Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred - New Class, Story & Features

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Expansion - Everything You Need to Know

A year and four months after launch, Diablo 4 gets its first major expansion. Vessel of Hatred brings the Spiritborn class, takes us to the jungle region of Nahantu, and adds the endgame content players have been asking for since day one.

Release Details

• Launch Date: October 7, 2024
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
• Price: $39.99 for standard edition

The Spiritborn: A New Way to Play

The Spiritborn is Diablo 4's sixth class, and it's nothing like what we've seen before. Where other classes draw from traditional fantasy archetypes, the Spiritborn channels animal spirits from Nahantu's jungle mythology. After hands-on time at Gamescom 2024, it's clear this isn't just a reskinned Monk or Druid.

Your playstyle depends on which Spirit Guardian you channel:

• Jaguar (Rezoka): Hit-and-run assassin gameplay with speed buffs
• Gorilla (Wumba): Tank through damage while dishing out crowd control
• Eagle (Kwatli): Mobility and evasion with dive-bombing attacks
• Centipede (Balazan): Poison specialist with damage-over-time effects

The twist? You can mix and match spirits. Want Jaguar speed with Gorilla tankiness? Go for it. The class uses polearms, glaives, and quarterstaves, finally giving those weapon types a dedicated home.

Welcome to the Jungle

Nahantu isn't your typical "green zone with trees." This is a proper jungle that feels alive and hostile. Ancient Mayan-inspired temples peek through the canopy, vines actually block your path, and the humidity practically drips off your screen. It's the most atmospheric region Diablo 4 has delivered yet.

The Story Continues

Remember Neyrelle? She took off with Mephisto's soulstone at the end of the base game, and spoiler alert: things aren't going great. The expansion follows her into Nahantu as Mephisto's corruption spreads. It's less "save the world" and more "clean up the mess we made," which honestly feels more grounded.

What you'll find in Nahantu:

• Living Jungle: Environmental hazards that actually matter, from quicksand to carnivorous plants
• Corrupted Temples: Each dungeon tells a piece of the region's history while you loot it
• New Boss Fights: Including the Harbinger of Hatred, Mephisto's new form that's genuinely unsettling

The Stuff That Actually Matters

Beyond the new zone and class, Vessel of Hatred addresses many of the "why isn't this in the game?" complaints from launch:

• Level Cap to 60: Not huge, but gives you 10 more Paragon points to play with
• Runewords Return: Remember these from Diablo 2? They're back, letting you craft custom triggered abilities
• Dark Citadel: A proper raid dungeon requiring 2-4 players and actual coordination
• Kurast Undercity: Time-attack dungeon for solo players who hate other people
• Party Finder: Finally, a way to group up without spamming Discord servers
• Mercenaries: AI companions that don't completely suck (they have their own progression system)

What You're Really Here For: Loot

The expansion adds a decent chunk of new gear:

• 30+ new Legendary items and Aspects (including some genuinely build-defining ones)
• Spiritborn class sets that actually look distinct
• Jungle-themed cosmetics that don't look like they came from a different game
• New Paragon glyphs to further break the game balance

Worth Your $40?

For current players: Absolutely. The Spiritborn alone justifies the price if you're bored with existing classes, and the endgame additions give you actual reasons to keep grinding.

For lapsed players: This is your re-entry point. The expansion includes enough quality-of-life improvements that the game feels noticeably better than at launch.

For newcomers: Maybe start with the base game first. While you can jump straight into Vessel of Hatred, you'll miss context and the power progression feels better starting from scratch.

The expansion does what good expansions should: fixes problems, adds meaningful content, and gives players new toys to break. Nahantu might be the best zone in the game, and the Spiritborn might be the most interesting class. That's a pretty good batting average.