How To Unlock The Dark Citadel In Diablo 4: Vessel Of Hatred

In addition to a brand new story, tons of quality-of-life improvements, and new mechanics, Diablo IV: Vessel Of Hatred also adds a new multiplayer endgame activity, the Dark Citadel.

Here’s everything you need to know to unlock this new 2-4 player dungeon.

What Is The Dark Citadel?

The Dark Citadel is a difficult dungeon that requires coordination, and does not scale difficulty based on the number of players, so it is easier the more companions you bring with you. The rewards are high, however, so it’s worth your time to dive deep into the hidden Khazra fortress.

It’s worth knowing that once this quest has been completed on a single character, all other characters will gain access to The Dark Citadel without completing the quest again.

How Do You Unlock The Dark Citadel?

The way to unlock The Dark Citadel is long and convoluted, and not clearly explained in-game. Fear not:

You’ll need to do the following things to unlock The Dark Citadel:

• Complete the Vessel Of Hatred story, including talking to Prava at Lorath’s cabin (Unlocking the Deeds Of A Champion quest)
• Conquer Stronghold Kichuk
• Complete the ‘Tenets of Depravity’ questline
• Complete three Dungeons in Nahantu

Once you have completed all those prerequisites, a quest will appear called “Crater Of Lost Souls,” which tasks you with talking to Priestess Cualli in the middle of Kurast.

She can be found just down the stairs (to the southwest) from the Difficulty Statue.

She’ll ask you to look for a warriors’ camp just east of the city. Head there and inspect the objects around the camp to find a hint on how to proceed.

Leave the camp and head up the path to the northeast, then speak to the injured man along the path.

Keep following the path to the east, jumping across the gaps until you reach a gap in the cliff, leading to the Ancient Nexus.

Inside, you’ll find Zyanya. Speak to her to discover more about this terrifying place. Duck through the gap in the rocks next to her to reach the Khazra.

Activate the device in the center of the room, then defeat the two Barrier Guardians. Kill the rest of the enemies to clear the area and you’ll be able to activate the Waypoint.

When Zyanya joins you in the room, speak to her again to complete the quest chain and unlock the Crater Of Lost Souls as a new hub.

Now that you’ve unlocked it, you can tackle the Dark Citadel any time you want, so gather some friends and see if you can make it through Vessel Of Hatred’s demanding multiplayer dungeon.

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