How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4: Campaign Requirements

How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 requires the Lord of Hatred expansion and a character in a campaign state that can begin the new story. The expansion continues Diablo IV’s story into Skovos, so the clean route is to choose the Lord of Hatred campaign option when creating or configuring the character, or resume the relevant campaign on an existing character that is eligible to continue.

There are multiple character start states in modern Diablo IV, which is why How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 can look different from older expansion launches. A new character can use the recommended Lord of Hatred story route, while an existing character can continue from its own campaign state. A campaign skip becomes more useful after you have completed the expansion once, but it should not be confused with starting the story for the first time.

How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4: requirements and steps

Use the steps below for How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4. If one is missing, fix that state before chasing a quest marker in Skovos.

1. Own the Diablo IV base game and Lord of Hatred on the account you are using.
2. Make sure the expansion content is installed and recognized.
3. Choose a character that can enter the Lord of Hatred campaign, or create a new character using the Lord of Hatred story option.
4. Follow the opening campaign objectives and Lorath route.
5. Continue through Backwater and the journey toward Skovos.
6. Reach Temis and continue the campaign from the new region.

New character campaign options

For a new hero, How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 is simplest when you choose the Lord of Hatred campaign path rather than a story complete endgame start. Blizzard positioned the Lord of Hatred option as the recommended route for players who want the new story. If the interface offers several campaign starts, read the description carefully so you do not skip the content you are trying to play.

Existing characters

An existing character can also use How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4, but its current story state matters. If the character already has previous campaign progression, continue through the available main quest chain rather than assuming a fresh character marker will appear in the same place. The important check is whether the Lord of Hatred campaign is selected and available for that character.

If the campaign will not start

When How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 fails, verify expansion ownership first, then the character’s campaign selection, then the quest log. Do not delete characters or reset progress before confirming the entitlement. If the platform does not show Lord of Hatred as owned, a quest troubleshooting guide cannot fix the problem because the campaign content itself is not being licensed to the running game.

If ownership is correct but the expected objective is missing, return to the campaign selection or main quest log and look for the Lord of Hatred chain. Group play can also leave a character at a different personal quest step than the party leader, so check your own quest state before assuming the campaign is globally stuck.

What the opening leads into

Once How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 succeeds, the early story moves toward Skovos and Temis. Later campaign progression unlocks systems such as the Talisman and Horadric Cube, while completing the story opens War Plans and the full Temis endgame role. Starting the campaign is therefore the first gate in a chain of expansion unlocks, not just a way to see the opening cutscene.

Campaign checkpoints that affect progression systems

While following How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4, pay attention to system unlocks as well as story chapters. The Talisman and Horadric Cube are tied to Lord of Hatred campaign progression, while completing the campaign is the important gate for the War Plans command table in Temis. If one of those systems is missing, check whether the character has actually reached the required story state before treating the absence as a bug.

The final stretch of How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 also continues after the Mephisto encounter. The quest named Lord of Hatred sits in Chapter 5 between Delivering a Promise and A New Beginning, and the full campaign list continues into the final chapter. Finish the remaining main quests until the game records campaign completion, because later endgame access depends on that state rather than merely on having defeated one major boss.

Practical verification before changing the build

Use How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 as the reference point, then verify the relevant skill, quest, item or system on the current character before spending rare materials or resetting progress. Diablo IV now layers campaign state, class mechanics, Skill Variants, Charms and seasonal changes together, so one missing prerequisite can make a correct setup look broken. Check the exact named requirement first, change one thing at a time, and only move to broader troubleshooting after the specific contract of this guide has been satisfied.

How to Start Lord of Hatred in Diablo 4 is mainly about the correct expansion entitlement and campaign state. Select the Lord of Hatred story, follow the main quest chain toward Skovos and Temis, and troubleshoot ownership or character campaign selection before making larger changes to the installation.

For first-party information and future changes, see Blizzard Entertainment’s official Diablo IV coverage.