Summary
Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion is finally here, taking players to the region of Nahantu where they will search for Neyrelle, who seeks to destroy the Prime Evil Mephisto. One of the biggest additions coming toDiablo 4with Vessel of Hatred is the Spiritborn class, but many other changes have been made to the base game’s character progression system as well.
Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion brings with it a vast number of changes to the game’s character progression, including a new level cap and more. While the following updates have been introduced with the expansion, even players who don’t own the DLC can benefit from these systemic progression changes.
Every Change to Character Progression in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
Vessel of Hatred Brings Several Changes to Diablo 4’s Leveling System
Some of the biggestchanges that have come toDiablo 4with the Vessel of Hatred expansion involve its leveling system, which has been drastically altered to provide players with a more streamlined experience. These changes were introduced to the game in large part due to the base game’s endgame content — and now what Vessel of Hatred is introducing with the Dark Citadel and the Undercity — and hopes that players would be able to reach the endgame much faster than they could before. Furthermore, these progression changes have affected Paragon Levels as well in an effort to reduce repetitiveness.
Firstly, theDiablo 4character level cap has been reduced from 100 to 60, with any characters who have already hit the former level cap actually being brought down to Level 50 upon starting the Vessel of Hatred expansion. Secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, Paragon Points are no longer tied to character level and are instead shared acrossDiablo 4Realms. This means that once players hit the character level cap with one of their characters, they will begin earning Paragon Levels that can be used to unlock Paragon Nodes that players' other characters on the same Realm can benefit from.
It should be noted that any Paragon Points players have already earned on a character over Level 50 will be converted to Realm-wide Paragon Levels upon launchingDiablo 4for the first time after Vessel of Hatred’s launch.
These changes are most welcome inDiablo 4, as one of the biggest criticisms of the game at launch was its lengthy leveling system. Now, with thelaunch of Vessel of Hatred, players can reach the character level cap much faster and begin earning Realm-wide Paragon Levels for all of their characters on a Realm. Ultimately, this makes it more accessible to newcomers and a much more streamlined experience for all players. Vessel of Hatred reviews have honed in on the smoother leveling experience in the expansion, which is a very good sign for anyone still playing the game and especially for those who might have left due to its formerly intimidating grind.
Paragon Boards Have Also Been Adjusted in Vessel of Hatred
Paragon Boardshave also been adjusted with the launch of Vessel of Hatred, granting players an additional Paragon Board along with a new maximum of five boards that can be equipped at a time, including players' starting Paragon Board. This limit on equipped Paragon Boards was an intentional move by Blizzard to help players feel like they’re making more important choices with the Glyphs that they equip. On that note, Paragon Boards also now include a new Legendary Node. Finally, players can now earn a maximum of 300 Paragon Points, as opposed to the former maximum of 200.
Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion has clearly brought much more than a new story to the game, with plenty ofcontent even non-Vessel of Hatred owners can benefit from. Now may be as good a time as any for newcomers, deserters, and veterans alike to jump intoDiablo 4.
Diablo 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
