Diablo IV Lord of Hatred opens the road to Skovos

Blizzard launched Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred on April 28, 2026. The second expansion continued the pursuit of Mephisto in Skovos and introduced two contrasting classes: the Paladin and the Warlock.

Diablo IV Lord of Hatred: what changed

Skovos provides the setting for a new campaign tied to the Prime Evil of Hatred. The Paladin channels holy martial abilities, while the Warlock draws on darker forces. Blizzard also promoted broad system updates alongside the expansion, including a loot filter and a reworked skill tree. Lord of Hatred includes access to the earlier Vessel of Hatred expansion for eligible editions, but the Diablo IV base game is still required.

How it affects the game

Two classes let the same campaign support opposite combat identities. The Paladin offers direct defensive and sacred power, while the Warlock turns infernal themes into a playable toolset. System changes matter beyond the story because filtering loot and reading build routes shape the time between fights as much as the new region does.

What players should know

Expansion access, edition bonuses and early unlocks are separate questions. Paladin pre-purchase access preceded the full launch, whereas Lord of Hatred and its complete campaign arrived on April 28. Players should check current platform listings for ownership details and should not treat launch edition bonuses as permanent availability.

This report describes the confirmed release at the stated date. Live games may change through hotfixes, rotations and later seasons, so a launch feature should not be treated as permanently unchanged.

Sources: official information and published records. Factual claims were checked against the linked source and additional primary records; interpretation is our own.

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