Blizzard Entertainment has officially kicked off its massive Diablo 30th Anniversary Spotlight today, February 11, 2026, delivering a treasure trove of announcements that will shape the future of Sanctuary for years to come. In a celebration of three decades of dungeon crawling, the studio unveiled the second playable class for the upcoming Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion and laid out an ambitious 2026 roadmap for Diablo Immortal. With the expansion's release date locked for April 28, 2026, the spotlight offered players their first concrete look at the dark forces gathering on the horizon.
Lord of Hatred: The Warlock Joins the Fray
The centerpiece of today's presentation was undoubtedly the reveal of the Warlock, the second new class arriving with the Lord of Hatred expansion. While the holy Paladin had previously been announced as a pre-order bonus class, Blizzard surprised fans by debuting the Warlock as its darker counterpart. Designed to harness "red magic" and curse-based abilities, the Warlock offers a sinister playstyle that contrasts sharply with the Paladin's defensive light.
According to Game Director Joe Shely, the Warlock is a "mid-range spellcaster who doesn't just manage resources, but barters with them." The class features a unique Life Tap mechanic, allowing players to sacrifice health for devastating power boosts—a high-risk, high-reward system that veterans of the franchise might find reminiscent of classic Necromancer builds, but with a more chaotic twist. The reveal trailer showcased the Warlock stripping immunities from enemies and chaining curses that detonate for massive area-of-effect damage.
Expansion Release Date & Story Details
Blizzard confirmed that Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred will launch globally on April 28, 2026. The narrative picks up immediately after the cliffhanger events of Vessel of Hatred, taking players to the jungle region of Skovos and beyond as they hunt down Mephisto. The developers promised a campaign that is "darker and more personal," focusing on the seductive nature of Hatred and its corruption of the player's own allies.
Major System Overhaul: Skill Trees & Endgame
Beyond the new content, the 30th Anniversary Spotlight detailed a comprehensive rework of Diablo 4's core systems. Responding to player feedback from late 2025, the team is introducing a Legacy Skill Tree update. This overhaul expands every class's skill tree by nearly 30%, adding new "pinnacle nodes" that allow for deeper hybridization of builds.
Additionally, the level cap will be increased to 120, accompanied by a new endgame activity called The Spire of Hatred. This roguelite dungeon mode challenges players to ascend an infinite tower with random modifiers, offering exclusive "Corrupted" loot that boasts stats higher than Ancestral items but comes with debilitating curse effects that players must mitigate.
Diablo Immortal 2026 Roadmap Revealed
Mobile adventurers weren't left behind, as the team unveiled a robust Diablo Immortal 2026 roadmap. The year ahead will be defined by the "Age of Unrest," a year-long narrative arc that introduces a new southern continent.
- New Zone - The Sunken Expanse: Arriving in Q2 2026, this underwater-themed region will feature new aquatic monster families and vertical traversal mechanics.
- New Class Tease: A silhouette of a spear-wielding class, potentially the Amazon or a Valkyrie-inspired archetype, was teased for a late 2026 release.
- Anniversary Gifts: To celebrate the 30th anniversary, all Diablo Immortal players who log in starting today will receive a bundle containing 10 Legendary Crests and a special "Anniversary" cosmetic armor set.
A Milestone for the Franchise
The event concluded with a nostalgic sizzle reel celebrating 30 years of the franchise, from the original Tristram cathedral to the open world of Sanctuary. With Diablo 4 Season 12: Season of the Killstreak launching next month to bridge the gap until the expansion, and Diablo 2: Resurrected receiving its own quality-of-life patch (Season 13) later this week, Blizzard is firing on all cylinders to ensure the 30th anniversary is a year to remember for ARPG fans on every platform.
