Diablo 4 is in its best form right now, and the choice of skills has a significant impact on the build at different stages of the game, especially during the upgrade process, where the right skill choice can make the game much easier. However, to fully realize the potential of any class, it is crucial to acquire some powerful Aspects and Uniques. And the new unique items in Diablo 4 Season 5 Infernal Hordes provide a tremendous help.

But for the new class Spiritborn in the upcoming Vessel of Hatred, these unique items may be a double-edged sword. Vessel of Hatred will not only continue the storyline of Diablo 4 but also introduce a brand new cooperative mode and the return of mercenaries.

It has been announced that the first expansion of Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred will be released on October 8, and a lot of new information has been revealed. Here are some more details we have learned about the new classes and new regions in this upcoming expansion, as well as some new features that players are excited about.

1. Mercenaries Allow Recruiting Allies

In Diablo games, you can recruit allies to join your battle. NPC soldiers that can be hired were first introduced in Diablo 2, and in Diablo 3, this mechanism developed into a deeper system of Followers, which has their own story background. In Diablo 4, all four summonable allies have their own names and detailed background stories, which seem to be more similar to Followers of Diablo 3.

You will unlock these NPC allies during the main quest of Diablo 4. You can designate one mercenary as your chief companion and a second mercenary as support. This mercenary will appear in battle and release special skills when you use your skills. Each mercenary has unique skills. Players can choose different builds to form a team that complements their own characters in battle. As your team build gradually takes shape, you can also consider using Diablo 4 Gold to further strengthen the strength of your entire team.

2. Dark Citadel Tests Player Teams

Dark Citadel is a brand new cooperative PvE mode. This ultimate challenge is designed to test the player team. Dark Citadel contains three regions, each with a tough boss fight and unique enemy mechanics.

Vessel of Hatred trailer shows that players need to collect a special item in order to reflect on the boss’s attacks during the fight. This item will need to be used by each team member, which is reminiscent of traditional MMO raid design, managing the boss’s pattern while dealing continuous damage. Dark Citadel will feature a special vendor that will provide some extremely valuable loot for players who are brave enough to take on the challenge.

A party-finder is also introduced in the game, making it easier to team up with friends and strangers. Dark Citadel does seem to enhance MMO aspects of Diablo 4, and a new limited-time challenge Undercity is also coming soon, so it won’t be the only new dungeon in Vessel of Hatred.

Related: Diablo 4 Fireball Sorcerer Endgame Build: How To Increase The Power Of A Sorcerer Endgame Build In Season 5? - Skills & Items

3. New Region Of Nahantu

Vessel of Hatred will take players to a new region of Nahantu, located in the southernmost part of the eastern continent, which is a part of Nahantu that players have not yet explored. It appeared in Diablo 2, so players may find some familiar elements here as well as new content.

Nahantu consists of six sub-areas, four of which are jungle-themed and the other two are canyon-themed. The jungle is full of new enemies called Hollows and Dregs, and is a dangerous and dying place. The canyons hide caves, and gigantic trees provide the possibility of moving between large branches on the ground or in the air. Whether it is the jungle or canyon area, Nahantu presents a rich sense of layering.

4. Spiritborn Could Be First And Only Class With Two-Handed Weapon Options

Spiritborn currently seems to be limited to using two-handed weapons, such as polearms, glaives, and quarterstaves. Two-handed weapons take up two hand slots in the character menu, so Spiritborn will always have only 9 slots in Diablo 4, while other classes have 9 or 10 slots, which will reduce the number of options when building the perfect class. This may cause some trouble for players pursuing the ultimate class in the initial stage, especially for min-maxing builds.

One advantage of two-handed weapons is the doubled bonus to item properties and Aspects they provide, which in some cases may make using them more advantageous than equipping two one-handed weapons, but for Spiritborn, this seems to have become the new standard. If Spiritborn indeed cannot use shields and one-handed weapons, it will not only mean that Necromancer will remain the only class in Diablo 4 that uses shields for a long time, but Spiritborn may need to put more effort into perfecting their build.

Since the release of Diablo 4, there have only been four attempts to strengthen two-handed weapons, which may not affect the upgrade process, but it is difficult to find a near-perfect weapon for the ultimate challenge. Obtaining a perfect reinforcement in Diablo 4 is a hard task, even though the game has introduced a new Scroll of Retempering, which allows a fifth attempt after the first four attempts fail.

However, relying solely on the strength bonus of the doubled-up Aspect may still not be the best choice compared to the additional base-level Aspect provided by the off-hand slot. Unless Spiritborn can use a shield or other one-handed weapon, or at least get some very powerful two-handed Unique weapons to make up for the missing slot.

With October 8 release date approaching, players can look forward to diving into the content of Diablo 4’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, to challenge new enemies, acquire powerful equipment, and explore unknown areas.