Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred pre-load is live everywhere - here's when you can play

It’s (almost) time for some new Diablo 4 content. Unlike the various seasonal launches the game has seen over the last several months, this one is much bigger in scope and scale. We’re talking, of course, about Vessel of Hatred, the first paid expansion for this latest entry in the legendary action-RPG series.

Vessel of Hatred was announced nearly a year ago, and it's very close to being in our hands after a long wait. Plus, since this is Diablo 4’s first fully-fledged, premium piece of content, you can imagine why everyone is so excited to jump into this one.

But, with those last few hours left to endure, we're here to answer some frequently asked questions about Vessel of Hatred's launch, how you can add it to your library, and what you actually get to do once it arrives!

Does Vessel of Hatred require the base game of Diablo 4?

Vessel of Hatred is a not a standalone expansion, so yes, you to need to own a copy of the base game on the same platform you intend to play the expansion on. For instance, if you own Diablo 4 on Steam, this is where you’re going to need to buy Vessel of Hatred.

You also won't be able to buy it without owning the base game, which means the initial cost could be a little off-putting to new players. The good news is that you don’t have to buy it to play Diablo 4, so you can simply buy the base game, start playing now and pick the expansion up later - perhaps on sale.

What's included in Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred's content?

Part of the reason why Vessel of Hatred requires a copy of Diablo 4 is that it, well, expands the content that’s already there. The expansion adds a new region - Nahantu - to the game’s map, a new class - the Spiritborn - you can take anywhere in Diablo 4’s world, the Mercenaries companion system, as well as new dungeons and endgame content only available in that new region.

In order to access any of that, you’re going to need to own Vessel of Hatred. Otherwise, you can continue enjoying the main game of Diablo 4. Vessel of Hatred is not necessary to play the base game, meaning you only need to buy it if you want what it offers.

If you want to jump into the Vessel of Hatred campaign immediately, you can pick the option to skip the D4 campaign when creating a new character. The only prerequisite is that you need to have completed Diablo 4 campaign’s prologue on any of your existing characters. If you have no existing characters, simply play until you finish the prologue, then skip and jump into Vessel of Hatred.

You can experience the Vessel of Hatred campaign on any of your existing characters, too, assuming you don’t want to create a new one for the new season.

Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred pre-load times

Vessel of Hatred has a bit of an unusual pre-load schedule that varies by platform. The good news is that it's available to pre-load right now everywhere, except Steam. Blizzard sadly isn't offering the option on Valve's platform, so you're going to have to download a big update when the expansion launches.

Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred worldwide unlock times

Vessel of Hatred goes live worldwide at the same time, meaning all players will be able to jump in together once it unlocks in their region. The official launch time is Monday, October 7 at 4pm PT, 7pm ET. Here’s what that translates to across the rest of the world:

• Sao Paulo (BRT): 8pm PT on October 7.
• London (BST): 12am on October 8.
• Berlin (CEST): 1am on October 8.
• Istanbul (TRT): 2am on October 8.
• Dubai (GST): 3am on October 8.
• Seoul (KST): 8am on October 8.
• Sydney (AEDT): 10am on October 8.
• Auckland (NZDT): 12pm on October 8.