Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred has officially launched, but you might still not be able to play it.
As reported by Gamer Social Club, Blizzard was not even able to get the game launched on its 4 PM PT schedule. Blizzard director Adam Fletcher addressed fans on Twitter himself to confirm that they were still planning the launch for today, but that it could take a few hours.
Adam eventually confirmed that the game had officially gone live around five hours after. The rollout may also be staggered to other parts of the world, but at least, the gamers who have gotten in do get to stay in to play.
Adam also addressed a very specific issue affecting some but not all players:
“For anyone with Spiritborn showing as locked despite owning Vessel of Hatred, please try choosing a different class and backing out.”
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred was announced all the way back last year, and while gamers have had to wait that much longer to get to it, what Blizzard promised seems to have been pretty much worth it.
Story spoilers follow in the next three paragraphs.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is about the return of the Lord of Hatred, and the first Brother among the Three Evils, Mephisto. You defeated Mephistoall the way back in Diablo II, but now a wayward adventurer named Neyrelle holds the key to either resurrecting or destroying him.
We won’t share the full story details but this expansion finds Neyrelle traveling to the jungle sanctuary of Nahantu, carrying no less than Mephisto’s Soulstone. Like Frodo and the One Ring, Neyrelle seeks to reach the Vault of Light, and find a way to destroy the Soulstone.
Unlike Frodo, Neyrelle has no Samwise to protect her, and so Mephisto has been using her to harm humanity with every step she takes. Mephisto has also been trying to corrupt Neyrelle herself, and in spite of her best efforts, we may have to be prepared to fight a good person fated to doom.
Nahantu offers an exciting new jungle realm for Diablo players, clearly inspired by settings and peoples found in South America. The Spiritborn themselves are a new class, with gear and weapons that clearly show their inspiration to the Aztecs.
Everything about this expansion absolutely screams the next coming of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. While Blizzard struggled to retain players with seasons, if this major expansion hits hard, they may abandon that idea altogether to focus on making each expansion that much grander.
