Diablo IV: Paving the Way for Vessel of Hate

If there was one thing that was clear to us at BlizzCon 2023, it was that Diablo IV is one of the most important titles for Blizzard right now, and how could it not be when it is their biggest launch of the year and the biggest in the company’s history. From a dominating part of the always crowded event store with lots of merchandise, to a hall that took us with its atmosphere to Sanctuary in one of the most spectacular rooms of the event.

Although Diablo IV’s path has not been entirely smooth since its launch, the team led by Rod Fergusson, the game’s general manager, and Joe Shely, its game director, surprised us with the announcement of Vessel of Hatred, the first planned expansion that will extend the game’s story and promise a never-before-seen class. During our visit to BlizzCon 2023, we had the opportunity to speak with both of them to learn more about the immediate future of this game.

Listening to the Community

One of the details that Diablo IV has had since its launch has been the many voices that have voiced their likes and dislikes about the features and changes that the game has brought. For Rod Fergusson, this is an important detail, as he sees it as part of the “relationship” that exists between the studio and the audience when a game is launched as a service. “We are planing to support Diablo IV for a very long time, even when including the expansion Vessel of Hatred,” Fergusson said. “When you are making a live service game it is a relationship, you are not creating something, releasing it and don’t think about it. This is an ongoing collaboration with our players. Pretty much everything that was shown on the Opening Ceremony was something that got through feedback and collaboration with the community.”

Quality of life and how it becomes part of the experience.

In terms of quality of life, Joe Shelly mentions that the great advantage of seasons and their flexibility is that there is always a “fresh start.” “At the same time, what I think is really cool, is that as we release content and live service is supported, we can incorporate things from past seasons and to build on the game as we continue to develop it.” Fergusson elaborated on this by mentioning that the seasons are “tests for a new idea,” because if it doesn’t work the way they want, “they can move on.” On the other hand, if it works, “it becomes part of the evergreen.”

A big expansion, but still mysterious

As for the Vessel of Hatred expansion, we asked how it would be separate from the seasons in terms of content. Fergusson replied that they don’t think of the seasons “as campaign stories, we see them more like quest lines, almost like a side quest”. For the expansion, they want to “provide a new story for you to play through. In our case, we decided to extend the story of the main game, but that doesn’t mean you have to finish the main game to play the new one.” Fergusson went on to say how excited he was to add a new class that has never been seen before. However, it’s something that Joe Shely said: “we are not quite ready to reveal that part of it yet. We are excited of the opportunities that bring something totally new to Diablo.”

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred will be released in late 2024.