Diablo IV’s next expansion, Lord of Hatred, is starting to look like much more than a new class and a new region.
In a recent YouTube interview with Wudijo, Blizzard Associate Game Director Zaven Haroutunian shared new details about the expansion’s endgame plans, progression systems, and overall direction. The full interview is here: Diablo 4 Expansion will be a MAJOR Shakeup – Interview with Zaven Haroutunian. Coverage based on the interview has focused especially on one headline-worthy detail: Diablo IV’s current difficulty ladder could eventually expand from Torment 4 all the way to Torment 12.
That would be a major shift for the game’s endgame. Instead of a relatively limited difficulty ceiling, Blizzard appears to be building a system where more activities can scale deeper into high-end play.
Torment 12 could change how Diablo IV endgame works
The key point is not just bigger numbers.
According to recap coverage of the interview, Blizzard wants more endgame activities to scale into meaningful late-game challenges, rather than forcing players into only a few “best” activities once they reach the top. That means things like Helltides, Infernal Hordes, and other repeatable content could scale much further, closer to Pit-level difficulty, while also offering better rewards.
If that lands well, it could make Diablo IV’s endgame feel much broader. Instead of one narrow optimal farming route, players may get more freedom to choose the content they actually enjoy.
The Horadric Cube is coming back
Another major takeaway from the interview is the return of the Horadric Cube.
This does not sound like a simple nostalgia button. The reporting around the interview suggests Blizzard is using the Cube as part of a broader item and crafting system, including ways to modify gear and make blue and yellow items more relevant again. The same interview coverage also points to systems involving charms, seals, and unique item crafting or modification.
That could be one of the most important long-term changes in the expansion, because it would give players more reasons to care about a wider range of drops instead of instantly ignoring most loot on sight.
More endgame systems are on the way
The interview also touched on several other systems reportedly planned for Lord of Hatred, including:
War Plans, which would let players customize or alter activities and rewards.
Echoing Hatred, described in recap coverage as an endgame mode built around surviving escalating waves.
Loot filters, stash upgrades, and other quality-of-life improvements.
Taken together, this sounds less like a standard expansion checklist and more like Blizzard trying to widen Diablo IV’s entire endgame framework.
Why players are paying close attention
The reaction has been strong for a reason.
A jump from Torment 4 to Torment 12 would be one of the biggest structural changes Diablo IV has made since launch. Some players will love the added progression depth. Others will immediately worry that the game could drift toward pure stat inflation if the higher tiers are not backed by meaningful rewards and better gameplay variety. That tension is already part of the conversation around the interview recap.
Still, if Blizzard can make those higher tiers feel rewarding across multiple activities, Lord of Hatred could end up being the expansion that finally gives Diablo IV a much deeper endgame ladder.
The takeaway
If the details from the Wudijo interview hold up, Lord of Hatred is not just adding more Diablo IV content. It is expanding the game’s endgame ceiling in a serious way.
And if Torment 12 really is coming, players may soon have a lot more room to push their builds than they do now.
