The Lord of Hatred expansion arrives on April 28, 2026, and with it comes Skovos, a brand-new region added to the Diablo 4 world map. We now have a detailed look at what this island region has to offer. From new biomes and monster types to strongholds, boss fights, and a fishing system that works in lava, Skovos is packed with content.
Diablo 4 Skovos Isles Guide
Skovos is a large island region positioned as the centerpiece of the Lord of Hatred expansion. Unlike the dreary, fog-heavy look of Kilashod, Skovos leans into vibrant colors and a wide range of visual themes. The region features a central main hub city, five distinct areas branching outward, and a density of activities that includes strongholds, dungeons, bounties, whispers, and the new fishing mechanic.
From the revealed footage, the region feels surprisingly big despite its island setting. Traversal on horseback shows a varied landscape that shifts noticeably from zone to zone. Below, we cover every major feature spotted across the Skovos map, its biomes, dungeons, strongholds, and more.
Skovos Map Layout
The full Skovos world map was shown early in the IGN gameplay footage, giving us a complete look at the region's structure.
Main Hub City
A large settlement sits right in the middle of the map. This acts as the primary hub for the region. After clearing certain strongholds, additional city services like blacksmiths and stash access open up, similar to how strongholds have worked in the base game.
Five Distinct Areas
The map breaks into roughly five zones spreading out from the central hub. The top-left portion of the map is dominated by volcanic, lava-heavy terrain, while other sections feature jungles, coastlines, desert stretches, and darker corrupted zones.
Possible PvP Zone
One section near the middle of the map has boundary markings and whisper layouts that closely resemble PvP zone indicators from previous areas. This hasn't been officially confirmed, but the visual cues strongly suggest a dedicated PvP area within Skovos.
War Plans and Fast Travel
The War Plans menu now allows players to teleport directly to the Undercity from the map screen. The player in the footage also had a five-step war plan active, indicating a structured progression path tied to the region.
Skovos Biomes & New Monsters
The Skovos region introduces a range of new enemy types that fit the island's varied environments.
Tide Flesh Harvesters and Tiderunners
Giant crab-like creatures appear throughout the coastal and underwater-themed areas. These are called Tide Flesh Harvesters and Tiderunners. They are visually distinct from anything in the base game and seem to have moderate tankiness based on the footage.
Rat Kings
Rat King enemies make an appearance, calling back to a similar monster type from Diablo II. These enemies summon packs of smaller rats around them. In Diablo II, they were notable for enabling area damage; it remains to be seen if that interaction carries over.
Bow Maidens
Ranged enemies called Bow Maidens show up in certain zones, adding a ranged threat to the mix.
Hell Flyers
Aerial enemies referred to as Hell Flyers appear during stronghold content. These seem to be new additions to the demon roster.
Environmental Hazards: Ballistae and Corpse Bows
The region features large ballista emplacements and what appear to be upgraded versions of corpse bows - siege-style environmental threats that fire at players. One content creator compared them to the catapults from Diablo II. It is unclear if players can interact with or commandeer these devices.
Monster Design Fits the Region
A consistent observation from multiple viewers is that the monster types in Skovos feel thematically appropriate to the specific biome they appear in. Jungle areas have different enemies than coastal zones, and corrupted ruins have their own distinct roster. This kind of environmental variety in enemy design adds to the sense that Skovos is a fully realized region rather than a reskin of existing content.
Skovos Strongholds (Boss & Rewards)
Skovos follows the standard Diablo 4 formula with three strongholds spread across the map. Their icons are visible on the revealed world map, positioned in different corners of the region.
Stronghold Structure and Length
This stronghold is significantly longer than most strongholds in the base game. The player had to complete several phases before reaching the boss.
The first phase involves clearing enemies and escorting NPCs through the stronghold. The escorts stop moving when enemies are nearby, which forces you to fight before progressing.
The second phase requires pulling down idols using rope, an interactive environmental mechanic. Players interact with ropes attached to large statues and walk away from them to pull the idols down. Four idols need to be destroyed before the boss arena opens.
Tentacles emerge from the ground throughout the stronghold, attacking players even before the boss appears.
Stronghold Boss: Griggstosh, the Fathomless One
The final encounter takes place in a large arena. Griggstosh is a giant tentacled creature that swipes at players and can swallow your character whole, pulling you inside its body. When swallowed, you appear in an internal area before being spat back out.
The fight does not appear to have complex mechanics on Torment 2, though harder difficulties may add additional phases or patterns. Some viewers noted that the boss could benefit from a mechanic where dealing damage from inside the creature is the primary way to hurt it, but that was not observed in the footage.
One content creator compared the visual design to a Lord of the Rings creature, and the overall aesthetic of the fight is distinctly aquatic and Lovecraftian.
Stronghold Rewards After Clearing
Once a stronghold is cleansed, it converts into a functional settlement with a blacksmith, stash, and other services, following the same pattern as strongholds in the base game.
The longest segment of the IGN footage covers a full stronghold clear that ends with a boss fight against Griggstosh, the Fathomless One, a massive kraken-like creature.
Are Strongholds Worth Farming for XP?
Given how long the showcased stronghold was, it may not be the most time-efficient method for gaining experience compared to Hell Tides. However, every stronghold will need to be completed at least once for progression and renown. Hell Tides and dungeons remain likely candidates for the fastest leveling routes.
Skovos Waypoints
Eight waypoints are visible on the Skovos map. These are spread across the region's five zones and provide standard fast travel access. Combined with the War Plans teleport option to the Undercity, getting around Skovos should be relatively smooth even before all waypoints are activated.
