Blizzard has revealed the first expansion for Diablo 4 at Blizzcon 2023, and it’s set to introduce a new location to Sanctuary alongside a totally new class. Although Season 2 is still well underway in Diablo 4, that hasn’t stopped Blizzard from looking far into the future, with the game’s first expansion set to hit shelves in late 2024.
We don’t know a great deal of what’s to come, but Blizzard has confirmed a bunch of critical details so far. Here’s what we know so far about the first Diablo 4 expansion, Vessel of Hatred.
What is the new location for Vessel of Hatred?
As revealed in the trailer for Vessel of Hatred, players can look forward to exploring the dense jungles of Nahantu. This is an area that series veterans have explored before in Diablo 2, so returning here is likely going to be a bit of a nostalgia trip for some.
What’s more, Nahantu is greatly juxtaposed by the rather desolate landscapes that the Fractured Peaks and surrounding areas offer in the base game of Diablo 4. We’ve only seen a CGI representation of the area so far, but it’s already looking vastly more verdant than anything we’ve seen in the game so far.
Who is the main villain in Vessel of Hatred?
As revealed in the trailer for Vessel of Hatred, the main villain for the new expansion will be the Prime Evil Mephisto. Just like the Nehantu, Mephisto is a returning character from Diablo 2, in which players previously fought and bested him as part of the campaign.
For reasons we’re not privy to just yet, Mephisto is back, and the story of the expansion will explore what demonic plans he has for this region of Sanctuary.
A new class is coming, but we don’t know what it is yet
Blizzard also teased that a new class will be coming in the Vessel of Hatred expansion, but we don’t currently know exactly what this will be. All Blizzard has told audiences so far is that the class will be completely new, and something that we have never seen in a Diablo game before.
We will update this article when we learn more information about how exactly this new Diablo 4 class will take shape.
The expansion isn’t coming until 2024
What we do know is that we’ll be waiting a good while before players can get their hands on the Vessel of Hatred expansion. Blizzard has set a preliminary launch window of late 2024, which means we could likely be waiting another 12 months before we can dive into the jungles of Nahantu.
However, a press release promises that we will learn more about the Vessel of Hatred expansion in the summer of 2024, so keep your eyes peeled for more information around then.
Check out our Diablo 4 homepage for more useful guides. If you’re looking to level up quickly, we have an explainer on the best XP farms in the game right now. Alternatively, find out where to find the Training Dummy that was added in Season 2 of Diablo 4.
