Blizzard has revealed a first look at the Pale Hand mercenaries, the new NPC companions that players will be able to recruit in the Diablo 4‘s upcoming expansion, Vessel of Hatred.
The companions will join players during their adventures, providing support with their unique abilities, and ultimately, make demon slaying a much more brutal affair.
Pale Hand Companions Will Have Archetypes That Compliment the Games Classes
Revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, Brent Gibson, Game Director for Vessel of Hatred, took to the stage to give players their first, albeit sparse look, at some upcoming additions to Diablo 4, with the most notable being the mercenaries.
Like in Diablo 3, these companions, called the Pale Hand, will journey with players and aid them with their abilities, which can be customized to support different players’ builds and playstyles. So, whether you are ranged, use magic, or get up close, there is a mercenary that will be right for you.
The trailer showcases 4 mercenaries that will be available, a barbarian, a shield wielder, an archer, and a child that morphs into a demon, with each getting a moment in the spotlight. Some skills appear to be similar to ones seen in the game already, such as the Steel Grasp of the barbarian, while others, like the Demons attacks, will have something new for players to see and use in their demon-slaying antics.
Along with this, Blizzard also shed some light on several other upcoming additions to the ARPG, namely, the Dark Citadel and Kurast Undercity. The Dark Citadel will be a new co-op PvE endgame activity, which will use a series of puzzles and co-op-focused mechanics to offer a new experience in Diablo 4. For Kurast Undercity, players can expect a multistage time-attack style dungeon, which will add another challenge for players to overcome in the pursuit of loot.
Blizzard Has Plans for More Than Just Diablo This Year
Diablo 4 wasn’t the only Blizzard property that got some attention, as Johanna Faries, the president of Blizzard Entertainment, made mention of several other events and upcoming additions to other Blizzard titles. The most notable was World of Warcraft, which will see its newest expansion, The War Within, launch in early access on August 22, with the official release on August 26.
Players got details on the first Warcraft Direct, a livestream dedicated to Warcraft, with details on what’s coming in the future. It is set to air sometime before the end of the year. Additionally, the end of October will see the game’s 20th-anniversary event kick off, with a slew of new rewards to earn while “exploring the history of Azeroth.”
Warcraft will also be making its way into Overwatch 2 as part of the series’ 30th anniversary, with a new Widowmaker skin in the style of Sylvanas Windrunner coming to the game in September.
Players can expect to hear more about these announcements, as well as new details on Blizzards games, during the Xbox Showcase at Gamescom, which will air August 21 at 6 am PST / 9am EST / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST.
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