The original plan for Diablo 4 was to bring out a new expansion every year. However, this plan must be postponed already with the second expansion. Diablo chief Rod Fergusson explains the reason at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas.
What about the new expansion?
- Blizzard originally planned one expansion for Diablo 4 per year.
- This statement was already retracted by Rod Fergusson in 2024 with the release of the first expansion Vessel of Hatred. He said: “I don’t think I ever officially said that.” (via Dexerto).
- Now Fergusson explains: The next expansion will not come until 2026. This information was shared by journalist Jason Schreier on bluesky. In return, players can look forward to a roadmap showcasing upcoming content for 2025.
Why is the expansion coming later? Rod Fergusson spoke at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas about the future of Diablo 4. It was mentioned that the next expansion is not coming until 2026 because the team has devoted more resources to improving quality (via IGN).
The team is working one to two seasons ahead, but because they respond to player feedback, they have to divert resources from developing new content.
Vessel of Hatred already came too late, with 18 months instead of 12 months after release. This delay has now also postponed the entire subsequent development. Nevertheless, the approach seems to have paid off.
After initial criticism of Diablo 4, especially regarding missing features and lack of endgame, the tone in the community has changed significantly for the better. One of the biggest points of praise, as well as the one that certainly consumed the most development time: The completely overhauled and improved loot.
The current Season 7 has introduced the new feature of the armory where you can save builds – a highly requested feature. Here’s the trailer for the season:
Fergusson promises roadmap likely within the next 2 months
The Diablo chief further explains that they want to orient themselves towards the teams of Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft regarding communication. This includes that a roadmap will be released.
They aim to release this before Season 8. If there are no delays, Season 8 should start around mid-April.
The current Season 7, the Season of Witch Power, has been running since January 21 and has brought the titular witch powers, a small homage to the witch doctor from Diablo 3.
What exactly Season 8 or the next expansion will hold, we do not yet know. However, we firmly expect a new class for the next DLC. The Crusader would make sense both in terms of gameplay style and story – or a completely different class. However, there are a few hints: I have completed Vessel of Hatred and I am sure I now know one of Blizzard’s big secrets
