Vessel of Hatred
Vessel of Hatred is Diablo IV's first expansion. Steam lists it as DLC 3043530 with a store date of October 7, 2024. It continues the Mephisto story in Nahantu, adds the Spiritborn class, Mercenaries, and the Dark Citadel, and it is included in full when you buy Lord of Hatred. If you already own Lord of Hatred you do not buy Vessel of Hatred a second time. The expansion still requires the Diablo IV base game. Spiritborn, Nahantu, Mercenaries, and the Dark Citadel are the four additions. Lord of Hatred buyers already have them on the same receipt.
What Vessel of Hatred adds
Nahantu is the jungle region the expansion opens. Spiritborn is the class tied to that region: a jungle predator whose Spirit Hall synergies are the signature system. Mercenaries give you hired companions for the expansion content. The Dark Citadel is the multi-faceted PvE dungeon with Party Finder, which is the co-op pinnacle unique to this SKU.
Those four additions are the shopping list: region, class, companion layer, and co-op dungeon. If you only want Paladin, Warlock, Skovos, War Plans, or the Horadric Cube, you are shopping for Lord of Hatred instead, and that purchase already contains this expansion. If you only want Spiritborn and the Dark Citadel, Vessel of Hatred is the smaller SKU. Spiritborn is the class. Nahantu is the region. Mercenaries are the companions. Dark Citadel is the co-op dungeon with Party Finder. If you want Paladin, Warlock, Skovos, or War Plans, you are on the wrong expansion page.
Who needs this SKU
You need Vessel of Hatred if you want Spiritborn, Nahantu, Mercenaries, or the Dark Citadel and you do not already own Lord of Hatred. Seasonal objectives in Season of Hell's Legacy can point at expansion activities; Nightmare Dungeons and other season goals may require an expansion even when the season itself is free to enter. About 15 percent of the current season rank, including Rank VIII rewards, wants Lord of Hatred specifically, not this SKU alone.
The Steam free window does not convert Vessel of Hatred into a free DLC. It covers the base game through level 30. After September 21, 2026 at 10 a.m. PT you buy the base game, then add this expansion or jump to Lord of Hatred / the Age of Hatred Collection if you want both chapters in one purchase. Nintendo Switch 2 ships the collection with both expansions already inside. The Steam free window does not include this DLC. After September 21, 2026 at 10 a.m. PT you buy Standard, then this expansion, or you jump to Lord of Hatred / Age of Hatred Collection and receive Vessel of Hatred inside that receipt.
Dark Citadel and the live season
The Dark Citadel is the Vessel of Hatred co-op dungeon. Party Finder is the matchmaking hook on that activity. It sits next to Echoing Hatred and The Pit on the endgame board as a named co-op run rather than an open-world event. If your group is expansion-gated, this is the dungeon you schedule; Helltides and World Bosses remain available on the base game.
Season of Hell's Legacy still runs for players without this expansion, but several named loops on the endgame table are expansion-gated. War Plans hang off Lord of Hatred. The Undercity is modified by Baal's splinter. Dark Citadel stays the Vessel-gated co-op beat. Pick the SKU that matches the loop you will actually run this season, then socket the Prime Evil splinter that modifies it. Party Finder is the matchmaking hook for the Citadel. Base-game groups should stay on The Pit and Helltides. Season of Hell's Legacy still runs without this SKU; several named loops on the endgame table will not.
Buying path versus Lord of Hatred
Steam sells Vessel of Hatred as app 3043530 on top of the base game. Lord of Hatred is app 3958690 and includes Vessel of Hatred. The Age of Hatred Collection is Steam package 1390267 and the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop bundle: base plus both expansions. Do not stack Vessel of Hatred on a Lord of Hatred purchase.
Xbox Wire lists Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PlayStation among Lord of Hatred platforms; this expansion predates that launch and remains the 2024 Nahantu chapter. If your friends already moved to Skovos, buy Lord of Hatred so you share Paladin, Warlock, and War Plans as well as Spiritborn. If your group is still in Nahantu, Vessel of Hatred is enough. Steam app 3043530 is this DLC. App 3958690 is Lord of Hatred and includes this DLC. Package 1390267 is the Age of Hatred Collection. Do not stack 3043530 on top of 3958690. Xbox Wire remains the console cite when a PlayStation product URL fails to load.
Spiritborn is the class gate
If the only reason you are on this page is Spiritborn, this SKU is the minimum purchase unless you already own Lord of Hatred. Spiritborn is not on the base game and is not in the 2027 Amazon pack. Mercenaries and the Dark Citadel come with the same receipt. Nahantu is the region filter on the class roster.
Season of Hell's Legacy still lets a Spiritborn socket Soul Splinters and run Waking Nightmares. Dark Citadel remains the co-op dungeon you cannot replace with a Helltide. Party Finder is the matchmaking hook. Bring a group that also owns this expansion, or stay on The Pit and Helltides with launch classes. Spiritborn is not a launch class and is not Amazon. Mercenaries and the Dark Citadel share the receipt. Nahantu is the region filter on the class roster. If none of those is your week, skip this SKU unless a seasonal objective points here.
Nahantu as a shopping decision
Buy Vessel of Hatred when Nahantu, Spiritborn, Mercenaries, or the Dark Citadel is the content you will run, and you do not already own Lord of Hatred. Skip it when you are jumping to Skovos anyway, because Lord of Hatred includes this expansion. Skip it when you only want Paladin or Warlock, because those classes are not on this SKU.
Steam DLC 3043530 is the PC product. Store date is October 7, 2024. The base game is required. The Steam free window does not add this DLC. Nintendo Switch 2 players who buy the Age of Hatred Collection already have it. China's NetEase hub is a separate regional path and does not change this Steam app id.
Dark Citadel with Party Finder is the co-op reason. Mercenaries are the companion reason. Spiritborn is the class reason. Nahantu is the map reason. If none of those four is on your week, you do not need this receipt for Season of Hell's Legacy, though some seasonal objectives can still point at expansion activities.
