Diablo 4’s new expansion, Vessel of Hatred, is dropping in October, and Blizzard spilled the beans at Gamescom about all the exciting features coming our way.
The highlight of this expansion is the Dark Citadel, a groundbreaking cooperative dungeon ruled by the First Khazra. He uses this place to perform creepy experiments on villagers, trying to bring back a fierce demon. To stop him, players must team up because this dungeon needs at least two players, though Blizzard suggests tackling it with four for the best experience. Once you hit the endgame, you’ll get an introductory quest unlocking the dungeon for all characters on your account.
Inside the Dark Citadel, you’ll find three different wings to conquer before facing the final boss. This dungeon is huge and takes more time than usual, so you can leave and come back later without losing progress. A new marker system will help groups communicate better about where to go next. Weekly Rewards caches and exclusive items await those who brave its depths, along with Citadel Coins for unlocking special cosmetics.
To make things easier for everyone, Diablo 4 is introducing a Party Finder feature. This will help players find groups for various activities, similar to what World of Warcraft offers.
On top of that, Blizzard also introduced four mercenaries in Vessel of Hatred: Raheir with his shield, Varyana the berserker, Aldkin the half-demon kid, and Subo the drunken archer. You can pick one to join you when playing solo and even select another as a “Reinforcement” to jump in during tough moments. Using these mercenaries will level up their Rapport and unlock extra skills. They also sell items for Pale Marks earned by leveling them up.
Fans are excited about these new additions because it makes gameplay more interesting.
But wait, there’s more! The expansion’s main attraction is the new Spiritborn class—a monk-like fighter who uses powerful Spirit Guardians as weapons.
Blizzard hinted at big changes in leveling and progression coming with this expansion. They promised more details during a livestream on August 29. Everyone is buzzing about potential level-and-damage-number adjustments to make leveling feel more rewarding. Vessel of Hatred and Diablo 4 Season 6 are set to launch on October 8.
