Microsoft had one major announcement to make at The Game Awards 2025 presentation, and that was aimed at Diablo fans. Blizzard unveiled the latest expansion, named Lord of Hatred, that will be arriving to its action RPG Diablo IV next year, and accompanying it was a cinematic trailer with the usual high quality expected of the studio. As a surprise, a certain sword-and-shield-wielding class has already entered the battlefield.
The Lord of Hatred expansion will let players travel to Skovos, an ancient region that was the former home of Lilith and Inarius, as well as the firstborn civilization. Its waterlogged lands and volcanic coasts are full of cultists, sea horrors, and other apparitions to take down.
The story picks up after the events of the last expansion, with players finally going up against Mephisto. Somehow, Lilith is back in action too, and players may have to form an alliance with her this time.
While the Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred expansion is launching on April 28, 2026, fans can jump into one of the two classes of this release right now. One of them is the Paladin, and to get immediate access, you"ll have to pre-order the Lord of Hatred expansion, which comes in at $39.99.
The new Paladin class is focused on the tried and true shield and sword combo, with divine abilities, as seen on the trailer, also adding plenty of spice. Find all the details about the new class over here.
The second class will be unveiled at a later date and will be arriving with the full expansion launch next year.
Meanwhile, after finishing the Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred campaign, players will be entering an overhauled endgame that offers "War Plan" modifiers to favor the rewards they choose. Skill trees are another area that"s being touched up, and it"s not just for expansion owners. This involves gaining new skill customizations for all eight classes as well as a new loot filter to make specific treasure hunting easier for all players.
Other than instant access to the Paladin, pre-purchasing Lord of Hatred also gives instant access to Diablo IV"s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, alongside an extra Stash Tab, two more character slots, and three decor items for World of Warcraft players. This is just the standard edition, with the Ultimate and Deluxe versions adding on more items and bonuses.