Disappointed Diablo IV fans hoping for a new expansion in 2025 will have to wait a little longer. Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson announced at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas that the next major expansion won't arrive until 2026.
Fergusson revealed plans to improve community engagement by adopting a content roadmap strategy, similar to Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft. A roadmap detailing Diablo IV's 2025 seasons and updates will be released before Season 8. However, the second expansion is not included in this roadmap, as it's slated for a 2026 release. He stated, "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."
While Fergusson didn't elaborate on the reasons for the delay, he hinted at challenges during his presentation. Blizzard initially planned annual expansions, with Vessel of Hatred in 2024 and a subsequent expansion in 2025. However, Vessel of Hatred's release was pushed back to 18 months post-launch instead of the planned 12. This delay, attributed to adapting to player feedback and adjusting live content, diverted resources, impacting the expansion's timeline and subsequently delaying all future content.
Diablo IV recently launched its Season of the Witchcraft, introducing new witchcraft powers, a questline, and more. The base game received a 9/10 rating, praised for its "stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."
