When does Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred release?

Lord of Hatred launched April 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM PDT (globally synchronized — April 28 1:00 AM CEST). The release was simultaneous with Season 13 — Season of Reckoning — on PC (Battle.net + Steam), PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One/Series X|S, with shared progression across platforms.

How much does Lord of Hatred cost?

Standard Edition $39.99, Deluxe Edition $59.99, Ultimate Edition $89.99. Standard includes Lord of Hatred, the full Vessel of Hatred expansion, Paladin early access, 1 extra stash tab, 2 additional character slots, and WoW decor items. Warlock unlocks for everyone on April 28.

Do I need to own Vessel of Hatred to play Lord of Hatred?

No. Lord of Hatred includes the full Vessel of Hatred expansion bundled in every edition. New players only need the base Diablo IV game plus Lord of Hatred. Existing VoH owners pay full LoH price — there is no upgrade path.

What classes are new in Lord of Hatred?

Two new classes: Paladin (returning from Diablo II as a holy melee fighter with a four-Oath specialization system — Juggernaut, Zealot, Judicator, Disciple) and Warlock (a new demon-binder class themed around forbidden knowledge with four Soul Shards — Legion, Vanguard, Mastermind, Ritualist). Paladin is available now in early access for pre-purchase owners. Warlock unlocks April 28.

War Plans is the new endgame system in Lord of Hatred. Players craft a custom playlist of up to five activities drawn from six slot-eligible options: The Pit, Nightmare Dungeons, Helltides, Infernal Hordes, Lair Bosses, and Kurast Undercity. Tree of Whispers also has its own War Plans skill tree but runs concurrently rather than occupying a slot. Each of the seven trees grants its own modifiers and rewards, and chain completion delivers consolidated bonuses.

Is the skill tree rework free?

Yes. The complete skill tree rework, Key Passive removal, level cap raise to 70, and loot filter are all free updates for every Diablo IV player — no expansion purchase required. The rework ships with over 40 reworked skills and 80+ bonus choices per class. Twenty-plus transformative variants per class are exclusive to Lord of Hatred owners.

Diablo IV

Everything confirmed about Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred — April 28, 2026 release, Paladin + Warlock classes, Skovos region, Horadric Cube return, War Plans endgame, and the free universal skill tree rework.

Expansion Launching April 28, 2026 10 min read

Lord of Hatred — Everything We Know

By the DiabloBytes team · Updated April 2026

Lord of Hatred is Diablo IV's second expansion and the conclusion of the "Age of Hatred" story arc begun in Vessel of Hatred. Mephisto, the Prime Evil of Hatred, is pushing toward the sacred isles of Skovos and the Pools of Creation. If he reaches them, Sanctuary is lost. The expansion ships two new playable classes, a new region, the returning Horadric Cube, a custom endgame system called War Plans, a full universal skill tree rework, and the long-requested loot filter.

⚔ Launch Details

Release: April 27, 2026 — 4:00 PM PDT (global sync — April 28 1:00 AM CEST)
Platforms: PC (Battle.net + Steam), PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S
Launches with: Season 13 — Season of Reckoning
Developer: Blizzard Team 3 + Blizzard Albany
Prerequisite: Base Diablo IV (Vessel of Hatred is bundled in every LoH edition)

Editions & Pricing

Standard Edition $39.99

Lord of Hatred + Vessel of Hatred bundled + Paladin early access + 1 stash tab + 2 character slots + WoW decor items.

Deluxe Edition $59.99

All Standard contents + cosmetic bundle + battle pass bundle.

Ultimate Edition $89.99

All Deluxe contents + High Heavensguard Paladin cosmetic bundle + Skartaran Basilisk mount + reactive back trophy + Skorch Chimera pet + 3,000 Platinum.

Prices sourced from Battle.net shop + retailer listings. Check Battle.net for live regional pricing.

Two New Classes

Paladin Early Access

Returning from Diablo II as a holy melee fighter. Uses Auras, Blessed Hammer, Zeal, and thrown shields. Specializes via the Oath System — pick Juggernaut (tank), Zealot (melee DPS), Judicator (ranged holy magic), or Disciple (Arbiter angelic form).

