Lord of Hatred and Paladin Class Reveal
Time: 2025-12-13
During the Game Awards 2025, Blizzard revealed the Lord of Hatred Expansion along with the new Paladin Class, and teased a second class when the expansion arrived. Blizzard dropped some additional details via IGN, adding some context to the story, revealing a new region in Skovos, and teasing all of the new and reworked gameplay systems coming in the expansion.
Lord of Hatred Expansion
Lord of Hatred is the second entry in Blizzard's "Age of Hatred" saga which continues Mephisto's storyline. This time you travel to the Skovos region and face foes both familiar and new (including the return of Lilith). Skovos is the birthplace o the first civilization, home to both Lilith and Inarius. The landscape is dotted with ancient ruins, dense forests and volcanic coastlines. The Angels, and Demons no longer rule this land, instead you will encounter the Oracle, and the Amazon Queen. Check out the Lord of Hatred trailer from the Game Awards to learn more about the upcoming expansion.
Blizzard was less clear about what the second class, coming with the expansion would be. Leaving only this enigmatic hint that it:
looms on the dark horizon its power undeniable, its arrival poised to reshape the battlefield when Lord of Hatred launches in April.
The expansion includes a rework to the skill tree to include more class-specific customization. In addition the level cap is rising, loot filters are finally being added to the game, crafting is enhanced, and the fan favorite Horadric cube returns. The endgame is also getting an overhaul, with set bonuses from the new Talisman, War Plans to select favored endgame activities and the new "Echoing Hatred" endgame activity. Also, the expansion adds Fishing, for those times when you want to relax after a long day of slaughtering demons.
Preorder Lord of Hatred, Play Paladin
During the trailer, Blizzard showcased the Paladin wielding a sword, throwing both their hammer and shield, and summoning a spear of holy lightning to smite the forces of hell. The Lord of Hatred expansion includes the Vessel of Hatred (granting access to the Spiritborn) in addition to unlocking the Paladin, an extra stash tab, 2 character slots, and three World of Warcraft decor items.
The short trailer doesn't show off a lot but we can surmise a few things about the paladin's playstyle:
- Heavily armored melee combatant.
- Proficient with swords, hammers, and holy magic.
- Uses a shield (and can throw it).
- smite your foes with holy lightning!
Paladin Guides Soon
That's all (for now) about the Lord of Hatred reveal, Paladin Class and region of Skovos. Stay tuned for more Diablo 4 news, including Paladin Guides and resources for the Season of Divine Intervention.
