How to unlock the Dark Citadel in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hate

In addition to a brand new story, countless quality of life improvements and new mechanics, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hate 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 not Scale difficulty based on number of players. So it's easier the more companions you bring with you. However, the rewards are high, so it's worth diving deep into the hidden Khazra Fortress.

It is important to note that once this quest has been completed for a single character, all other characters will gain access to the Dark Citadel without having to complete the quest again.

How do I unlock the Dark Citadel?

The path to unlocking The Dark Citadel is long and complicated and is not clearly explained in the game. No fear:

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

• Complete the story “Vessel Of Hatred”, including speaking to Prava in Lorath's Hut (Unlocking the Deeds of a Champion quest).
• Capture Kichuk Fortress
• Complete the Principles of Corruption questline
• Complete three dungeons in Nahantu

Once you have met all of these requirements, a quest called “Crater of Lost Souls” will appear, requiring you to speak to Priestess Cualli in the middle of Kurast.

It is located directly down the stairs (to the southwest) from the Difficulty Statue.

She will ask you to look for a warrior camp east of the city. Go there and inspect the objects around the camp to get a clue on how to proceed.

Leave the camp and head up the path to the northeast. Then talk to the injured man along the way.

Continue following the path east, jumping across the gaps until you reach a gap in the cliff that leads to the Ancient Nexus.

Inside you will find Zyanya. Talk to her to learn more about this terrible place. Go through the gap in the rock next to her to get to the Khazra.

Activate the device in the middle of the room and then defeat the two Barrier Guardians. Kill the rest of the enemies to clear the area and you can activate the waypoint.

When Zyanya comes to your room, talk 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 at any time. So gather some friends and see if you can make it through Vessel Of Hatred's challenging multiplayer dungeon.

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