Diablo IV has surged to the top of the Twitch rankings, driven by the highly anticipated release of the Lord of Hatred expansion. On the DLC's launch day, the game generated over 2.5 million hours of wathctime and reached a peak of 171.4K live viewers.
How many viewers watched the Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred release?
Diablo IV hit over 2.5 million Hours Watched on Twitch in its first 24 hours after the Lord of Hatred expansion launched on April 28. In just one day, the expansion surpassed Diablo IV’s total Hours Watched from the whole of March 2026.
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With the debut of Lord of Hatred, Diablo IV peaked at 171.4K concurrent Twitch viewers. This is the game’s strongest performance since the Vessel of Hatred expansion in October 2024. The number of active channels also reached 2.8K, marking a two-year high for the category.
While Lord of Hatred remains well below the record-breaking 2023 launch of Diablo IV, which peaked at over 940K concurrent viewers and nearly ten times more active channels, its performance is broadly in line with the Vessel of Hatred expansion.
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The release of Lord of Hatred pushed the Diablo IV back to the top of Twitch rankings, surpassing titles such as League of Legends and Grand Theft Auto V in total Hours Watched. It also reached the second-highest peak concurrent viewership on the platform, trailing only Riot Games’ leading MOBA.
Who is the most popular Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred streamer?
The Lord of Hatred expansion attracted a range of established Twitch creators, with German streamers playing a particularly strong role in overall coverage.
Streamers such as Robin “Rob2628” Steinberg and Wudijo led in total Hours Watched on launch day, reflecting sustained, long-form engagement from their audiences. In contrast, American streamer Zack “zackrawrr” Hoyt (Asmongold) topped peak concurrent viewership despite streaming for only a few hours.
The difference between the two metrics highlights two distinct viewing patterns: extended “grind” streams that accumulate watch time over hours, and shorter, high-intensity broadcasts that generate immediate audience spikes.
The most popular Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred streamers
Most creators streaming Lord of Hatred participated in active Twitch Drops campaigns during the launch period. This system allowed viewers to earn in-game cosmetic rewards by watching eligible broadcasts, contributing to increased viewership and longer watch sessions throughout the release window.
Read also: Diablo IV doubles Hogwarts: Legacy viewership in its first-month on Twitch
How to get the Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Twitch Drops?
To celebrate the launch of the Lord of Hatred expansion, Blizzard is hosting a multi-week Twitch Drops campaign. Players can earn exclusive cosmetic items by watching eligible streamers in the Diablo IV category.
Rewards Schedule & Requirements
| Week
|
Featured Rewards
|
Viewing Time
|
|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 (Apr 28 - May 3) |
New Class Cosmetics: Weapon skins and back trophies for the Paladin and Warlock. |
3 hours (Part 1) / 6 hours (Full Set) |
|
Week 2 (May 5-12) |
Classic Class Arsenal: Custom skins for staves, bows, and swords (Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, Sorcerer). |
3 hours (Part 1) / 6 hours (Full Set) |
|
Week 3 (May 12-19) |
Mount & Saddle Trophies: Unique "Skovos-themed" mount armor and decorative saddle accessories. |
6 hours total |
|
Week 4 (May 19-26) |
Grand Prize: A special decorative Pet (for gold collection) or an Elite Armored Steed. |
6 hours total |
What's new in Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred?
Lord of Hatred is the second major expansion for Diablo IV. Following the events of Vessel of Hatred, this new chapter takes players to the Skovos Isles for a final confrontation with Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred himself.
Plot and New Region: The Skovos Isles
The expansion unfolds in the legendary Skovos Isles — an ancestral home to the Amazons inspired by ancient Greek aesthetics. Here, players hunt Mephisto as his corruption begins to poison the leadership of Sanctuary. This new 8–10-hour campaign leads to an epic confrontation with the Prime Evil, centered on the hub city of Temis, which has already been praised for its convenient layout and accessible crafting stations.
New Classes: Paladin & Warlock
In a series first, Blizzard is introducing two new classes simultaneously. The Paladin returns as the definitive 'Holy Warrior,' utilizing a classic sword-and-shield playstyle powered by divine auras and a unique Arbiter Form that temporarily supercharges all abilities. In contrast, the Warlock acts as a dark mirror to the Paladin; rather than simple summoning, they bind demons to their will through fire and shadow magic, using a high-risk, high-reward system in which their power scales as the battle intensifies.
Game-Changing Mechanics
Lord of Hatred fundamentally reshapes the Diablo IV experience by reintroducing several fan-favorite mechanics. The new Talisman system brings back the classic inventory management of Diablo II, allowing players to unlock powerful set bonuses through charms rather than being locked into specific armor pieces. Crafting also sees a massive upgrade with the return of Kanai’s Cube, enabling players to extract legendary powers and upgrade items to the Unique tier. Furthermore, the expansion answers long-standing community requests by introducing a built-in loot filter, a level cap increase to 70, and an expanded difficulty curve that now reaches Torment 12.
New Endgame: War Plans & Echoing Hatred
The endgame experience has been expanded through two primary systems: War Plans and Echoing Hatred. War Plans introduces a 'playlist' approach to progression, allowing players to chain specific objectives — such as Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides — together for massive loot multipliers. For those seeking a pure test of power, Echoing Hatred offers an endless 'Horde' mode. With difficulty scaling higher with every wave, it has quickly become the ultimate benchmark for measuring the strength of endgame builds in 2026.
