Diablo 4 devs guided by “nostalgia” when expanding the map

Diablo 4’s development team looked to the past when deciding which regions to add as DLC in the Vessel of Hatred expansion.

Longtime Diablo fans will have recognized the dense jungles of Kurast from the Vessel of Hatred and Spiritborn class trailers. The region was first seen in Diablo 2 when Diablo himself unleashed his brother, Mephisto on the region before the Lord of Hatred was destroyed and sent back to Hell.

Mephisto was released back into the world at the end of Diablo 4 and will serve as the main antagonist of Vessel of Hatred, where he’ll once again terrorize the people of Kurast. The region wasn’t included in the base game, although its outline can be seen in the southwestern part of the map.

At Gamescom 2024, Diablo 4’s developers, Lead Designer, Rex Dickson, and Production Director, Tiffany K confirmed that the map will continue to grow with each expansion and that they’re looking to the series’ history when choosing the next destinations to slay demons.

Dickson said, “I don’t want to speak to our future plans, but yeah, it’s safe to assume our desire is to grow the map over time.”

Watt added, “Sanctuary is very large, there’s lots of areas to explore. Going back to the nostalgia, in Diablo 2 Mephistro was trapped under the undercut of Kurast and that’s one of the features and areas you can visit in Vessel of Hatred. Of course, it has a new Diablo spin on it.”

With Vessel of Hatred leaning into Diablo 2’s third act for inspiration, seeing what the team adapts for the next DLC is a tantalizing prospect. Should 2025’s expansion focus on Baal, then perhaps we can return to the Barbarian homeland of Harrogoth from Act 5?

When Diablo himself (inevitably) returns, perhaps we can revisit the Pandemonium Fortress of Act 4. With Diablo 4 expecting a new expansion every year, the map could grow exceptionally large, borrowing from the best parts of the series’ past.