Diablo 4 Season 11 makes DLC optional in name only

Diablo 4 Season 11 looks to be a pretty exciting update. Divine gifts, sanctification, and new uniques and items will give players the power they need to confront the lesser evils that take center stage this season. Azmodan joins Andariel, Duriel and Belial as they invade different aspects of the game, and with the brutal quartet finally complete with the arrival of this iconic boss, season 11 of Diablo 4 has the perfect attitude to become a big hit.

However, there is some fine print with this season that may spoil the fun for some players. The new meeting with Andariel is locked behind The ship of hatemeaning players who don't have the expansion can't fight the lesser evil or claim seasonal changes for besting her. Diablo 4 Season 11 is the first instance of DLC-locked seasonal content – and unfortunately, it probably won't be the last.

Some content in Diablo 4 Season 11 requires Hateships

Players without Diablo 4's first expansion are left behind

Azmodan, one of the main antagonists of Diablo 3finally joining its Lesser Evil kin Diablo 4 Season 11. All four of these terrifying enemies invade various other activities in the game world, adding a fiendish and unexpected twist to the otherwise familiar content:

Azmodan can appear in place of other world bosses.
Duriel replaces the Blood Maiden encounter in Helltides.
Belial takes over Diablo 4 Pit of Artificers as his final boss, calling his eyes all the time.
Andariel meets in Kurast Undercity.

That said, there is one big caveat with these special Lesser Evil appearances: this version of Andariel can only be accessed by players with The ship of hate. Kurast Undercity is a special timed dungeon activity added to the expansion that is accessed from zones restricted to players who only have the base game. While Andariel can still fight in her original version in Diablo 4the new Kurast Undercity encounter – and all her seasonal power and rewards – will be unavailable to those without the DLC.

Without sales, Diablo 4 costs $50, and The ship of hate is $40. While both can be purchased together for $70, fans who already own Diablo 4 have to spend almost as much as the base game again to get the DLC.

diablo 4 season 11 belial eye pit of artificers

This is the first time that players who do not own the expansion will not be able to enjoy one of the expansion's core features. Unless Diablo 4 changing this before the season starts on December 9th, players without Diablo 4: Ships of Hate will not only miss out on this content, but will be at a disadvantage compared to its DLC owning brethren.

Expansion-locked seasonal content in Diablo 4 was inevitable

Unfortunately, this development hardly comes as a surprise. When The ship of hate First released, Blizzard warned players that there would eventually be DLC-locked features in future seasons. As a live service game, it's only natural Diablo 4 would like to weave its seasonal content into its latest areas and features, but it's still unfortunate for fans who haven't picked up yet The ship of hate.

Overall, it's actually impressive that it took this long to happen in the first place. Diablo 4: Ships of Hate was launched on October 8, 2024, i.e Diablo 4 lasted over a year without DLC-locked seasonal content. Unfortunately, it seems like time is running out on Season 11, and now that the floodgates are open, fans will probably see this happen more often in the future.

The next era of Blizzard's hit ARPG is on the horizon, with a 2026 reveal Diablo 4 expansion is expected before the end of this year. While fans may be able to do without picking up this untitled DLC for a while, they may want to lay off The ship of hate on their Christmas lists, or otherwise ask for it to be sold for the holidays and buy it themselves.