Lord of Hatred vs Vessel of Hatred
By the DiabloBytes team · Updated April 2026 · Which expansion to buy
Two expansions for the price of one — if you buy the right one. Lord of Hatred, launching April 28, 2026, bundles the full Vessel of Hatred expansion into every edition. New players get both expansions by buying LoH alone. Existing VoH owners, meanwhile, pay full LoH price with no upgrade path — a choice Blizzard has confirmed and the community has pushed back on. Here's the comparison and the buying recommendation.
⚡ Short Answer
- New to D4: Buy base game + Lord of Hatred Standard ($39.99). Skip VoH — LoH includes it.
- Already own VoH: Pay full LoH price ($39.99+). No upgrade discount. VoH bundle is redundant for you.
- Already own both (or will): LoH is the bigger, more ambitious expansion by scope. Skill tree rework + endgame overhaul are free for everyone regardless.
Scope Comparison
Vessel of Hatred
Released Oct 8, 2024 · $39.99 Standard
- + Spiritborn class
- + Nahantu jungle region
- + Mercenary companions (Raheir, Subo, Varyana, Aldkin)
- + Dark Citadel coop endgame
- + Kurast Undercity
- + Runewords (returning)
- + Party Finder
- + Torment difficulty overhaul (replaced World Tiers)
Lord of Hatred
Releases April 28, 2026 · $39.99 Standard (bundles VoH)
- + Two classes — Paladin + Warlock
- + Skovos region (Amazon isles)
- + Temis endgame hub
- + Horadric Cube returns
- + War Plans endgame
- + Echoing Hatred endless mode
- + Full skill tree rework (free for all)
- + Level cap 60 → 70 (free)
- + Loot filter (free)
- + Charms + Talismans slot system
- + Fishing
- + 12 Torment tiers (up from 4)
- + Bundles all of Vessel of Hatred
Which Is the Bigger Expansion?
Lord of Hatred — by a wide margin. VoH was strong on content additions (new class, new region, new companions) but didn't fundamentally change how the game plays at endgame. LoH ships two classes instead of one, plus system-level reworks that touch every player:
- ◆ Skill tree rework removes Key Passives and adds tag-modifying upgrades
- ◆ Level cap raise to 70
- ◆ Loot filter — the most-requested QoL since 2023
- ◆ Horadric Cube return
- ◆ War Plans replaces the siloed solo activity endgame
- ◆ Charms + Talismans slot system replaces the consumable-affix paradigm
- ◆ Torment tiers expanded from 4 to 12
VoH's reputation was "good expansion, could have been bigger." LoH is shaping up to be the expansion that transforms D4 the way Reaper of Souls transformed D3.
Pricing
| Edition | VoH | LoH |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $39.99 | $39.99 |
| Deluxe | $59.99 | $59.99 |
| Ultimate | $89.99 | $89.99 |
Prices match edition-for-edition. But since LoH bundles all of VoH while VoH bundles nothing, LoH is strictly better value for new players. The catch: existing VoH owners pay full LoH price and the bundled VoH content is redundant — there's no discount path.
The VoH Owner Friction
This is the community's biggest complaint and Blizzard has not budged. If you spent $40 on VoH in October 2024, your LoH pre-purchase also costs $40 — but half of that $40 technically goes toward content you already own. There is no upgrade tier, no returning-customer discount, no VoH-owner bundle.
On the bright side: if you already played VoH, you don't need to replay any of it. LoH's campaign picks up directly from the Vessel of Hatred cliffhanger, and your existing VoH progression (Spiritborn, Nahantu access, Mercenaries) all remains canon and playable. The bundled VoH inside LoH is for players who skipped it.
The Recommendations
Key Numbers
- VoH Release Oct 8, 2024
- LoH Release Apr 28, 2026
- VoH Classes Added 1 (Spiritborn)
- LoH Classes Added 2 (Paladin + Warlock)
- LoH Bundles VoH Yes
- VoH Bundle in LoH Full
- Upgrade Discount None
- Standard Price $39.99 each
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