Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred officially revealed. Lots of info about the new DLC to Blizzard's game and Paladin

Titan Quest 2 will face unexpected competition, as the second expansion for Diablo IV, titled Lord of Hatred, announced at The Game Awards 2025, will be set in a theme reminiscent of ancient Greece. Tthis expansion will introduce two new character classes – the first being the long-awaited Paladin, while the second has not yet been revealed. We only know that it "looms on the dark horizon," and its power "is unquestionable." This will bring the total number of classes to eight.

The release of Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred is scheduled for April 28, 2026, on PC, PS4, PS5, XOne, and XSX/S. Below, you can watch the first trailer for the DLC, presented today by Blizzard.

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred

The titular Lord of Hatred is, of course, Mephisto, with whom we will finally have a showdown. To stop him, we will form a distrustful alliance with... Lilith, the antagonist of the "base game." Together, we will venture to Skovos, the cradle of the first civilization, home to this demoness and Inarius.

This land – "currently under the rule of the Oracle and the Queen of the Amazons, combining volcanic coasts, storm-battered forests, and ruins soaked with forgotten knowledge – has so far only been mentioned in the Diablo series, so players can expect new cities, characters, and monsters." With its maritime climate, Skovos is quite reminiscent of ancient Greece, which, as I mentioned in the introduction, evokes associations with Titan Quest 2.

As for the gameplay, there are four major changes compared to Diablo IV and the Vessel of Hatred expansion.

First, the skill trees will be revamped. As a result, new skills dedicated to specific character classes will appear on them.

Second, Blizzard will implement an improved item filter. This will make it easier to manage the "junk" that accumulates on the battlefield.

Third, Diablo IV will feature the Horadric Cube, known from Diablo II, which will elevate crafting to a higher level. Along with it, a special talisman will be introduced, unlocking powerful bonuses for specific armor sets that define character classes.

Fourth, the endgame will finally be improved – it is to be more focused on player choices, mastery points, increasing challenges, and increasingly better rewards. The War Plans will help with that, letting players create their own progression path by focusing on their favorite activities and strategically choosing gameplay modifiers. The real challenge for the character's skills will be the Echoing Hatred battles, where there's no room for mistakes or weaknesses as you face endless hordes of demons. As a sort of break from them, Diablo IV players will engage in a new activity – fishing.

Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred will be sold in three editions. The standard one includes the "base game" and the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. The Deluxe Edition offers, among other things, a Premium Battle Pass, a pet, a mount, and the High Heavens Guard Cosmetic Bundle. The Ultimate Edition additionally provides the Umbral Knights Armor Bundle for 6 character classes, the Steed of the Shining Realm Bundle, a trophy, and a portal skin.

What's important, every pre-order will guarantee Early Access to the Paladin class. The second, undisclosed class will be available only at launch. Moreover, for pre-ordering, we will receive an extra bookmark, 2 character slots, and 3 decorative items for WoW.

Paladin in Diablo 4

Let's get back to the Paladin, since that's probably what some of you are most curious about. He will wield a sword (or hammer) and shield, as well as the power of Light—which also serves to enchant weapons—and will use skills familiar to fans of Diablo II, such as Blessed Hammer, Blessed Shield, Conviction, Zeal, and Fist of the Heavens, dealing Holy damage. Some cool new features are coming, like auras and holy summoning skills. One of them even lets you transform into a glowing angelic figure that looks a lot like Tyrael.

The oaths known from the second installment will receive a full-fledged system, encompassing four paths related to knightly principles. Moloch will focus on defense and shield usage, Zealot will make use of zeal to fight in a "frenzied manner," Judge will deliver divine justice through summons, and Adept will transform into the aforementioned Arbiter.

Diablo IV

June 6, 2023

Rate It!

• Overview
• Guide
• Maps
• Review

• DLC and expansions
• Blizzard
• release dates / delays (games)
• The Game Awards
• Diablo (franchise)