Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
Vessel of Hatred is a paid expansion for Diablo 4 set to be released by Blizzard on October 8. The expansion will be available in three prices editions and will introduce a lots of new content and challenges for players. We hope this guide helps you prepare for the release.
In Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, a new region called Nahantu will be introduced. In this area, players will encounter reimagined locations from Diablo 2, such as Kurast Bazaar, Kurast Docks, and Travincal. The story of Diablo 4 takes place 72 years after the events of Diablo 2, so it will be interesting to see how these old places have changed over time.
Table of content
Story of Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
The storyline of Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred picks up where the story of Diablo 4 left off. After the events of Act VI, Lorath and the Wanderer discover that Neyrelle has left with the Soulstone containing Mephisto's essence, leaving behind a message. In this message, Neyrelle reveals her intent to protect the world by confronting Mephisto herself, no matter the cost. Neyrelle heads to the new region of Nahantu to deal with the Soulstone that contains Mephisto's soul. Her main objective in Nahantu is to reach Akarat's Tomb. However, things do not go as planned: Mephisto's soul influences Neyrelle, manipulating her perceptions and emotions to prevent her from achieving her goal.
Nahantu first appeared in the Diablo series in the second game. In Diablo 2, Mephisto was imprisoned in the Soulstone in Travincal, located in Kurast. The soul of Mephisto was guarded by the priests of the Zakarum religion, known in Diablo 4 as the Church of the Light. However, Mephisto managed to corrupt those who were supposed to protect the world from him. Corrupted priests rebelled against their spiritual leader, Que-Hegan. The new Que-Hegan soon became possessed by Mephisto, and when the Soulstone shattered into fragments, a large fragment ended up in Que-Hegan, while the rest were scattered among the priests, who became known as the Fell Council. The new quest, Eyes of the Enemy, in Diablo 4 Season 5 involves gathering the body of the second Que-Hegan, named Sankekur, to cleanse him of Mephisto's hatred. These events are happening parallel to Neyrelle's attempts to send Mephisto's soul into the void, which will likely be tied to the storyline of Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred.
New Class in Vessel of Hatred
In Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, a new class called Spiritborn will be introduced. If you're familiar with the Diablo series, you might notice that Spiritborn's gameplay is reminiscent of the Monk from Diablo 3. Spiritborn is a thematic class inspired by the jungles of Nahantu. As the name suggests, the character is connected to spirits, specifically the Spirit Guardians: Centipede, Eagle, Gorilla, and Jaguar. The choice of spirit affects gameplay: the Jaguar Guardian focuses on attack speed and increased damage, while the Gorilla Guardian is oriented towards survivability (evasion, barriers, and health). Regardless of the chosen Spirit Guardian, Spiritborn offers fast-paced gameplay with dynamic melee attacks. Spiritborn wields two-handed weapons, including glaives, quarterstaffs, and polearms. Additionally, Spiritborn has Ultimate abilities that summon Spirit Guardians, making the class both engaging and unique. Depending on the chosen spirit, Spiritborn can function as either a tank or a damage dealer.
Spirit Guardians:
- Balazan the Centipede — Focuses on poison damage and heals the player when defeating enemies.
- Kwatli the Eagle — Specializes in lightning damage, with an emphasis on mobility and increased movement speed.
- Wumba the Gorilla— Focuses on physical damage, with an emphasis on reducing enemy damage and providing barriers for himself and allies.
- Rezoka the Jaguar — Specializes in fire damage, with an emphasis on attack speed and area-of-effect (AOE) damage.
The old classes aren't going anywhere, but they will be updated. While Blizzard hasn't shared specific details yet, it doesn't really matter, because if you need a meta and powerful build, you can always turn to our Builds Boost.
Mercenaries
In the new paid expansion for Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, new NPCs called Mercenaries will be introduced to assist you in your adventures. At launch, four Mercenaries will be available in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred:
Raheir — Shieldbearer"Born to the lawless streets of Gea Kul and trained by the noble Iron Wolves." Raheir is a tank designed to absorb damage from enemies. He can also create a protective barrier around himself.
Varyana — Berserker Crone "A former cannibal who left her tribe when they started dealing with darker forces, she is a butcher by trade, turned Mercenary." Varyana is a berserker focused on dealing physical damage in melee combat. Her ability allows her to pull enemies into the range of her attacks.
Aldkin — Cursed Child"A half-child, half-demon creature: Aldkin was born part-demonic as a result of the First Khazra within the Citadel performing dark rituals on his mother." Aldkin deals massive AoE fire damage using spells.
