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

Diablo 4 fans anticipating a new expansion in 2025 will need to adjust their expectations. Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson announced at the DICE Summit that the next major expansion won't arrive until 2026.

Fergusson's announcement came at the end of a presentation focusing on improved community engagement, mirroring strategies employed by Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft through the release of content roadmaps. He revealed that a roadmap for Diablo 4's 2025 content, including seasonal updates, will be unveiled shortly before Season 8. However, this roadmap will notably exclude the second expansion, 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 insights 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" experienced a delay, launching 18 months after the game's release instead of the planned 12. This was attributed to the team's responsiveness to player feedback and adjustments to live content, which temporarily diverted resources from the expansion's development. This ripple effect pushed back the timeline for all subsequent planned content.

Diablo 4 recently launched its Season of Witchcraft, introducing significant new witchcraft abilities, a fresh questline, and more. The base game received a 9/10 rating from [Source - mention source here if applicable], praising its "stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."

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