Disappointed Diablo IV fans hoping for a new 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, he confirmed the next expansion is slated for 2026 and therefore won't be included in this roadmap. 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 hinted at challenges during the development of Vessel of Hatred, the 2024 expansion. The expansion's release was pushed back, from the planned 12 months to 18 months post-launch, due to the team's responsiveness to player feedback and adjustments to live content. This reallocation of resources impacted the Vessel of Hatred timeline and subsequently delayed subsequent content.
Diablo IV recently launched its Season of Witchcraft, introducing new witchcraft powers, a questline, and other additions. The base game received a 9/10 rating, praised for its exceptional endgame and progression design.
