Diablo 4 Dark Citadel mode, explained

The Dark Citadel, which is be introduced to Diablo 4 in the Vessel of Hatred expansion, is as dangerous as it sounds. As this is a new game feature in the action RPG, there’s an air of mystery surrounding it—unless you read on.

Here’s what we know about Diablo 4‘s new Dark Citadel dungeon.

What is the Dark Citadel in Diablo 4?

The Dark Citadel is an all-new co-op endgame dungeon being introduced to Diablo 4 in the Vessel of Hatred. In this endgame activity, you join forces with others to overcome various challenges and defeat the First Khazra for rewards. The minimum party requirement is two players. However, Blizzard recommends four.

In this first-of-its-kind endgame activity, you’ll enter a co-op dungeon with other players to defeat the dangers lurking in three individual wings of the dungeon. Each wing has its own secrets; you must solve them and unravel the plans of the infernals. Blizzard mentioned in its latest developer update that you’ll only be able to get so far through these wings with brute force and that cooperation is the key to defeating each.

Instead of having one boss for the entire dungeon, each wing will have its own boss, so communication will be key for survival—especially if they’re all new with new mechanics. Like the raids in Lost Ark, these bosses will have timed mechanics where you have to complete specific tasks. So, it’s going to be much more challenging than normal bosses. Because communication will be important in this dungeon, a new marker system will be introduced to help you illustrate your next move to your companions, which will be great for those who don’t use Discord or other means of voice communication.

Like with the World Bosses, you can earn a Weekly Rewards cache every week the first time you complete the Dark Citadel, which is said to contain various Dark Citadel-exclusive items. You’ll also earn Citadel Coins throughout the Dark Citadel, which you can use to unlock exclusive Dark Citadel cosmetics, like the one Blizzard teased above.

How to unlock the Dark Citadel in Diablo 4

When the Vessel of Hatred expansion is live, and you’ve reached the endgame, you’ll receive an introductory quest that will lead you to the Citadel. By completing this quest, you’ll unlock the Dark Citadel. You’ll only need to complete this quest once; if you have alts, they won’t need to finish this quest if you beat it on your main character.

So, if you’re excited about the upcoming Vessel of Hatred campaign and the new Spiritborn class, there’s more coming to Diablo 4 in this expansion, like the Dark Citadel, that will keep you entertained for a long time to come.