Diablo 4 is transforming once again with the release of its upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion, and one of the new features coming to Blizzard’s modern ARPG is bound to make old-school fans of the series happy.
Come update 3.0, launching alongside Lord of Hatred, Diablo 4 will officially have a map overlay. This lets players put a togglable map directly in the middle of the screen on top of the action, instead of using the minimap in the top-right corner of the screen or opening an entirely different map window that covers up gameplay.
Players will have to choose between using the current minimap or the new map overlay, but Blizzard is giving players some tools to customize the overlay to their liking. The map’s opacity and color can be customized, and to go alongside the map overlay, a new pathfinding feature highlights the path players should take to reach their destination.
It sounds like a small addition in an expansion filled to the brim with system overhauls and new features, but fans have wanted a map overlay since Diablo 4’s launch. The overlay is in pretty much constant use in other ARPGs like Diablo 2 and Path of Exile and is perfect for navigating sprawling dungeons without having to constantly open the map or look away from the action. In a game like Diablo 4, where death often comes almost instantly due to one small mistake, having the map overlay be an option is a welcome addition.
The map overlay is just one of the many new features coming alongside Lord of Hatred. Blizzard is completely reworking the skill trees for each class by removing passive skills entirely, as well as revamping Diablo 4’s endgame with its new Warplans system. And that’s on top of additions like the return of the Horadric cube, a proper loot filter, two new playable classes, and 12 Torment difficulties to grind through.
Blizzard recently revealed the exact launch times for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and the game’s 3.0 update, as well as when players will be able to pre-download the new content ahead of its release on April 28. For those looking to snag some free cosmetics, Blizzard is also celebrating Lord of Hatred’s release with Diablo 4 Twitch Drops for a limited time.
