Diablo 4 Season 11 is shaping up to be a pretty exciting update. Divine Gifts, Sanctification, and new Uniques and items will give players the power they need to confront the Lesser Evils, who take center stage in this season. Azmodan joins Andariel, Duriel, and Belial as they invade various aspects of the game, and with the cruel quartet finally complete with this iconic boss’ arrival, Season 11 of Diablo 4 has the perfect setup to be a big hit.
However, there is some fine print with this season that might spoil the fun for some players. The new encounter with Andariel is locked behind Vessel of Hatred, meaning players who don’t have the expansion cannot battle the Lesser Evil or claim the seasonal spoils for besting her. Diablo 4 Season 11 is the first instance of DLC-locked seasonal content – and unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last.
Diablo 4 Season 11 is Killing Season 10’s Best Build
Diablo 4 Season 10 players should enjoy the game's best build while they can, as it will be effectively dead when Season 11 starts.
Some Diablo 4 Season 11 Content Requires Vessel of Hatred
Players Without Diablo 4’s First Expansion Are Being Left Behind
Azmodan, one of the main antagonists of Diablo 3, finally joins his Lesser Evil kin in Diablo 4 Season 11. All four of these terrifying foes invade various other activities throughout the game world, adding a devilish and unexpected twist to the otherwise-familiar content:
- Azmodan can appear in place of other world bosses.
- Duriel replaces the Blood Maiden encounter in Helltides.
- Belial takes over the Diablo 4 Pit of Artificers as its final boss, summoning his Eyes throughout.
- Andariel is faced in the Kurast Undercity.
That said, there is a big caveat with these special Lesser Evil appearances: this version of Andariel can only be accessed by players with Vessel of Hatred. The Kurast Undercity is a special timed dungeon activity added in the expansion that is accessed from zones barred to players who only have the base game. While Andariel can still be fought in her original version in Diablo 4, the new encounter in the Kurast Undercity – and all of her seasonal power and rewards – will be unavailable for those without the DLC.
Without a sale, Diablo 4 costs $50, and Vessel of Hatred is $40. While both can be purchased together for $70, fans who already own Diablo 4 must spend almost as much as the base game again in order to get the DLC.
This marks the first time that players who don’t own the expansion will be unable to enjoy one of the core features of the expansion. Unless Diablo 4 changes this before the season starts on December 9, players without Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred will not only miss out on this content, but will be at a disadvantage compared to their DLC-owning brethren.
Expansion-Locked Seasonal Content in Diablo 4 was Inevitable
Sadly, this development hardly comes as a surprise. When Vessel of Hatred first released, Blizzard warned players there would eventually be DLC-locked features in future seasons. As a live service game, it is only natural Diablo 4 would want to weave its seasonal content into its newest areas and features, but it remains unfortunate for fans who haven’t yet picked up Vessel of Hatred.
All things considered, it is actually impressive that it took this long to happen in the first place. Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred launched on October 8, 2024, meaning Diablo 4 lasted over a year without having DLC-locked seasonal content. Regrettably, it seems that time is coming to an end in Season 11, and now that the floodgates are open, fans will probably see this occur more often in the future.
The next era of Blizzard's hit ARPG is on the horizon, with a reveal for the 2026 Diablo 4 expansion expected before the end of this year. While fans might be able to make it a while without picking up this unnamed DLC, they may want to put Vessel of Hatred on their Christmas lists, or otherwise pray it goes on sale for the holidays and buy it themselves.
Diablo 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
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- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
