Yesterday, Diablo 4 received its largest expansion since October 2024's Vessel of Hatred. Lord of Hatred features a bunch of new enemies and bosses, two new classes, and tons of new loot.
While the reception for Diablo 4 has been tepid compared to previous entries, Lord of Hatred could be the shot in the arm that the game needed, bringing in its highest player count on Steam of 2026 so far, and it could keep climbing.
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred launched alongside a bombastic AMV-style music video. Featuring nu metal legend Korn's first new music in four years, the Reward the Scars video combines gruesome anime scenes, including the game's two new classes, with footage of the band performing, and it's the perfect introduction to the DLC.
It appears the music and pre-launch marketing have players hyped for the DLC, as last night, 29,998 players were playing Diablo 4 at its peak. The number, just two shy of 30,000, is the highest it's been this year, surpassing the earlier record set by Season 12: Season of Slaughter's launch in mid-March of 28,420 players, and eclipsing the roughly 5,500 players the Diablo 4 and Doom: The Dark Ages'...
