Summary
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatredis introducing The Dark Citadel, a new co-op PvE endgame experience that combines a gauntlet of enemies, creative puzzles, and challenging boss fights. It could be argued thatDiablo 4had an immensely successful launch, having broken a fair few Blizzard records, and maintained an impressive player count during its first couple of weeks. However, it didn’t take long for public opinion to sour onDiablo 4, as many fans cited a grindy gameplay loop, poor itemization, and lack of endgame variety as major issues that needed to be addressed.
The real blow came with the disastrous launch of Season of the Malignant, and thoughDiablo 4steadily improved its shortcomingsvia subsequent seasons, the community very much seesVessel of Hatredas the deciding factor ofDiablo 4’s legacy. The parallels toDiablo 3’sReaper of Soulsare obvious, and while the same outcome is not guaranteed,Vessel of Hatredis treading familiar ground for theDiablofranchise.
In addition to revealing the Mercenary system forDiablo 4, Blizzard took the opportunity tointroduce The Dark Citadelduring Gamescom. Much like Nightmare Dungeons andHelltides inDiablo 4, The Dark Citadel is meant to be an endgame PvE experience, albeit one designed for a group size from two to four players.
What is The Dark Citadel in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred?
to facilitate the level of coordination required for The Dark Citadel inDiablo 4, Blizzard is also introducing a new Markers system to allow players to communicate nonverbally. Given how much cosmetics play a big part inDiablo 4, players will also be able to earn exclusive appearances by completing The Dark Citadel on top of its weekly reward cache. While it remains to be seen if it will attain the same level of popularity as Greater Rifts fromReaper of Souls, thecontent and features inVessel of Hatredare certainly built for the long term.
With a release date set for June 24, 2025, it won’t be long until players set foot in the region of Nahantu. On top of The Dark Citadel and the Mercenary system, another feature that will define the upcomingDiablo 4expansion is thenew Spiritborn class. Completely new to the franchise, the Spiritborn can best be described as a combination of the Monk and Witch Doctor fromDiablo 3, whose lore will be heavily tied to Nahantu and its jungles.
