It has been just over a year since Diablo IV was released and to mark the occasion, fans were treated to details on its first expansion, titled Vessel of Hatred.

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The dungeon crawler became developer Blizzard’s fastest selling game of all time when it launched in June 2023, followed by a heap of glowing reviews from both players and critics.

Vessel of Hatred moves the action to a new region called Nahantu and takes place after the events of the base game as Neyrelle leads us deep into an ancient jungle. A new cinematic trailer gave us a glimpse of Mephisto, who looks as menacing as ever, and Neyrelle’s struggles to save her own soul.

Tons of details were revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase, which took place on Sunday 9th June 2024, and it promised the new expansion to be everything we’ve come to expect from a Diablo game, which means it’ll be twisted, gory and creepy.

Read on for all of the information you need on Vessel of Hatred.

When is the Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred release date?

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred will be released on Tuesday 8th October 2024.

By the time it launches, the base game will have been out for well over a year, which will have given players plenty of time to make their way through the story and hone their skills.

Aside from just a confirmed release date, Blizzard also updated us with information on what is included in the expansion as well as pre-order bonuses.

What’s included in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred?

On top of the new region of Sanctuary called Nagantu, Vessel of Hatred will also include the debut of a new character class called the Spiritborn.

Little is known at the moment about this addition, but the developer has promised more details will be revealed on 18th July. We do know that the class is set to be “battle-hardened with mystical powers”.

An image (below) also shows a warrior clad in green armour, complete with what looks to be a leopard’s head as a menacing headpiece.

Warrior dressed in green armour against a green backdrop
The Spiritborn in Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred. Blizzard

Mercenaries are another new inclusion, which helps players who are venturing through the game alone. These AI-controlled characters will bring unique abilities to every quest, which means you don’t have to face hordes of enemies on your own.

A brand new PvE end-game activity set in a unique dungeon has also been teased, but little information is known about that at the time of writing. As soon as information is unveiled, we’ll update this page.

Lastly, and potentially the most intriguing of all for us animal loves, is the addition of pets, which are available in the base game immediately. Pets, including dogs and big cats will help us out with gold and material pick ups and give us a general feel of security when wandering around the depths of a dark dungeon.

Blizzard also unleashed a heap of bonuses for anyone pre-ordering the expansion, which players can do now from their respective digital storefronts. The full details are below.

Standard edition

  • Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion
  • A snow leopard pet called Alkor
  • Mother’s Lament Legendary Gem for Diablo Immortal

Deluxe edition

  • Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion
  • A snow leopard pet called Alkor
  • Mother’s Lament Legendary Gem for Diablo Immortal
  • Nahantu Veilwalker Spiritborn Armour
  • Canine pet called Hratli
  • Nahantu war cat mount and armour bundle
  • One premium battle pass token

Ultimate edition

  • Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion
  • A snow leopard pet called Alkor
  • Mother’s Lament Legendary Gem for Diablo Immortal
  • Nahantu Veilwalker Spiritborn Armour
  • Canine pet called Hratli
  • Nahantu war cat mount and armour bundle
  • One premium battle pass token
  • 3,000 platinum
  • A tiger pet called Natalya
  • Nahantu Unearthed armour bundle - 5 class armour sets
  • Wings of the Faith cosmetic
  • Nahantu themed town portal

If you can’t wait for the release of Diablo IV’s upcoming expansion, Vessel of Hatred then why not check out the latest trailer below.

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Authors

A bearded Joshua Lamb wearing a suit and tie
Joshua LambFreelance Writer

Joshua Lamb is a freelance writer at Radio Times Gaming, covering news and guides. He is also a games journalist and critic at The Times where he reviews the latest titles, having also previously reported on events such as Gamescom and the BAFTA Game Awards.

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