Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred – Exploring the New Region
In the Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred expansion, we travel south to Nantu, a region with both deep, ancient jungles and vast, sprawling plains. This is the last stretch of land in Sanctuary's eastern continent, and we've packed it full of experiences for every type of player.
Nantu: A Region of Contrasts
Nantu is the southernmost region of the Eastern continent that Diablo 4 has been taking place in. It's the last region that we haven't visited yet, but it's one that we've been to before in Diablo. There are lots of new areas to explore, with six in total – four jungle-themed and two Red Rock Canyon-inspired. Each one has its own unique identity.
Lingering Hatred: The Infected Jungle
When you first arrive in Nantu, you're in this place called Lingering Hatred, where you're almost walking amongst the branches high above the jungle floor. The area has been infected by The Hollows infestation, a new enemy associated with Mesto. The Hollows are a tar-like substance, creatures born straight out of the depths of hell. It feels a little twisted.
The Dregs: A Twisted and Terrifying Enemy
Humans have ventured into this deep part of the jungle, where there are all these poisonous plants and flora. The dregs have started experimenting with eating these hallucinogens, and it's put them into this aggressive psycho-rage. The dregs were pretty fun to design because we were able to push more variety in the monster family. You have one of these tall drgs, and then half of a body of another drag on top of it, kind of controlling it and telling it where to go, and tossing poisonous bombs at the player.
Tangan and the Red Rock Canyon
Then we've got the area of Tangan, with the Tangan Plateau, which is full of these rocked plateaus and canyons. Imagine getting up above the land – those gigantic walls have pockets inside where monsters could live. It offered up a lot of opportunities to bring back a monster family like the Lunai, a fully fleshed-out monster family with multiple classes.
The Skittering Earth and the Field of Giants
There's a little sub-area called the Skittering Earth, where the bugs have destroyed the jungle and kind of infused their influence on it. Within the Field of Giants, you have these giant corpses of these long-dead demons that humans have begun to mine for resources. While they've got a lot of use out of them, they're also toxic to the land around them.
The Mercenaries of Vessel of Hatred
The Mercenaries in Vessel of Hatred are a group of people who we like to describe as ordinary people with extraordinary skills. They have the same level of will to fight against the Demons of Hell. There are four Mercs that you can collect over the course of the campaign, each with their own unique abilities and playstyles.
The Dark Citadel: A New Endgame Feature
The Dark Citadel is a new endgame feature coming in Vessel of Hatred. It's an entirely cooperative player experience, where all the mechanics are based around you working together with your party members to solve the challenges and face the first Cars R hordes. The goal is to stop the Kazra from bringing back their dark God using the powers within the Citadel.
Cooperative Gameplay and Citadel Mechanics
The Dark Citadel is a place where we take what is the best part of Diablo combat and test it in a different way, by adding in cooperative mechanics that you have to manage on top of that. For example, a boss has an attack, and as a player, you have to collect an item that allows you to reflect the attack back at him. There's a little bit of a Twitch-level mechanic there, where you actually have to time your reaction shot.
Play with Friends and Discover the Secrets of Nantu
There are so many interesting things to find and see and discover around every corner. With the new party finder feature, it's easier than ever to team up with friends and strangers and enjoy the cooperative gameplay that Diablo 4 has to offer.