Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred release date, trailer, Warlock, and much more

Diablo 4’s Lord of Hatred could be just what we need to get us back into vanquishing the forces of hell, and it’s release date is certainly creeping up.

With players already able to enjoy the Paladin preorder bonus as part of Season 11, the game has not only brought dungeon-divers back, but they’re sticking around, too.

Here’s all we know about the new expansion, including the latest on the Warlock class that’s now been confirmed to be joining the lineup.

The Escapist recaps

• Diablo 4’s second expansion, Lord of Hatred, launches in April 2026.
• It’ll include a new campaign, fresh locations to explore, and two new classes – the Paladin and the Warlock.
• Pre-ordering the expansion gets you the Paladin right now, and it’s one of the game’s strongest classes.

Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred release date and preorder bonus

Lord of Hatred arrives on April 28, 2026, meaning we aren’t all that far from being able to go head-to-head (or head-to-horns) with Mephisto.

Pre-ordering the new Diablo 4 expansion will net you instant access to the Paladin class to enjoy right now, but that’s not all. 

By buying any version of the expansion, you’ll gain access to Vessel of Hatred, too, which includes the Spiritborn class. You’ll also get additional items for World of Warcraft, with additional Diablo 4 cosmetics included in the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions of the expansion.

What to expect from Lord of Hatred

We know the storyline will follow on from 2024’s Vessel of Hatred expansion, pitting us against one of the Prime Evils himself, Mephisto.

It’s curious that Diablo 4 is almost three years old at this point, and we still haven’t seen, well, Diablo himself yet, but Blizzard is pitching this as the way we finish the fight against Mephisto at least.

The new location, Skovos, offers a region that has a rich lore and history tied to both Lilith and Inarius, with the Daughter of Hatred returning as an ally this time around. Confused? So are we, but we’re excited to have it all revealed.

Lord of Hatred classes

While Vessel of Hatred added the Spiritborn, Lord of Hatred will add two new Diablo 4 classes: The Paladin, and the newly-revealed Warlock.

As we’ve mentioned, you can grab the Paladin right now by pre-ordering, and it’s worth doing so because it’s particularly powerful in Season 11 of the game.

Curiously, the Warlock is also coming to Diablo Immortal, as well as Diablo 2 Resurrected.

The Diablo 4 version shows the Warlock at “the height of their strength” and works to turn the force of hell against itself. There’s a full developer update on March 5 to go deeper on the Warlock specifically, so we’ll update this page soon.

Item and Endgame changes

One of the big new additions is the return of the Horadric Cube, and it’ll let you combine materials to better suit how you play. We’re also getting set bonuses via a new Talisman and Charms system.

Skill Trees are getting a rework, too. Diablo 4 classes tend to have a handful of great builds, but there’s not a lot of flexibility to color outside the lines. Blizzard said that every skill in the game will have adjustable options going forward, like turning the Sorcerer’s Hydra from a flaming creature into an icy one.

Another big boon is the fresh endgame. In Lord of Hatred, players will craft War Plans to essentially plot their own Endgame route, with a new Echoing Hatred arena the place to fight literally infinite foes for better rewards.

There’s also fishing, too, and we can expect more improvements to the Leaderboard feature tied to The Tower, which launched in January.

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References

1. Pre-purchase Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred™ (Steam)