Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred – Release, Classes, Story & New Features – All Info on the Add-on

All info on the April 28, 2026 release, platforms, new Paladin & Warlock classes, story, gameplay systems, editions, and pre-order bonuses at a glance.

Sanctuary cannot rest. After fighting our way through the Vessel of Hatred campaign in the jungles of Nahantu, the next, perhaps decisive conflict is now upon us.

The second major expansion for Diablo 4 is titled Lord of Hatred and puts Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, at the center of the action. But that’s not all. We’ll give you a complete overview of all the important facts and information about the upcoming add-on:

Quick navigation

• Release & Platforms: When will Lord of Hatred be released?
• The New Classes: Holy Wrath and Dark Pacts
• Story & Setting
• Gameplay Systems
• Editions & Pre-order Bonuses

Release & Platforms: When will Lord of Hatred be released?

The most important information first: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred will be released on April 28, 2026. The release will take place simultaneously on all supported platforms:

• PC (Battle.net & Steam)
• PlayStation 5
• PlayStation 4
• Xbox Series X/S
• Xbox One

The new classes: Holy Wrath and Dark Pacts

The Paladin

Fans have long speculated, pleaded, and hoped – now he’s back. The Paladin returns as a playable class, filling the gap left by the holy “sword and shield” fighter that has been gaping since the release of Diablo 4.

The Paladin is available now to all players who pre-order Lord of Hatred digitally. So you don’t have to wait until April 2026 to swing the blessed hammer.

Unlike the Crusader from Diablo 3, who was often portrayed as a heavily armored tank, the Diablo 4 Paladin is more closely based on his Diablo 2 counterpart. He combines powerful melee attacks with holy magic and support auras.

The central class mechanic of the Paladin is the Oath system: similar to the Druid’s Spirit Blessings or the Necromancer’s Book of the Dead, this system allows for character specialization. You swear a holy oath that fundamentally changes your playstyle and grants special talents.

The Warlock

While the Paladin embodies the light, the second class, the Warlock, brings absolute darkness to Sanctuary. This class will be available at launch on April 28, 2026.

If you’re wondering, “Do we need another summoner class?” Blizzard draws a clear line here. While the Necromancer commands an army of mindless skeletons and golems, the Warlock is a lone fighter who binds demons from Hell or steals their essence.

The developers describe the Warlock as the “heavy metal” class of Diablo 4. Its design is characterized by chains, hellfire, and raw, destructive magic. It uses the weapons of hell against hell itself.

• Mechanics “Bind & Consume”: The core gameplay revolves around managing demon resources.
  • Bind: You can summon demons (such as goatmen, tainted, or defilers) to fight alongside you.
  • Consume: The highlight is the ability to “eat” these demons or absorb their essence. This grants temporary, massive buffs (e.g., attack speed, skills, auras).

Story & Setting

The story of Lord of Hatred picks up directly where the dramatic events of Vessel of Hatred left off. The cliffhanger, in which Mephisto’s Soulstone played a central role, is now resolved.

Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, is the titular villain. His goal is not only to subjugate Sanctuary, but to reach the Pools of Creation. Should he succeed, he could reshape reality itself in his hateful image.

Probably the biggest story twist is the return of Lilith: The “Mother” we fought in the main game returns—but not as an enemy we must immediately destroy, but as a necessary ally.

New Region: Skovos

The setting for the expansion is the Skovos archipelago. Lore fans have known this name for decades, but the region has never been accessible in a Diablo game before.

• Skovos is home to the Amazons and is considered the cradle of Sanctuary’s first civilization. It was also once home to Lilith and Inarius.
• The developers promise a lot of visual variety for the new region:
  • Volcanic coastal landscapes in the west.
  • Storm-lashed forests in the east.
  • Sunken ruins and temples reminiscent of an ancient civilization.
• In addition to Mephisto’s demon hordes, we can expect to encounter corrupted Amazon warriors, sea monsters, and cultists.

Gameplay Systems

War Plans

The endgame takes on a whole new structure with War Plans. Until now, players often worked through random activities. War Plans allow you to create your own “playlist” of up to five endgame activities.

• You select activities (e.g., Nightmare Dungeons, Hell Tides) and string them together.
• You can add modifiers (e.g., “A Butcher is guaranteed to spawn”) to increase the difficulty and rewards.

Echoing Hatred

For players who want to push their builds to the absolute limit, Blizzard is introducing Echoing Hatred.

• What is it? A horde mode with endless waves of enemies.
• The intensity increases with each wave, and multiple bosses can spawn at the same time.
• You need a rare item (Trace of Echoes) to enter the mode.
• The longer you survive, the better the loot. This is likely to become the new benchmark for leaderboards and build guides.

The Horadric Cube

The most legendary crafting tool in Diablo history returns. In Lord of Hatred, the Horadric Cube plays a central role in item management.

• Functions:
  • Random rerolling of affixes (similar to the Chaos Orb in Path of Exile).
  • Upgrading common items to unique items (at a corresponding cost).
  • Targeted removal of negative or unwanted affixes.
• This massively upgrades “bad” drops, as they can serve as base material for the cube. It reduces the dependence on pure RNG when finding items (“brick” protection).

Talisman & Sets

Blizzard solves the “set problem” (sets that are too powerful and kill build diversity) with the new talisman system.

• The problem so far: In D3, sets occupied 6 equipment slots, which blocked the use of uniques.
• The solution: You receive a Talisman (a separate UI element, similar to the inventory, but separate). You socket Charms (spells) into this Talisman.
• Set bonuses: If you place multiple charms from the same set in the talisman, the set bonuses are activated.
• Advantage: Your armor slots remain free for unique and legendary items. This means you can take advantage of the powerful effects of sets without having to give up your favorite armor.

Skill Tree Rework

All classes will receive reworks to their skill trees. Blizzard promises “40 reworked decisions and 80 additional options.”

• Skills can now be drastically changed (e.g., a Fire Hydra becomes a Frost Hydra).
• Owners of the expansion will receive exclusive access to 20 “transformative” skill variants.

Loot Filter & Fishing

Two frequently requested features are finding their way into the game:

1. Loot Filter: An integrated tool finally allows you to automatically hide certain items (e.g., “Everything below item level 800”).
2. Fishing: You can now fish in the waters of Sanctuary.

Editions & Pre-order Bonuses

As usual, Blizzard is offering different editions. Here is an overview so you know what you’re spending your money on.

Important note: All editions also include the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. If you don’t have it yet, you’ll get it for free, so to speak. Of course, it doesn’t work the other way around.

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