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 talk at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Fergusson discussed Blizzard's strategy to enhance its engagement with the community. He revealed that the team plans to adopt a similar approach to that of Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft by releasing content roadmaps. Fergusson announced that a roadmap for Diablo 4's 2025 plans, detailing seasons and updates, will be released soon. However, he made it clear that this roadmap will not include the next expansion, which is slated for 2026.
"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 did not delve deeply into the reasons behind the delay of the second expansion, but he provided some insights earlier in his talk. Originally, Blizzard had planned to release expansions annually, starting with Vessel of Hatred in 2024, followed by another in 2025. However, Vessel of Hatred was released 18 months after the game's initial launch, rather than the intended 12 months. Fergusson explained that this delay occurred because the team had to allocate resources to respond to player feedback and adjust live content, which temporarily shifted focus away from Vessel of Hatred. This shift also affected the timeline for all other planned content.
Diablo 4's latest addition, the Season of Witchcraft, has just been released, bringing new witchcraft powers, a fresh questline, and more to the game. We rated the base game of Diablo 4 a 9/10, describing it as "a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."
