Summary
Blizzcon 2023 has started strong forDiablo 4fans with the reveal of the game’s first major expansion titled Vessel of Hatred. AlthoughDiablo 4has regained some traction among players thanks to a strong Season of Blood, the announcement of the game’s first full-scale expansion in the form of Vessel of Hatred should give players confidence in the future ofDiablo 4, even if this expansion isn’t slated for release until late 2024. However, even with this brief teaser trailer, Vessel of Blood already looks to be bringing back some fan-favorite elements from the series.
Blizzard has stated that it plans on bringing quarterly seasonal content toDiablo 4along with annual content expansions, and it appears thatVessel of Hatredwill kick off the game’s annual expansion content. Previous entries in theDiabloseries have also seen content expansions likeDiablo 2’s Lord of Destruction andDiablo 3’s Reaper of Souls, each bringing new quests, locations, and classes to their respective games. WithDiablo 4’s live-service approach to content being a departure from the franchise’s past content structure, Vessel of Hatred has the potential to shake up what players expect from an expansion like this.
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Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred Teases a Follow-Up to the Base Game’s Story
While the Blizzcon trailer for Vessel of Hatred is short, it does give players a good glimpse at what they can expect from what will likely be the expansion’s main quest. Throughout the trailer, the voice of Mephisto can be heard taunting the player, setting the Prime Evil up to be a major character in the Vessel of Hatred expansion. Following up onMephisto’s role inDiablo 4’s base game, many fans had expected him to be the focus of the game’s first expansion, and this reveal trailer confirms this theory to be the case.
Mephisto also references the player “abdicating their choice to this child,” likely referring to the ending ofDiablo 4’s base game whereNeyrelle takes the soulstone that Mephistois trapped in and sets off to parts unknown. He goes on to claim that with every step she takes, he grows stronger, setting the villain up to become a new threat the player will have to face in this expansion. This wording, along with the title Vessel of Hatred, implies that Neyrelle may become a new vessel for Mephisto to inhabit, leading to a tragic showdown where players might have to face off against their former ally.
Players Seem to Be Returning to a Location from Diablo 2
Visually, this trailer showcases a lush jungle followed by a massive stone temple before fading to black and showing the expansion’s logo. These images likely mean that the Vessel of Hatred expansion will be bringing players back to Kurast, the former capital of Kehjistan located southeast of the region onDiablo 4’s mapin a new region called Nahantu. Kurast and the surrounding Torajan Jungles that comprise Nahantu were the location ofDiablo 2’s Act 3 which featured Mephisto as the boss, and it appears that Vessel of Hatred is paying homage to this entry in the series with its setting and emphasis on Mephisto.
Fans ofDiablo 4can look forward to a Mephisto-centric quest set inDiablo 2’s Kurast via the region of Nahantu in the Vessel of Hatred expansion coming in late 2024. Although no new class has been officially announced, Blizzard has teased a never-before-seen class coming in this expansion.
One aspect of the expansion that wasn’t revealed in this trailer was a potential new class coming in Vessel of Hatred. However, Blizzard did hint that a new class is indeed coming in this expansion, and it will be brand-new to the series, meaning fans who were hoping for the Paladin orAmazon class to return fromDiablo 2might be disappointed. Late 2024 is still a way off, soDiablo 4fans excited about the Vessel of Hatred expansion should keep an eye out for more info coming from Blizzard in the coming months.
Diablo 4
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Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
