Diablo 4 Mercenaries Reveal Made Me Jump on Vessel of Hatred Hype Train

With Diablo 4's first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, launching on 8 October 2024, Nephalem will travel to a new land and finally face Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, level up a brand-new class (Spiritborn) and, of course, slay countless demons for the shiniest of loot.

Then,  there's the new Mercenaries feature releasing with Diablo 4's expansion, and it's got me more excited than a Treasure Goblin spotting a heap of gold coins. As an avid Diablo fan for over two decades, Mercenaries could be the real game-changing, more than any other feature, including the new endgame PvE activity, Dark Citadel.

Why Hyped For NPC Companions in Diablo 4?

It's not about wanting to play alone or having an NPC companion following me around the map, possibly clashing or getting along with my pet.

Mercenaries are so much more than just NPCs. Back in Diablo 2, Mercenaries became your virtual companions, maybe even your friends, spending hours farming that one Set item you require when all your friends have logged off.

It's almost as if Mercenaries in Diablo 2, despite having little in the form of voice lines, sprouted their own personalities, and I would go as far as to tell stories to some gamer friends about how my virtual companion accidentally pulled a pack of monsters, or saved my hardcore character, narrowly escaping permanent death.

Mercenaries will grow in strength alongside your character. They can be customized (likely with a currency called Pale Marks), and you can give them specific items and gear to both kit them out and supplement any shortcomings of your character build.

Blizzard boasted that no matter what your build or class is, you'll "find a Mercenary that's right for you," which is quite a bold statement that I hope turns out to be accurate, even for my Thorns Barb. 

The first snippets of gameplay featuring Mercenaries have been shown off, and it looks incredible. Blizzard kicked things off with a Mercenary that can turn into a demon, stomping enemies with fire, then showed what looks to be a sorcerer/wizard companion, a ranger, and a crusader.

All members of the "Pale Hand" appear to be very self-sufficient, and in the gameplay, they use powerful skills to assist the player. How much control the player will have over their chosen Mercenary, however, remains to be seen.

Check out the official Diablo 4 Mercenaries reveal trailer shown off at Gamescom Opening Night Live below, and jump in the hype train with me for the Vessel of Hatred expansion.

No excuse me while I pre-order the expansion, and stay tuned since I'll be bringing you in-depth guides and the latest news about Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred.

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