Yesterday, Blizzard revealed nearly 12 minutes of intro gameplay for the upcoming Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion. The massive update drops on April 28, 2026. Mephisto currently holds the upper hand. He roams Sanctuary inside the body of Akarat, the blessed Zakarum prophet. Now, he heads to the ancient island of Skovos to corrupt the Pools of Creation and flood the world with Hatred.
The First 12 Minutes of Gameplay
The new footage builds immense hype for the expansion. First, the Wanderer and Lorath Nahr meet on the docks to book a ship to Skovos. While there, a Hand of Akarat preacher announces a coming omen in the form of an eclipse. Next, this same priest attacks their ship. The Wanderer aggressively fights through a host of new enemies. These foes include merfolk, crabs, water aberrations, and sea serpents. Finally, the Wanderer confronts the Hand of Akarat. Mephisto briefly possesses the preacher, transforming him into a horrifying Hateborn Abomination.
Mephisto’s Masterful Deception
This gameplay follows a cinematic teaser released last week called “The Queen and The Saint”. That video featured Akarat and Adreona, the Amazon queen of Skovos. Lorath attempted to warn Adreona, his old friend from The Lost Horadrim prequel novel. However, Mephisto’s magic deeply deceived Lorath. The Great Evil tricked Lorath into killing the queen. Miraculously, “Akarat” resurrected her before a crowd and urged her to spare the Horadrim.
Consequently, Mephisto easily manipulates the masses. He commands droves of loyal followers willing to die for him because they truly believe he is the Shepherd of Light reborn. Ultimately, players must work with Lilith herself to defeat Mephisto and end the Age of Hatred.
New Classes & Diablo 4 Features
Beyond the Skovos zone and the main story, the expansion brings massive updates. Blizzard introduces two classes. Players can jump into the Paladin class right now. Meanwhile, the Warlock unlocks on the April 28 launch date.
Furthermore, the expansion delivers reworked Skill Trees for every class, a new Loot Filter, and the returning Horadric Cube. Players can also explore the War Plans customizable progression system and the Echoing Hatred endless game mode. Finally, a new fishing minigame gives players a fresh activity. This expansion clearly packs something for everyone.
