Today at Blizzcon, Blizzard teased an upcoming expansion to Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, which will include a brand new, never-seen-before in Diablo class. It's coming in late 2024.
We didn't get too many details about Vessel of Hatred beyond that, though we did learn it will take place in a region called Nahantu, and will concern the fate of Mephisto and his plans for Sanctuary.
We might be able to glean just a little more from some recent datamines, which suggested an expansion called "Lord of Hatred" rather than Vessel of Hatred, but did center Mephisto. The datamine suggests new questlines, new gear, and new endgame activities, as well as a new class called "Spiritborn" and a mercenary system for NPC companions to fight alongside the player.
Datamines frequently include outdated or even inaccurate information, so it's possible all of the above is changed or not relevant by the time the actual Vessel of Hatred expansion rolls around. But it could be a useful clue to Diablo fans hungrily gobbling up details of what the Prime Evils of Hell are cooking up.
Diablo 4 has been on a roll lately, with a successful season of vampire-themed content in Season of Blood. We've loved the game since launch, giving it a 9/10 and calling it a "stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down." Its most recent patch, 1.2.1, made respecs a lot easier for players. Meanwhile, players are still hard at work trying to solve the mystery of the game's secret Cow Level.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.