《暗黑破壞神 IV》第二部大型資料片《憎恨之王》（Lord of Hatred）在2025年遊戲大獎（The Game Awards 2025）正式公開，並宣告「審判將於2026年4月28日降臨」，登陸的平台有PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S，4月29日於Steam平台上線。這部資料片延續《暗黑破壞神 IV》一貫的黑暗敘事與殘酷世界觀，是繼《憎恨之軀》（Vessel of Hatred）之後的重要篇章，也象徵故事正式邁向與大罪魔王墨菲斯托正面對決的關鍵時刻。

在劇情層面，《憎恨之王》的舞台設在聖休亞瑞最古老的地區之一──斯寇伐斯。這片土地不只是初民文明的起源，也是莉莉絲與伊納瑞斯曾經的家園，如今則被玄諭者與亞馬遜女王所統治。隨著墨菲斯托的力量在前一部資料片後進一步暴走，他的信徒遍布各地，將原本的信仰扭曲成絕望，讓整個世界瀕臨毀滅邊緣。玩家所扮演的流亡者，必須在最黑暗的時代做出一個充滿爭議的選擇──召喚並與昔日的宿敵莉莉絲結成並非基於信任、而是出於必要的「危險同盟」。在古老神話與現實世界激烈碰撞之下，你將一路追擊墨菲斯托，試圖在他抵達創生之池、讓憎恨吞噬世界之前阻止這場滅世災難。整體敘事比本篇更加集中於「信念是否仍有意義」與「為了拯救世界是否必須犧牲道德底線」這類核心命題，延續系列標誌性的沉重與壓迫感。

在操作與玩法方面，不只是單純增加內容，而是對整體系統進行大規模強化。最受矚目的，是《暗黑破壞神 II》經典職業「聖騎士（Paladin）」的回歸。聖騎士以錘與盾為核心武裝，結合強力的近戰打擊與神聖光明技能，能在正面戰鬥中承擔攻防一體的角色，操作手感強調節奏感與站位選擇，既能單挑強敵，也能在高難度內容中穩定戰線。另一個全新職業目前仍保持神秘，但官方已暗示其能力足以「徹底改變戰場規則」，為既有流派帶來全新的構築方向。

系統層面同樣迎來全面更新。主要技能樹進行重製，所有職業都能獲得更多技能變化與更高的等級上限，角色培養的自由度顯著提升。裝備與物品系統也同步深化，新增更直覺的戰利品篩選功能，降低刷裝負擔，同時導入強化後的製作系統，包括經典回歸的赫拉迪姆方塊，以及全新的咒盤與套裝加成機制，讓玩家能打造更具個人風格的終極流派。這些改動讓操作層面不只停留在爽快擊殺，而是更強調長期策略規劃與角色成長的深度。

遊戲終局內容則是另一個重點。資料片重新定義《暗黑破壞神 IV》的終局玩法，導入「征戰計畫（War Plans）」系統，可以依照個人偏好選擇活動內容，並透過不同變化效果與風險設定，打造專屬於自己的刷裝與挑戰路線。高難度內容「迴響憎恨（The Echoing Hatred）」將玩家丟入無止盡的惡魔洪流之中，成為對角色配置與操作理解的終極考驗。此外，官方甚至加入釣魚系統，讓玩家在血腥與戰火之間，能短暫喘息，卻仍隱約保留世界隨時可能崩壞的不安感，這種反差也進一步強化聖休亞瑞的沉浸氛圍。

在市場評價與玩家期待方面，自公開以來便引發高度討論。一方面，玩家對於聖騎士回歸與劇情正式直面墨菲斯托感到興奮，認為這代表《暗黑破壞神 IV》的敘事終於進入真正的核心篇章；另一方面，對於技能樹、終局系統與裝備設計的全面翻新，也被視為Blizzard回應玩家長期回饋的重要一步。雖然遊戲尚未正式推出，但在核心玩家與ARPG社群中，普遍期待這部資料片能補齊本篇在終局深度與流派多樣性上的不足，讓《暗黑破壞神 IV》真正成為一款能長期經營的作品。

