Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred begins rolling out on April 27, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Because Blizzard is using a global rollout, the expansion unlocks on April 28, 2026, in many regions outside North America. Blizzard also confirms that pre-download starts on April 23, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time for Battle.net, Xbox, and PlayStation.
One important detail: patch 3.0.0 can be pre-downloaded even if you did not buy the expansion. Buying Lord of Hatred is still required for the paid expansion content, but the main patch itself is not locked behind the purchase.
1. Diablo IV Lord of Hatred Launch Times
Diablo IV launch times
Diablo IV Lord of Hatred releases on April 28, 2026, but the actual unlock happens through a global rollout that starts earlier in North America. That is why players on the West Coast and East Coast get access on April 27, while players in Europe, Asia, and Australia see the expansion unlock on April 28.
| Time Zone | Release Time |
|---|---|
| Pacific Daylight Time | 4:00 p.m. — April 27, 2026 |
| Eastern Daylight Time | 7:00 p.m. — April 27, 2026 |
| UTC | 11:00 p.m. — April 27, 2026 |
| British Summer Time | 12:00 a.m. — April 28, 2026 |
| Central European Summer Time | 1:00 a.m. — April 28, 2026 |
| Pakistan Standard Time | 4:00 a.m. — April 28, 2026 |
| India Standard Time | 4:30 a.m. — April 28, 2026 |
| Japan Standard Time | 8:00 a.m. — April 28, 2026 |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time | 9:00 a.m. — April 28, 2026 |
2. Diablo IV Lord of Hatred Preload Time
The pre-download for Lord of Hatred and patch 3.0.0 starts on April 23, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. PDT. This is not a rolling midnight-by-region preload. It follows one global start time, just like the expansion rollout.
| Time Zone | Preload Time |
|---|---|
| Pacific Daylight Time | 4:00 p.m. — April 23, 2026 |
| Eastern Daylight Time | 7:00 p.m. — April 23, 2026 |
| UTC | 11:00 p.m. — April 23, 2026 |
| British Summer Time | 12:00 a.m. — April 24, 2026 |
| Central European Summer Time | 1:00 a.m. — April 24, 2026 |
| Pakistan Standard Time | 4:00 a.m. — April 24, 2026 |
| India Standard Time | 4:30 a.m. — April 24, 2026 |
| Japan Standard Time | 8:00 a.m. — April 24, 2026 |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time | 9:00 a.m. — April 24, 2026 |
3. Which Platforms Can Preload Lord of Hatred
Lord of Hatred’s preload is available on all major platforms. You need to make sure that you have the expansion purchased to trigger the download; however, players on Steam will not be able to preload the DLC.
- Battle.net
- Xbox
- PlayStation
4. How to Preload Diablo IV Lord of Hatred
Downloading Diablo IV
Preloading Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred is a simple way to make sure the expansion and its major 3.0.0 update are already installed before launch. The preload is available ahead of release on the supported platforms, and even players who are not buying the expansion can still download the main patch early.
- Own Diablo IV on your platform.
- Buy Lord of Hatred if you want access to the expansion campaign and paid content at launch.
- Wait for April 23, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. PDT.
- Open Battle.net, Xbox, or PlayStation.
- Check the Diablo IV page for the preload or update prompt.
- Download patch 3.0.0 and the expansion files if available.
- Let the download finish before launch day.
