If you were eagerly anticipating a new expansion for Diablo 4 in 2025, you'll need to adjust your expectations. According to Rod Fergusson, the general manager of Diablo, the next major expansion for Diablo 4 won't be released until 2026.
During his presentation at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Fergusson shared insights into Blizzard's strategy for enhancing community engagement. He announced that the team plans to adopt a similar approach to that used for Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft by introducing content roadmaps. Players can look forward to a 2025 roadmap for Diablo 4, which will detail the seasons and updates scheduled throughout the year. However, Fergusson clarified that the next expansion will not be included in this roadmap as it is slated for a 2026 release.
"In 2025, or just before Season 8, we will have a 2025 roadmap for Diablo 4. Now, our second expansion won't be on that roadmap, because our second expansion is coming in 2026, but at least players will have the road ahead," Fergusson stated.
While Fergusson did not delve deeply into the reasons behind the delay of the second expansion, he provided some context during his talk. Initially, Blizzard had planned to release expansions annually, starting with Vessel of Hatred in 2024. However, Vessel of Hatred ended up being released 18 months after the initial launch of Diablo 4, rather than the intended 12 months. Fergusson explained that this delay was due to the team's need to work on seasons ahead of time while also responding to player feedback and making necessary adjustments to live content. These efforts temporarily diverted resources away from Vessel of Hatred, causing a slight internal delay and subsequently pushing back all other planned content.
Diablo 4 recently introduced its Season of Witchcraft, which includes new witchcraft powers, a fresh questline, and additional content. We rated the base game of Diablo 4 a 9/10, praising it as "a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."
