Diablo 4's Next Expansion After Vessel of Hatred Won't Come Until 2026

Disappointed fans hoping for a new Diablo IV expansion in 2025 will need to adjust their expectations. 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 shortly before Season 8. However, the second expansion is explicitly excluded from this roadmap, confirming its 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 extensively on the reasons for the delay, he offered insight earlier in his presentation. Blizzard's initial plan called for 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 intended 12. This delay, Fergusson explained, stemmed from the team's responsiveness to player feedback and adjustments to live content. These efforts temporarily diverted resources from Vessel of Hatred, causing internal delays and subsequently impacting the timeline for all future planned content.

Diablo IV recently launched its Season of the Witchcraft, introducing new witchcraft powers, a questline, and more. The base game itself received a 9/10 rating from us, praised for its "stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."

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