The Vessel of Hatred update for Diablo IV brings a wealth of new content and major system changes, both for players who purchase the expansion and those who don’t. Here’s a breakdown of what’s included:
New Content for Vessel of Hatred Owners
- Nahantu Region: A new map area featuring dungeons, strongholds, side quests, and new monster families.
- Spiritborn Class: A complex new class that mixes skills from four spirit guardians, introducing new weapon types like glaives and quarterstaffs(Blizzard News)(pcgamer).
- Dark Citadel Dungeon: A challenging co-op dungeon requiring at least two players. It features multiple wings and tough bosses, offering item cache rewards and unique currency for cosmetics(pcgamer).
- Mercenaries: Players can recruit NPC allies with unique abilities to assist in combat, enhancing gameplay dynamics(pcgamer).
- Runewords: New items allowing players to create custom skills by combining runes, offering unique gameplay strategies(pcgamer)(Windows Central).
Updates for All Players
Even if you don’t purchase the expansion, you’ll receive several updates:
- Max Level Increase: The level cap is raised to 60(Windows Central)(Blizzard News).
- New Difficulty Tiers: Enhanced challenges for players(Windows Central).
- Paragon System Overhaul: Max level for the Paragon system increased to 300 with significant changes(Blizzard News).
- Item Quality Rework: A reworked system for item quality(Windows Central).
- New Party Finder Feature: Helps players find groups for various activities(Blizzard News).
- Seasonal Content: New seasonal content and rewards for everyone(Windows Central)(pcgamer).
Special Promotions
- Players can earn free cosmetic items upon logging in and will receive additional rewards for completing the new dungeon during its promotional period(Windows Central)(Blizzard News).
- Twitch drops are available for viewers who watch Diablo IV streams, offering exclusive cosmetic rewards(Windows Central).
The Vessel of Hatred expansion officially launches on October 8, 2024. For more detailed information, you can check out the official Blizzard announcements