Ready to dive straight into Diablo 4’s dark new chapter? The Vessel of Hatred DLC thrusts you into the mysterious jungles of Nahantu, but getting there requires a crucial choice at character creation: start fresh with the original campaign or leap directly into the expansion’s gripping story. Whether you’re a seasoned Wanderer or a newcomer eager to explore new quests, classes, and challenges, here’s how to jumpstart your journey into the Vessel of Hatred and unleash the next saga of Diablo 4.
In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ll teach you how to skip the original campaign and head straight into the new content added in the Vessel of Hatred campaign. We’ll also give you some advice on which option you should choose if you’re new to the game.
How to skip the Diablo 4 campaign and start Vessel of Hatred DLC right away
To skip the Diablo 4 base game campaign and start the Vessel of Hatred DLC immediately, you need to create a new character and, at the final stage of character creation, select the “Change Campaign State” option. Here, you can choose to bypass the original campaign and jump straight into the Vessel of Hatred expansion, placing your character directly into the new content as if the base campaign is already completed. This option is available even for new accounts, but if you haven’t completed the base campaign previously, you might need to finish the short prologue first. After completing the Vessel of Hatred campaign once, you can also skip it in future playthroughs.
When you’re making your character and own Vessel of Hatred, you’ll be able to select a “campaign state” on the same page where you can name your hero and tick the seasonal or hardcore boxes.
Click the box at the top to change your campaign state, then you’ll be presented with two options: play the original Diablo 4 experience first or skip directly to Vessel of Hatred. Select the second option to start with Vessel of Hatred and it’ll plop your character into the world ready to go on the expansion’s adventure, as if you’ve already completed the original campaign. You can select this option even if you’re playing on a brand new account.
Once you’ve beaten the Vessel of Hatred campaign on your account, you’ll get a third option in this menu that will allow you to skip the Vessel of Hatred campaign on any future characters.
Which Diablo 4 campaign state should you choose?
When choosing which Diablo 4 campaign state to start with, your decision should be based on your familiarity with the game and your social context. New players are advised to begin with the original Diablo 4 campaign to fully experience the story and mechanics before diving into the Vessel of Hatred expansion. This approach provides important context and a smoother introduction to the game’s world. However, if you are a returning player or want to join friends who are already playing the expansion, you can skip the base campaign and start directly with the Vessel of Hatred campaign. This option places your character into the new content immediately, bypassing the original storyline. For seasoned players who have completed both campaigns, there is an option to skip directly to the open world in future seasons, streamlining access to endgame content and seasonal activities.
Which campaign state you should select should be based entirely on your experience with Diablo 4 and the Vessel of Hatred expansion, as well as your social circumstances.
If you’re a completely solo player, and diving into Diablo 4 for the first time, playing through from the beginning of Diablo 4 and its base campaign should be your top priority. The campaign not only introduces you to a lot of the basic ideas of Diablo 4, but the story as well. The Vessel of Hatred campaign will make little to no sense without the original campaign (although there is a recap cutscene that will help remind you of the events if it’s been a while). The original Diablo 4 campaign is also very good, and worth playing through at least once.
Now what if you’re jumping into Diablo 4 to play with friends? In that case, you should go wherever they are. If they all want to play the original campaign together, super. But if they’re already deep into Diablo 4 and ready to jump into Vessel of Hatred, you should skip to them. The original campaign is quite long, so it’ll take you many hours to catch up to your friends.
If you’re a Diablo 4 regular or you beat the Diablo 4 campaign before putting the game down for a while, you should start with the Vessel of Hatred campaign and get to the new stuff as soon as possible.
Once you unlock the ability to skip both campaigns and go right into the open world of Diablo 4, you should choose that version every season – barring any social situations, like wanting to play through the campaign with a friend.
What secret steps unlock the Vessel of Hatred DLC in Diablo 4
To unlock the Vessel of Hatred DLC in Diablo 4, you must first own the DLC and create a new character, selecting the campaign state that allows you to start directly in the Vessel of Hatred content without playing through the original campaign. Once in the DLC, you begin the campaign questline in the jungle region of Nahantu, progressing through a series of story missions that introduce new mechanics and challenges.
For accessing the endgame activity called the Dark Citadel within the Vessel of Hatred DLC, there are additional secret steps:
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Complete the Vessel of Hatred story campaign.
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Reach Torment 1 world tier by completing a checklist of quests and activities, including mercenary recruitment quests, conquering strongholds, finishing dungeons in Nahantu, unlocking the Undercity, gaining Grim Favours, and completing high-level runs of the Pit of the Artificers.
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After reaching Torment 1, complete the Crater of Lost Souls quest, which then unlocks the Dark Citadel dungeon.
The Dark Citadel is a multiplayer-only dungeon with three wings and unique mechanics, requiring teamwork to defeat bosses and progress through the dungeon. This extensive process ensures that players are well-prepared for the challenging endgame content the DLC offers.
Do I need to complete the story campaign before unlocking Vessel of Hatred secrets
You do not need to complete the original Diablo 4 story campaign before unlocking the Vessel of Hatred DLC secrets if you choose the right option at character creation. When creating a new character, you can select the campaign state to start directly with the Vessel of Hatred campaign, effectively skipping the original campaign as if it has already been completed. This option is available even for brand-new accounts and allows immediate access to the new content in the Nahantu region.
However, you must complete the Vessel of Hatred campaign at least once to unlock the ability to skip it for future characters. This means the first time you play the DLC, you need to go through its story to access subsequent shortcuts and endgame content.
In summary:
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To start Vessel of Hatred secrets and content immediately, select the Vessel of Hatred campaign state at character creation.
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You do not need to finish the original Diablo 4 campaign first, but you must complete the Vessel of Hatred campaign once to unlock skip options for future playthroughs.
