The Complete Diablo 4 Walkthrough: Campaign Order and Expansions

This Diablo 4 walkthrough follows the full story in the order that makes sense for a first playthrough: complete the Prologue, play Acts I–III in any order, finish Acts IV–VI, and then continue into Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred if you own them. The base game’s story ends with the confrontation against Lilith. The expansions continue the plot through Nahantu and Skovos, so you can stop after the base campaign or keep following the story chronologically.

Spoiler note: This guide names the regions, major story transitions, and final opponents, but avoids revealing scene-by-scene twists.

Diablo 4 campaign order at a glance

Before starting the walkthrough

• Choose the base campaign if this is your first time following the story. Current character setup can offer expansion starts or a completed-story route, so check the selected campaign before confirming.
• Pick any class you enjoy. The campaign does not require a particular class. Your skill choices and gear matter more than choosing a supposedly mandatory build.
• Use a comfortable difficulty. If a boss repeatedly stops your progress, lower the challenge in the game’s Difficulty settings, improve your gear, and try again.
• Know what you own. Lord of Hatred requires the base game and includes the earlier Vessel of Hatred expansion. You do not need to buy Vessel of Hatred separately if you own Lord of Hatred.

The complete Diablo 4 walkthrough, step by step

1. Step 1: Start the base campaign

   At character creation, select the base-game story rather than an expansion start or a story-complete option. Choose your class and begin on a difficulty that lets you learn combat without turning every encounter into a long gear check. The campaign journal is your source of truth: track its active main quest, and follow its map marker when the next objective is not obvious.

2. Step 2: Finish the Prologue in the Fractured Peaks

   The opening drops your character into the snowy Fractured Peaks. Follow the main quest through the storm, reach Nevesk, and complete the introductory objectives until the campaign opens into its first Act. Side quests and nearby dungeons are optional; do them when you want extra combat or rewards, but you do not need to clear the region before continuing.

3. Step 3: Complete Act I in the Fractured Peaks

   Use Kyovashad as your main stop in the region. The Act introduces Lorath and sets you on the pursuit of Lilith and the forces gathering around her. Keep the main quest tracked, unlock any Waypoints you pass, and return to town when you need to repair equipment or adjust your skills. When Act I is complete, the campaign can branch into the other early Acts.

4. Step 4: Follow Act II through Scosglen

   Scosglen shifts the journey from mountain settlements to wet, wooded country. Follow the main objectives through the region, meet the allies tied to its druidic communities, and pursue the campaign’s clues about Lilith. You can make progress here before or after Act III; the story does not require a single fixed order for these two Acts.

5. Step 5: Follow Act III across the Dry Steppes

   The Dry Steppes bring a harsher route of open terrain, settlements, and ruins. Stay with the main quest as it develops the campaign’s investigation and leads toward the next phase of the story. If enemies start taking too long to defeat, check that your equipped weapon is current, spend available skill points, and replace items that no longer support your damage or survival. You do not need to farm every dungeon to advance.

6. Step 6: Move into Act IV in Kehjistan

   After Acts I, II, and III are complete, the campaign points you toward Act IV. Kehjistan marks the transition from the open early chapters to the more tightly connected story that follows. Use the quest journal to avoid chasing unrelated map icons, and take the nearest unlocked Waypoint when a destination is far away. Complete the campaign objective in each location before moving on; optional exploration can wait until later.

7. Step 7: Complete Acts V and VI and defeat Lilith

   The final base-game Acts carry the story through Hawezar and other southern areas before the final push. Follow the main quest markers in order and keep your gear, healing supply, and skill loadout ready for boss encounters. Against Lilith, watch for attack cues, move out of marked danger zones, and save your Evade or other movement skills for attacks that are difficult to outrun. The main campaign is complete when you finish its final confrontation and return to the open world.

8. Step 8: Continue the story through the expansions

   If you want the full story available in 2026, play the expansions in release and narrative order. Vessel of Hatred follows the base campaign: travel into Nahantu, search for Neyrelle, and follow the campaign’s pursuit of the Vault of Light and Mephisto’s soulstone. Then start Lord of Hatred, which takes the conflict to Skovos and builds toward a final stand against Mephisto. Blizzard’s current character-start options can let eligible characters jump directly into an expansion, but doing so skips earlier story chapters.

Navigation and combat tips that keep the story moving

• Track one main quest at a time. The journal and map marker show the next required objective. Diablo IV’s Auto-Pin can place a route to a selected journal destination, and its compass and audio-navigation options can provide additional guidance.
• Use Waypoints as soon as you find them. They reduce backtracking between campaign objectives. When the route looks long, check the map for an unlocked Waypoint near the quest marker.
• Spend skill points as you earn them. Keep one dependable damage skill and at least one defensive, healing, or movement option. You can revise your setup if it stops working; the game’s skill systems have changed since launch, so old build advice may not match the current patch.
• Do optional content selectively. A side quest or dungeon can help if you need more rewards or want a break, but clearing every icon is not a campaign requirement.
• Adjust difficulty when you hit a wall. Repeated deaths are a cue to change your approach, refresh your gear, or reduce the challenge—not a reason to grind every activity on the map.

What happens after the base campaign?

Defeating Lilith completes the base story, but it is not the end of Diablo IV’s campaign content. Vessel of Hatred continues the narrative in Nahantu, and Lord of Hatred follows it in Skovos. The expansions also add or reshape endgame systems. In the current game, do not rely on launch-era walkthroughs that describe World Tiers or a level-50 Paragon transition: Blizzard has reworked progression and difficulty since release.

After the story, you can build your character through the available endgame activities. Lord of Hatred adds War Plans, which chain selected activities such as The Pit, Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, Infernal Hordes, Lair Bosses, and Kurast Undercity. It also adds the high-pressure Echoing Hatred challenge. These expansion activities are optional; the main story can be completed without pursuing them.

Frequently asked questions

Can you complete Diablo 4 Acts in any order?

After the Prologue, Acts I–III can be completed in any order. Acts IV–VI then follow the campaign’s sequential route to the base-game finale.

Do I need both expansions to finish the story?

No. The base game has a complete campaign ending with Lilith. To follow the later story, play Vessel of Hatred before Lord of Hatred. Lord of Hatred includes Vessel of Hatred.

Can I skip the campaign on another character?

Yes. Blizzard says completing the campaign on one character unlocks the Skip Campaign option for the rest. Current character setup can also offer an expansion start or a story-complete endgame start when eligible.

Official Diablo IV references

• Blizzard’s Vessel of Hatred campaign and launch guide
• Blizzard’s Lord of Hatred campaign, character-start, and endgame guide
• Blizzard’s progression and difficulty update
• Blizzard’s Auto-Pin and navigation accessibility guide