→ Paladin class overview

Warlock Apr 28 Launch

New demon-binder class. Dual-resource caster using Wrath + Dominance in a "Create / Control / Combo" loop. Four Soul Shards: Legion (swarm DPS), Vanguard (Demonform bruiser), Mastermind (stealth control), Ritualist (Overpower nuker).

→ Warlock class overview

What Lord of Hatred Adds

🏛

Skovos Isles region Eight waypoints across 11 named sub-regions (Temis hub plus Philios, Cetos, Lycander, Athulua, Xanderos, Atanos, Saltwind, Celestia, Cosmic Archives, Skartara). Three strongholds (Xanderos, Saltwind, Cosmic Archives). Birthplace of humanity in Diablo lore.

→ Read more

♾

Echoing Hatred Wave-survival arena entered via the Sightless Eye in Temis after using a rare Trace of Echoes. Overwhelm bar tracks live enemy count — AoE-strong builds dominate. Mythic Unique and Talisman drops scale with depth.

→ Read more

📜

Talismans & Charms New inventory tab with 1 Seal + 6 Charm sockets. Set bonuses at 2/3/5 pieces. Confirmed sets include Nilfur's Narrow Eye (Rogue), Cathan's Iron Conviction (Paladin), Werebear Companions (Druid), Berú of the Threefold (Sorcerer), and generic stat sets.

→ Read more

🔍

Loot Filter (free) 10 condition types, 1-25 rules per filter. Filters share via clipboard string. Free for all players, no expansion required. DiabloFilter.com hosts a community library.

→ Read more

🧊

Horadric Cube returns Crafting artifact in Temis. Adds/removes affixes, upgrades rarity, converts uniques into charms, re-rolls Set Charm affixes.

→ Read more

⚔

War Plans endgame Chain up to 5 activities from six slot options: The Pit, NMDs, Helltides, Infernal Hordes, Lair Bosses, Kurast Undercity. Tree of Whispers runs concurrently with its own skill tree. Each activity has its own 7-tree modifier path.

→ Read more

🌳

Skill tree rework (free) Key Passives removed. 40+ reworked skills and 80+ bonus choices per class. Skill upgrades can change damage type, element, or behavior.

→ Read more

📜

Mephisto campaign Conclude the Age of Hatred saga. Tyrael returns. The Wanderer pursues Mephisto to Skovos to stop him from corrupting the Pools of Creation.

→ Read more

📈

Level cap raised + Torment 12 Skill tree rework lets you spend the new points. World tier ceiling raised to Torment 12. Characters auto-refund points at patch drop.

🎣

Fishing Casual side activity in Skovos. Cast in water OR lava — different catch tables. Confirmed catches: Darkling, Blue Scale, Molten Martyr.

→ Read more

The Story

Neyrelle struggles to contain Mephisto, the Prime Evil of Hatred, after escaping Nahantu at the end of Vessel of Hatred. Mephisto's power stirs once more, spreading corruption toward Skovos. Unlike Lilith's overt invasion in the base campaign, Mephisto operates through manipulation — dissolving institutions from within, turning religion against itself, and patiently targeting the Pools of Creation where the first nephalem were born.

Blizzard frames Lord of Hatred as the conclusion of the "Age of Hatred" arc begun in Vessel of Hatred. Returning characters include Neyrelle (still carrying Mephisto's soulstone) and Lorath, the last of the Horadrim. A new boss, the Hateborn Abomination, a giant sea serpent, was revealed in pre-launch gameplay showcases.

Preparing for Launch

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Stockpile Obducite Masterworking is the endgame bottleneck. Farm Kurast Undercity Tribute of Refinement + Infernal Hordes + Treasure Breaches.
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Save Boss Lair Keys Summon materials for uniques like Dawnfire (Auradin Paladin enabler). Tribute of Titans in Kurast Undercity is the most efficient key farm.
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Hold gold to cap Masterworking resets and reroll costs scale hard at level 70 gear. Gold cap is reachable and worthwhile.
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Don't preload a build Every external build planner needs rebuilding for the reworked trees. Pre-LoH build codes will not import correctly. Play blind for the first session.
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Don't bank glyphs Glyph XP does not transfer between classes. Glyph prep for Paladin/Warlock is pointless — level them fresh post-launch.
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Skip the respec gold prep Respec cost is $0 since a prior patch. Points auto-refund at the rework patch drop.