Diablo 4’s Age of Hatred Could Extend Beyond Its Scheduled End

Sure, let’s roll with this. So, Diablo 4 and all that jazz. Ever since they threw out the Vessel of Hatred expansion, we’ve been stuck in this so-called Age of Hatred. Not gonna lie, the name’s a bit dramatic, but hey, it’s Diablo. This era is all about beefing up on stuff they tossed in with Vessel of Hatred. Big bosses like Urivar and the Harbinger of Hatred are stomping around, and oh yeah, they decided to grace everyone with the Kurast Undercity dungeon — thanks to Season 9’s Horadric Strongrooms, I guess?

Now, here’s the kicker: We’re all expecting this Age of Hatred to hit the road when the next expansion kicks in. Or, surprise — it might just hang around longer than anticipated. Why do I feel like they enjoy messing with us? Anyway, their 2025 roadmap (yes, they’ve planned that far ahead) says Age of Hatred sticks through the rest of the year. Core game mechanics are getting a facelift. I mean, the endgame bosses and Nightmare Dungeons got shook up with Season 8’s new ladder thing and those Escalating Nightmares from Season 9. Apparently, Infernal Hordes are next in line for Season 10.

But here’s where it gets juicy — Vessel of Hatred folks are getting the VIP treatment. Because why not give some extra love to those who forked over cash for this DLC? And this special treatment might stretch even after the next expansion hits the scene.

So, this next bit’s about how expansions are going to turn the whole player base into tiny little factions. I swear this gets more complicated. We’ve already got a split — those with and without Vessel of Hatred. But soon, fast forward to a future expansion, and there are gonna be FOUR different groups. Yeah, I know, it’s wild. You got your:
1. Players with both expansions.
2. Players holding on only to Vessel of Hatred.
3. Folks with just the new expansion.
4. And, drumroll please, people with neither expansion.

It’s getting harder to keep everyone happy, right? Blizzard’s set themselves up for quite the balancing act. They’ve got to keep that content train chugging along for each group, especially the ones who splurged on DLCs. Can’t just leave any of them eating dust, now can we?

Now, talking about content for Vessel of Hatred loyalists — it’s like Blizzard owes them something. Going forward, even with snazzy new DLC in the limelight, Vessel of Hatred diehards still deserve some exclusive magic. I mean, there’s loads of room for cool stuff that’ll stretch this Age of Hatred without us needing a time machine to the next expansion.

So, what’s this “cool stuff”? Imagine a future season popping up with fresh Mercenaries for recruitment — kind of a Vessel of Hatred exclusive club. Or maybe a new World Boss chilling in Nahantu. It’s like Diablo 4 has been snubbing us on World Bosses, so a Nahantu-exclusive boss? Yes, please. That’d keep players coming back, even if the map decides to grow a new arm in some random direction.

Oh, and the plot thickens — they’re teasing Diablo 4’s second expansion, slated for 2026. Guess what that means? Yep, Age of Hatred isn’t going anywhere fast. Buckle up, folks; it seems we’re in this for the long haul.