The campaign in Diablo 4 serves as a gateway to its dark world, weaving a narrative full of lore, challenges, and opportunities for character growth. With the Vessel of Hatred expansion extending the storyline, players have even more content to explore. Whether you're here for the story or aiming for quick access to endgame content, knowing how much time you'll need for these campaigns can help you plan your playthrough effectively.

How Long is the Diablo 4 Campaign?

The base campaign in Diablo 4 is a robust experience, designed to immerse players in its rich lore and introduce essential mechanics. The campaign spans six acts and takes about 10 to 15 hours to complete. However, your progress can vary based on these key factors:

Factors Influencing Completion Time

Class Choice: Classes like the Sorcerer and Necromancer often excel due to their versatile builds and strong early-game abilities, while classes like the Barbarian or Druid may require more careful planning for tougher encounters.

Build Optimization: An optimized build can dramatically affect your completion time. For example, during one of my early runs as a Rogue with a poison build, I managed to defeat the final boss while significantly under-leveled. However, with ongoing balance updates, such feats may be harder to replicate.

Exploration and Side Activities: While it's possible to focus purely on the main storyline, exploring the map, completing side quests, and farming dungeons for gear will add hours to your playtime. These activities not only enrich the experience but also prepare you for the challenges ahead.

How Long is the Vessel of Hatred Expansion?

The Vessel of Hatred expansion offers a shorter, more focused continuation of the base game's story. Players can expect to complete it in 5 to 6 hours. While the content may feel brief compared to the main campaign, it comes with its own set of challenges and new features that tie into Diablo 4's evolving endgame.

Key Highlights of Vessel of Hatred

Pre-Leveled Characters: If your character is already equipped with high-tier gear such as Legendary or Unique items, you'll progress through the expansion more quickly.

Endgame Integration: Completion of the expansion is required to unlock some new endgame activities, such as The Pit. For players still leveling up or unlocking Paragon boards, this can extend the time needed to fully explore what the expansion offers.

Rushing vs. Immersion: Players aiming to rush through the expansion will complete it faster. However, those who dive into its deeper lore, uncover secrets, and engage in all side content may take longer.

Seasonal Content and Campaign Skip

Blizzard recognizes that not all players are here for the story. With the introduction of a campaign skip feature, players can dive straight into Diablo 4's Seasonal content or endgame activities. This option is ideal for those who:

Want immediate access to features like farming zones or Paragon board progression.

Prefer gameplay-focused experiences over narrative exploration.

Aim to save time when leveling alts for seasonal events.

Skipping the campaign ensures that all players, whether veterans or newcomers, can access Diablo 4's core content without mandatory narrative progression.

Platform Availability

Diablo 4, along with the Vessel of Hatred expansion, is available on:

PlayStation 5

PlayStation 4

Xbox Series X|S

Xbox One

PC

With full cross-platform game and cross-platform progress support, players can seamlessly team up or switch platforms to continue their adventure. You can also buy D4 gold and Diablo 4 Items for all of the above platforms at MMOexp.

Why Play the Campaign?

While skipping the campaign is an option, there are several reasons to consider playing through it:

Lore and Worldbuilding: The campaign

Character Development: Completing the

Unlocking Content: SomVessel of Hatred expansion.

Conclusion

The campaigns in Diablo 4 and its Vessel of Hatred expansion provide distinct experiences for players of all kinds. Whether you're a lore enthusiast or a player eager to reach the endgame, these campaigns balance narrative depth with rewarding gameplay. With the added flexibility of campaign skipping, Diablo 4 caters to both story-driven and progression-focused adventurers. Prepare your class, fine-tune your build, and step into Sanctuary's ever-darkening world!

MMOexp Diablo 4 Team