee weapons with divine powers to crush enemies through "unwavering faith and overwhelming force." Holy Light abilities round out the Paladin's toolkit for smiting demons across Sanctuary.
Pre-purchasing any edition of Lord of Hatred grants immediate access to the class. Players also get an extra stash tab, two more character slots, and three World of Warcraft housing decor items as cross-game bonuses.
Second Mystery Class
Lord of Hatred adds two new classes to Diablo 4's roster. The Paladin serves as the early access incentive, but Blizzard's keeping the second class under wraps until closer to April. The developer teased that this unrevealed class will "reshape the battlefield" when it launches, suggesting mechanics that differ significantly from existing options.
This doubles down on the Vessel of Hatred expansion, which only introduced the Spiritborn. Players who haven't bought that first expansion yet will find it included with every Lord of Hatred pre-purchase at no extra cost.
Story and Skovos Region
The campaign picks up after Vessel of Hatred's events and positions itself as the finale to the Age of Hatred saga. The Wanderer faces Mephisto as his corruption spreads throughout Sanctuary, threatening to consume the world in malice.
Lilith returns from the dead to form an uneasy alliance with the Wanderer. This partnership echoes the Daughter of Hatred's prophetic final words and creates a "perilous alliance bound by necessity rather than trust," according to Blizzard's story setup. The two must work together to stop Mephisto before hatred reshapes Sanctuary forever.
Players explore Skovos during the campaign. This island chain southwest of Nahantu marks the birthplace of Sanctuary's first civilization and served as the home of both Lilith and Inarius. Unlike Nahantu (which appeared in Diablo 2 as the Kurast Jungles), Skovos has never been featured as a playable location in any previous Diablo game.
The region spans volcanic coasts, storm-lashed forests, and waterlogged ruins. These varied biomes present different environmental hazards and atmospheric settings throughout the expansion's content.
Endgame Overhaul
Lord of Hatred introduces a loot filter system for targeting specific gear pieces during farm sessions. Players can customize what items appear, cutting down time spent managing unwanted drops.
The Horadric Cube returns from Diablo 2, bringing back its item manipulation mechanics. This legendary artifact lets players combine and modify equipment for better results. A new Talisman system unlocks set bonuses, adding another customization layer to late-game builds.
Skill trees for all eight classes get reworked with class-specific variants and higher level caps. These changes affect Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, Sorcerer, Spiritborn, Paladin, and the second unrevealed class. The overhaul aims to increase build diversity by opening up more viable progression paths.
New Activities
War Plans let players chart their own endgame progression by selecting preferred activities and applying modifiers. This gives players control over their experience while still earning valuable rewards from content they enjoy.
Echoing Hatred arrives as a new challenge gauntlet. This mode tests optimized builds against increasingly difficult encounters, serving as a proving ground for min-maxed characters.
Fishing makes its Diablo 4 debut as the game's first non-combat activity. Players can take a break from demon slaying to cast lines in Sanctuary's waters, though there's no guarantee what emerges won't be horribly mutated.
Three Edition Tiers
The Standard Edition ($39.99) includes Paladin access and the full Vessel of Hatred expansion. This base package covers all gameplay content without cosmetics.
The Deluxe Edition ($59.99) adds the Mini Chimera Pet Skorch, Skartaran Basilisk Mount Bundle, High Heavens Guard Cosmetic Bundle, and a Premium Battle Pass Bundle. More cosmetic rewards unlock when the expansion launches.
The Ultimate Edition ($89.99) bundles everything from previous tiers with the Umbral Knights Armor Bundle (six class sets), 3,000 Platinum, Steed of the Shining Realm Bundle, Tymn Echo of the Spire Back Trophy, and Ascent of the Just Town Portal Skin.
All three editions provide instant access to both the Paladin for Season 11 and complete Vessel of Hatred content. Players who already own the first expansion still get these benefits without needing to re-download anything.
Game Awards Reveal
The Lord of Hatred announcement joined other major reveals at The Game Awards 2025, including a new Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game and two Tomb Raider titles. Blizzard's strategy of making the Paladin immediately playable generated instant engagement during the broadcast rather than forcing a months-long wait.
The April 28, 2026 launch puts Lord of Hatred roughly 18 months after Vessel of Hatred's 2024 release. This timeline establishes what looks like an annual cadence for major Diablo 4 expansions, matching the pace of other live-service action RPGs in the market.
Adding two classes in one expansion doubles the offering from Vessel of Hatred's single class. The move potentially attracts different player segments with distinct playstyle preferences, while the mystery around the second class keeps speculation alive heading into April.
Pre-purchase went live immediately after The Game Awards reveal. Players can secure their copy and jump into Season 11 with the Paladin right now, while Vessel of Hatred access activates instantly for anyone who hasn't experienced that content yet.
The expansion integrates with Diablo 4's seasonal structure rather than replacing it. Players can experience Lord of Hatred's campaign and features while still participating in seasonal progression systems and limited-time content when it launches next year.
