Lord of Hatred's Release Date

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is now less than a month from release, launching on April 28. In anticipation of Lord of Hatred drawing the curtain on Diablo 4‘s Age of Hatred arc, fans will want to familiarize themselves with the history and lore of the Skovos region, the new map where Lord of Hatred will take place. Digging into Skovos reveals just how impactful it has been to the larger Diablo franchise, and how fitting it is as the location for Diablo 4‘s final showdown with Mephisto in Lord of Hatred.

Although Diablo 4‘s new Warlock class is arguably the highlight of the upcoming Lord of Hatred DLC, exploring the map of Skovos will likely be just as exciting. Diablo 4‘s previous expansion, Vessel of Hatred, brought back the region of Nahantu from Diablo 2, which was already a sizable map expansion. Now, Lord of Hatred is set to add an equally large map, both in terms of physical scale and importance to the series’s lore.

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Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred’s Skovos is Crucial to the Series’s Lore

The Most Important Information to Know About Skovos

An island chain far to the south
Origin of civilization in Sanctuary
Diverse landscapes, including volcanic coasts, lush forests, and towering mountains
Greek-inspired design
Home to the matriarchal Askari society
Two major castes: Warrior Amazons and Mystic Oracles

Skovos has a surprisingly rich history within the Diablo series, and Lord of Hatred has the potential to push all of that history to the forefront of its story. Aesthetically, Skovos takes inspiration from Greek architecture, featuring marble columns and towering statues that greet visitors to the islands. The names of locations on Skovos also bear Greek-sounding names like Philios, Temis, and Atanos, further solidifying the Greek inspiration of the location.

The Geography of Skovos

As technically an island chain, Skovos is made up of several individual islands that come together to form the region as a whole. Located far to the south of any other major landmasses in Sanctuary, the major islands of Skovos include Philios, Lycander, and Skartara, with the capital of Temis nestled among these islands. Environments can vary across these islands, from lush forests to treacherous mountains and volcanic coastlines, especially in Skartara. Compared to the homogenous jungles of Nahantu, environmental diversity should be a huge differentiator between Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred.

Skovos’ History Begins with the Creation of the Nephalem

What really makes Skovos such an interesting setting for Lord of Hatred is its role in the origins of Sanctuary and the creation of humanity. Skovos is the oldest region in Sanctuary and home to the first civilization, where Lilith and Inarius created the nephalem race that would eventually evolve into the modern-day humans of Sanctuary. Following the birth of the nephalem and the eventual creation of humanity, Skovos would become home to a number of factions notable to the Diablo franchise.

The native tribe of Skovos is the Askari, with the islands of Philios and Lycander bearing the names of the tribe’s founders, a nephalem and angel, respectively. An important aspect of Askari society is its matriarchal nature, with men prohibited from serving in positions of power or in the military. As such, the all-female Amazon warriors are the primary military faction of the Askari, who are known as nomadic fighters that protect the seas around Skovos using Bows and Spears.

The other major faction within Askari society is the Oracles, who serve as a mystic counterbalance to the warrior Amazons. The Oracle caste is founded upon the ancient Sightless Eye relic, which was said to be possessed by the angel Lycander and allows the order to glimpse into the future. The Oracles were able to use the Sightless Eye to see a future where Diablo‘s Prime Evils returned, effectively predicting the Dark Exile of the Prime Evils by the Lesser Evils.

The Horadrim also have a history with Skovos, having created a Horadric Vault in the region sometime in the past. It’s possible that Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred will have players uncovering this lost vault during their travels to Skovos.

Skovos’ Appearance in the Rest of the Diablo Franchise

Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred Expansion Screenshot 3

Although Skovos has been mentioned in several past Diablo games, Lord of Hatred will be the first instance of the region appearing as a location players can actually visit in franchise history. The first reference to the existence of Skovos can be found in Diablo 2, where the Amazon appears as a playable class. Although not mentioned by name, the user manual for Diablo 2 describes the Amazon as hailing from an island chain in the south sea that is home to lush jungles broken up by a snow-capped mountain, a clear description of Skovos as it is set to appear in Diablo 4.

Skovos was almost included in Diablo 3, with the developers going as far as fleshing out designs and concept art for the region before ultimately scrapping it as an in-game location. This was likely due to Diablo 3‘s proximity to another ARPG releasing at the time, Titan Quest, which drew heavy inspiration from Mediterranean aesthetics as well. Despite being cut as a playable region, Diablo 3 does mention Skovos in Act 5, where Tyrael and Lorath mention that a Horadrim expedition has yet to return from the region.

The build-up to Skovos debuting in the Diablo series for the first time has set expectations high, but Lord of Hatred is shaping up to deliver on this key location in the series’s lore. Just how players will encounter Mephisto in Skovos is not yet clear, but it will likely draw together all the lore threads that the franchise has introduced surrounding Skovos over the years for a climactic showdown.