Lord of Hatred release date

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is now less than a month away from release and starts on April 28th. Anticipating the Lord of Hatred to draw the curtain Diablo 4In the Age of Hatred arc, fans will want to learn about the history and lore of the Skovos region, the new map where Lord of Hatred will take place. Digging into Skovos reveals how powerful it was on a larger scale Diablo franchise and how it fits as a place for Diablo 4The final showdown with Mephisto in Lord of Hatred.

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

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Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred's Skovos is essential to the Lore of the series

The most important information about Skovos

An island chain far to the south
The origin of civilization in Sanctuary
Diverse landscapes, including volcanic coastlines, lush forests and towering mountains
Design inspired by Greece
Home of the Askari matriarchal society
Two main castes: Warrior Amazons and Mystic Oracles

Skovos has a surprisingly rich history Diablo series, and Lord of Hatred has the potential to bring that entire history to the forefront of its story. Aesthetically, Skovos takes inspiration from Greek architecture, which includes marble columns and towering statues that welcome visitors to the islands. Place names on Skovos also bear Greek-sounding names such as Philios, Temis and Atanos, further reinforcing the Greek inspiration of the place.

Geography of Skovos

Technically an island chain, Skovos consists of several individual islands that join together to form the region as a whole. The main islands of Skovos include Philios, Lycander, and Skartara, located far to the south of any other large landmasses in Sanctuary, with the capital Temis located between these islands. The environments on these islands can vary, from lush forests to treacherous mountains and volcanic coastlines, especially in Skartara. Compared to the homogenous jungle of Nahant, the diversity of the environment should be a huge difference 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 eventually evolved into the modern humans of Sanctuary. Following the birth of the Nephalem and the eventual creation of humanity, Skovos became home to a number of factions of note Diablo franchise.

The original Skovos tribe is the Askari, with the islands of Philios and Lycander bearing the names of the tribe's founders, a nephalem and an angel. 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 Amazonian warriors are the primary military faction of the Askari, who are known as nomadic warriors who protect the seas around Skovos with bows and spears.

Another major faction in Askari society are the Seers, who serve as a mystical counterbalance to the warrior Amazons. The Oracle caste is based on the ancient relic of the Sightless Eye, which was said to be possessed by the angel Lycander and allows the order to see into the future. Seers were able to use the Sightless Eye to see the future where DiabloThe Primal Evils have returned, effectively foreshadowing the Dark Exile of the Primal Evils by the Lesser Evils.

The Horadrim also have a history with Skovos, having created the Horadric Vault in the region at some point in the past. That is possible Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred will have players uncover this lost vault during their travels to Skovos.

Skovos' appearance in the rest of the Diablo franchise

Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred 3 expansion screenshot

Although Skovos has been mentioned in several past Diablo game, Lord of Hatred will be the first example of a region in the franchise's history to appear as a location that players can actually visit. The first mention of the existence of Skovos can be found in Diablo 2where the Amazon appears as a playable class. Although it is not mentioned by name, the user manual for Diablo 2 describes Amazonia as originating from an island chain in the South Seas that is home to a lush jungle broken by a snow-capped mountain, a clear description of Skovos as it is to appear in Diablo 4.

Skovos was almost included in the Diablo 3with the developers going so far as to refine designs and concept art for the region before eventually scrapping it as an in-game location. This was probably caused Diablo 3proximity to another ARPG released at the time, Titan Questwhich also drew strong inspiration from Mediterranean aesthetics. Despite being cut out as a playable area, Diablo 3 mentions Skovos in Act 5 where Tyrael and Lorath mention that the Horadrim expedition has not yet returned from the region.

Superstructure on Skovos debuting in Diablo The series first set expectations high, but Lord of Hatred is poised to reach that pivotal place in the series' lore. How players will encounter Mephisto in Skovos is not yet clear, but it will likely pull together all the threads of lore the franchise has established around Skovos over the years for a climactic showdown.