Skovos Dungeons and Boss Fights
From the full map reveal, at least 10 dungeon entrances are visible across Skovos. This gives the region a solid dungeon density, and each one likely features the zone-appropriate monster types seen in the open world footage.
New Monster Types
Skovos introduces several new enemy types that fit the island theme. Tide Flesh Harvesters and Tideer Runners are crab-like creatures found along coastal areas. Hell Flyers appear in corrupted zones. Rat Kings return from Diablo II, summoning packs of smaller rats. Bow Maidens and giant ballistae appear in certain fortified areas, with the ballistae functioning as destructible environmental hazards.
Dungeon Boss: The Fathomless One
One dungeon shown in the footage featured a fight against a large kraken-like boss referred to as the Fathomless One. The Warlock player in the footage melted this boss using the Rampage skill combined with the Evisceration mechanic, which applies a massive damage-over-time effect to elite enemies. The boss dropped loot at the end, though the player unfortunately never opened their inventory to show specific items.
Loot and Itemization
The footage showed temper manuals still dropping in Skovos, along with ancestral blue items. With the Horadric Cube system in Lord of Hatred, even white and blue items carry value since they can be upgraded into legendaries or uniques. The specific loot tables for Skovos dungeons remain unknown, but the region clearly follows the same general itemization framework.
Fishing in Skovos
One of the most talked-about reveals from the footage is the fishing system, which is fully functional in Skovos.
How Fishing Works
Fishing can be activated near any valid body of water (or lava). The player uses either the emote wheel or a hotkey to cast their fishing line. After roughly 40–50 seconds, a small icon appears indicating a bite. You need to press the button at the right time — if you miss it, the game displays a "Fish got away" message.
There does not appear to be a complex minigame attached to fishing. It is a simple cast-and-wait activity with a timing prompt.
You Can Fish in Lava
This is not a joke. The footage clearly shows the Warlock fishing in molten lava with a standard fishing rod. The rod does not burn. Lava fishing appears to yield different (and potentially rarer) rewards compared to water fishing.
Fishing Rewards
Basic Catches Include Fish and Low-Rarity Items - From water fishing, the player pulled up items labeled as "Darkling" and "Blue Scale," which appear to be fish items. White and blue gear also dropped from fishing. These names suggest there may be consumable fish or crafting materials tied to the mechanic.
Lava Fishing Can Drop Higher-Rarity Items - The most exciting moment came when the player fished in lava and pulled out an item called "Molten Martyr." The item appeared to be legendary or unique quality based on its visual indicator, though the player never opened their inventory to confirm. This suggests lava fishing may have a separate or upgraded loot table.
The Horadric Cube Can Upgrade Fishing Drops - White and blue items obtained from fishing are not necessarily throwaway loot. Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred introduces a Horadric Cube-style system (also referred to as the Kanai Cube or Haradrim system). This feature allows players to transform low-rarity items into legendaries or even uniques. Fishing drops could become a viable source of base items for this upgrade process.
Could There Be a Mythic Fish? - This is pure speculation at this point, but the community is already wondering if there is a rare or mythic-tier item that can only be obtained through fishing. Nothing in the footage confirmed this, but the lava fishing rewards hint that the mechanic may have deeper layers.
Enemies Do Not Interrupt Fishing
In the footage, enemies attacked the player while they were fishing, but the player appeared to be immune or untargetable during the fishing animation. Monsters nearby either despawned or could not connect their attacks. This suggests fishing provides some form of protection, though the exact mechanic is unclear.
Possible Interaction with the Horadric Cube
Lord of Hatred is adding a Horadric Cube-style crafting system that allows players to transform white and blue items into Legendaries or even Uniques. If fishing consistently produces base-quality items, there may be a crafting loop where fished items serve as cube fodder for upgrading. This is speculation, but the pieces fit together.
More FAQs about Skovos Region
Is the Skovos Region Big Enough?
Looks Small on the Map, Feels Large in Practice - Multiple viewers noted that while the Skovos map appears compact compared to the base game's continent, traversing it on horseback took a considerable amount of time. The density of content - dungeons, strongholds, events, fishing spots - makes the area feel substantial despite its island size.
Visuals Are a Standout Feature - The art direction for Skovos received widespread praise across all three content creators' reactions. The tropical island setting, vibrant colors, detailed water effects, and varied biomes stand in contrast to the darker, more muted tones of the base game. The music also received strong positive reactions, with particular praise for the drum-heavy soundtrack that some compared favorably to Diablo I's iconic score.
Can you fish anywhere in Skovos?
You can fish in any body of water and in lava pools. Look for fishing spots as you travel across the map. Both water and lava fishing have been confirmed.
Do you need a special item to fish?
The player used a fishing rod, but it is unclear whether this is a default tool or something you need to acquire. The rod was used in both water and lava without any visible durability loss.
What is the Molten Martyr item from lava fishing?
The player picked it up too quickly for a clear view, and the inventory was never opened. It appeared to be a legendary or unique item, but its exact stats and purpose remain unknown.
How many dungeons are in Skovos?
At least ten dungeons are visible on the revealed map, along with three strongholds and multiple side quest locations.
Will there be new mercenaries?
This was not confirmed in the footage. The existing mercenaries Rahir and Varyana were still visible in the UI. Players are hoping for new mercenary options or improvements to the companion system.
Are there new mounts in Skovos?
No new mounts were shown, but the question remains open. The tiger archetype and raptor mount have been discussed in previous reveals, and the island setting could potentially introduce new mount options.
What difficulty was the gameplay recorded on?
The footage was captured on Torment 2 out of a maximum of 12 Torment levels. The player did not appear to struggle at all, suggesting much harder content awaits at higher tiers.
