Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion improves on Vessel of Hatred but still struggles to connect its halves

Blizzard's second major Diablo 4 expansion, Lord of Hatred, has landed, and the verdict from Polygon is a careful thumbs-up wrapped in a familiar warning: franchise fans should temper their expectations before diving in.

According to the review, Lord of Hatred marks a genuine improvement over Vessel of Hatred, Diablo 4's first expansion, which itself divided the community on release. Blizzard has clearly been listening to feedback and made meaningful strides in delivering a more satisfying experience overall.

The same old divide

The core criticism Polygon raises isn't about the quality of individual pieces - it's about how those pieces fit together. Lord of Hatred reportedly still fails to bridge the gap between its campaign content and the endgame loop, a structural problem that has haunted Diablo 4 since launch.

For action-RPG fans who grind deep into endgame systems, that disconnect can feel jarring. You move through a campaign that builds momentum and atmosphere, then hit a tonal and mechanical gear-shift when you transition into the repetitive farming loops that define the late game. It's a design tension Blizzard hasn't yet cracked.

Worth playing, with caveats

That said, Polygon's framing of "fans beware" doesn't mean Lord of Hatred is a bad expansion - it means you should know what you're walking into. If you bounced off Diablo 4 previously due to endgame concerns, this expansion isn't necessarily the fix that brings you back. But if you've been running seasonal content and staying engaged, this is apparently a worthwhile addition to your rotation.

The improvement over Vessel of Hatred is notable enough to suggest Blizzard is slowly finding its footing with post-launch content. Whether that trajectory continues - and whether the campaign-to-endgame problem ever gets properly solved - remains the big question hanging over the game's long-term future.

For the full breakdown of what works and what still needs work, Polygon's complete review is available at their site. Lord of Hatred is out now for Diablo 4 players across all platforms.