Subo — Drunken Archer"A disgraced Archer from the mountains, shunned by the same people who had looked to him for salvation, now a bounty hunter for hire." Subo is an archer who deals AoE damage at a distance, unleashing a flurry of arrows. He can also mark targets and provide buffs upon their defeat
You can recruit two Mercenaries: one primary who will automatically join you when playing solo, and an additional one that can be summoned as Reinforcements. There is also a Rapport system: the more you play with a Mercenary, the stronger they become. You can upgrade their abilities, which can aid both in combat and in various activities like trading. You can negotiate with Mercenaries for Pale Marks, and prices will vary depending on your Rapport level. Hiring Mercenaries will require gold, and not just for that. This expansion introduces many new mechanics and items that will need gold, and our Diablo 4 Gold service will help you save a lot of time on farming gold.
The Dark Citadel
In Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, a new cooperative end-game activity called The Dark Citadel will be introduced on October 8. To participate, you will need at least two players. The Dark Citadel is located at the bottom of a crater, where the Khazra are trying to summon their dark lord using the power within the crater. Players will need to stop this from happening by navigating through challenges and exploring the maze in cooperative mode. The Dark Citadel will feature new mechanics and challenges that cannot be completed solo.
Rewards for The Dark Citadel in D4 Vessel of Hatred will change weekly, encouraging players to return regularly. In addition to the weekly-changing rewards, a new item called the Scroll of Retempering will be available. This item resets the Tempering Durability on gear and is single-use. The Scroll of Retempering can drop not only in The Dark Citadel but also in the regular world, albeit with a lower drop rate. Additionally, two new currencies will be introduced: Citadel Coins and Khazra Horns. Citadel Coins will likely drop from elite enemies and bosses within The Dark Citadel, while Khazra Horns will drop from Khazra enemies found in the Dark Citadel and will be used in alchemy. If you're looking for Unique Items but don't want to repeatedly run through the Citadel and other dungeons, you can use our Unique Items Boost.
What if you don't have friends to play Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s The Dark Citadel with? Blizzard has thought of that too and will be releasing the Diablo 4 Party Finder alongside Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred. The Party Finder will make it easier for solo players to find groups for The Dark Citadel and other activities in Diablo 4.
New Dungeons in Vessel of Hatred
In Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, 13 new standard dungeons and one unique dungeon called Kurast Undercity will be introduced. Kurast Undercity is a new multi-stage dungeon with a time limit, ideal for endgame farming. In the Undercity, you'll face hordes of monsters with a time limit for completion, which can be extended by defeating Afflicted Demons. You'll need to use the extra time to reach and defeat the final boss. As you kill monsters in this dungeon, you'll earn Attunement, which you can use to enhance the quality of loot from the boss. However, as the loot quality improves, the dungeon's difficulty increases.
The 13 new dungeons in Nahantu include:
- Betrayed Tomb Spirits writhe as hollows screech out in monstrous agony.
- Feeding Grounds Fresh victims are fed to the demons in this place.
- Forge of Malice The fires of hatred continue to burn in this hidden refuge.
- Hallowed Stones Many lost souls are bound to the Tree by the echoes of their past sins. Returning to the site of transgression to cleanse it of evil may yet bring them penance.
- Hierophant Pyre Once used to burn opposers of Sankekur, the pyres are relit.
- Iron Cenotaph The first home of the Iron Wolves before the fall of Kurast.
- Murmuring Spiral Scales and spirals hypnotize, and some come too close.
- Putrescent Larder The repugnant air reveals where the Lacuni store their meats.
- Razak's Descent Where light is lost and intentions are twisted within roots.
- Remnants of Rage Within the confines, something restless trembles.
- Seething Underpass Submerged corruption rises from the sunken channels.
- Ularian Sepulcher Cursed burial ground, feared by all.
- Vile Hive The sounds of skittering fiends echo through this foul nest.
New Strongholds in Vessel of Hatred
In Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, two new Strongholds will be introduced. The first is called The Festering Dark. In this Stronghold, the main mechanic involves using the Reliquary Lantern to light your way through dark areas. To fend off enemy attacks, you need to throw the lantern on the ground. Picking up the Reliquary Lantern changes all your skills to a single ability—throwing the lantern. At the end of this Stronghold, you will face a boss that continues the theme of light in darkness: the final boss is invulnerable in the dark, forcing you to fight him in small patches of light amid the darkness.
The second Stronghold is called Chakhiron. It is significantly simpler and thematically resembles Maya ruins. All enemies and bosses in this Stronghold focus on poison damage, but the final boss is actually two enemies that you must fight simultaneously.
Conclusion
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is a new paid expansion featuring many new mechanics and locations. After all these years, we are finally returning to Nahantu, continuing the story of Diablo 4 and seeing how Mephisto will play a bigger role in the Diablo series. We eagerly await the release of Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred on October 8th and hope our guide helps you prepare for the expansion.
Change Log
- 30.09.2024 - Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred published.