整體而言，《暗黑破壞神 IV：憎恨之王》不僅是一次內容量龐大的擴充，更像是一場對整個遊戲架構的再審判。它以更黑暗的敘事、更自由卻殘酷的選擇，以及更深層的操作與構築系統，重新定義玩家在聖休亞瑞中的位置。當憎恨之王降臨之時，這不只是屠魔之旅的延續，而是一場關於信念、犧牲與人類命運的終極考驗。

Diablo IV’s second major expansion, Lord of Hatred, was officially unveiled at The Game Awards 2025, with the declaration that “Judgment arrives on April 28, 2026.” The expansion will be released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, followed by a Steam launch on April 29. Continuing the series’ signature dark narrative and brutal worldview, Lord of Hatred is a pivotal chapter following Vessel of Hatred and marks the story’s decisive turn toward a direct confrontation with the Prime Evil Mephisto.

Narratively, Lord of Hatred is set in Skovos, one of the oldest regions of Sanctuary. This land is not only the cradle of early civilizations but also the former home of Lilith and Inarius, now ruled by Oracles and an Amazon queen. In the wake of the previous expansion, Mephisto’s power has grown increasingly unstable, his followers spreading across the world and twisting faith into despair, pushing Sanctuary to the brink of annihilation. The player’s exile is forced to make a deeply controversial choice in humanity’s darkest hour: to summon and form a “dangerous alliance” with Lilith—not out of trust, but necessity. As ancient myth collides with harsh reality, the pursuit of Mephisto becomes a race against time, seeking to stop him before he reaches the Well of Creation and allows hatred to consume the world. Compared to the base game, the narrative places even greater emphasis on questions such as whether faith still holds meaning, and whether saving the world requires the sacrifice of moral boundaries, reinforcing the series’ hallmark sense of weight and oppression.

In terms of gameplay and controls, the expansion goes far beyond simply adding new content, delivering sweeping systemic enhancements. The most celebrated addition is the return of the classic Paladin from Diablo II. Armed with hammer and shield and empowered by holy light, the Paladin excels as a frontline class that blends offense and defense, emphasizing rhythm, positioning, and tactical judgment. It offers a versatile combat experience capable of dueling powerful foes or anchoring high-difficulty encounters. A second new class remains shrouded in mystery, but Blizzard has hinted that its abilities will be powerful enough to fundamentally reshape the battlefield, opening new build possibilities across existing archetypes.

At the systems level, Lord of Hatred introduces comprehensive updates. The primary skill trees have been redesigned, granting all classes additional skill variations and higher level caps, significantly expanding character customization and long-term progression. The item and equipment systems are also deepened with improved loot filters that reduce grinding friction, alongside an enhanced crafting system that includes the return of the iconic Horadric Cube and the introduction of new sigil boards and set bonuses. Together, these changes shift gameplay beyond pure visceral slaughter toward deeper strategic planning and character development.

Endgame content represents another major focus of the expansion. Lord of Hatred redefines Diablo IV’s endgame with the introduction of War Plans, allowing players to tailor their preferred activities and apply different modifiers and risk levels to create personalized progression paths and reward loops. The high-difficulty mode The Echoing Hatred throws players into relentless waves of demonic forces, serving as the ultimate test of build optimization and mechanical mastery. In a striking contrast, Blizzard has also introduced fishing, offering moments of quiet respite amid bloodshed and chaos, while subtly reinforcing the ever-present sense that Sanctuary may collapse at any moment—an atmospheric tension that deepens immersion.

From a market and community perspective, Lord of Hatred has generated intense discussion since its announcement. Players have expressed strong excitement over the Paladin’s return and the narrative’s direct engagement with Mephisto, viewing it as the moment when Diablo IV truly enters its core saga. At the same time, the extensive reworks to skill trees, endgame systems, and itemization are widely seen as Blizzard’s meaningful response to long-standing player feedback. Although the expansion has yet to launch, expectations among core ARPG players are high that it will address shortcomings in endgame depth and build diversity, positioning Diablo IV as a title designed for long-term engagement.

Overall, Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred is not merely a large-scale content expansion, but a reckoning for the game’s entire structure. Through darker storytelling, freer yet more ruthless choices, and deeper mechanical and build systems, it redefines the player’s role within Sanctuary. When the Lord of Hatred descends, it will be more than a continuation of the demon-slaying journey—it will be the ultimate trial of faith, sacrifice, and humanity’s fate.