Is Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred worth getting?

Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred is priced at $39.99, but the real question is, is it worth getting? That answer depends on how often you play D4 and what you want out of the game. If you’re just logging in for the Season and that’s it, it might not be worth your time. I’m going to go over the important features, what it could mean for you in the future, and whether or not it’s worth it for you. It is the first expansion of Blizzard’s latest ARPG, and it won’t be the last one either.

While not everyone loved it, finding the ending to be a bit of a cliffhanger, I enjoyed the content and the story that was offered by this first expansion. It’s clearly not for everyone, even if Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred is priced reasonably. So, is it worth getting, though? Let’s talk about that.

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Should you get Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred?

Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred is the first of several major expansions planned for the game over the next ten years. That much we know right now. It’s thankfully not priced the same as a retail game, clocking in on average at $39.99, but it does go on sale occasionally. For example, at the time of writing, it’s $27.99 on Steam.

The Spiritborn is such a fun class — of course, my first playthrough was a Poison build (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

What exactly does Vessel of Hatred add to the game, though? The primary new additions are a new chapter of story content, set in the jungles of Nahantu, and the devastatingly strong Spiritborn. While it’s nowhere near as strong as it was during the Season of Hatred, it’s still a very mobile and flexible class.

Unfortunately, you can’t play a Spiritborn unless you have the expansion. If you enjoyed the Amazon from previous games or Path of Exile 2’s Huntress, you will likely enjoy this class as well. Not having Vessel of Hatred also completely locks you out of the Nahantu region, and everything in it, such as the Mercenary system.

That lets you have an ally watching your back in battle, and a secondary, summonable ally when certain conditions are met. Think of it like the Mercenary system in Diablo 2, but you don’t have to equip them.

Mercenaries aren’t overpowered, but they can definitely help you out in a pinch, and it’s always nice to have some extra firepower. Not having the expansion will ultimately lock you out of everything that takes place in Nahantu, such as Undercity runs, powerful Runewords, and the multiplayer raid. All of these features combined make Diablo 4 worth getting, in my opinion.

There's so much great content, in Vessel of Hatred — whether it's dungeons, runewords, or handy allies (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

You get quite a lot for 40 USD, to be honest. The story is solid, and the new class is a lot of fun. You also have to consider the future. There will be another expansion in 2026, and if you change your mind on wanting to play the new story, you’ll have to complete Vessel of Hatred first.

If you’re just trying to log on and play the Season and have zero interest in the actual story, new classes, or additional mechanics, then you don’t necessarily need the Vessel of Hatred expansion, but I still think it’s worth getting. There’s plenty of time between now and the next expansion, and there’s always another sale, if you think the price is too steep.

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Check out our other Diablo 4 guides and features

• To be the strongest: What will the best class/spec be in Diablo 4 Season 8?
• Borrowed Powers always mar rebalancing: Diablo 4 Season 8 has a difficulty rework, but will the data be useful?
• What’s coming this year? Diablo 4’s Roadmap reveals hints of new seasons and more