Diablo 4's Expansion Post-Vessel of Hatred Delayed to 2026

If you were eagerly anticipating a new expansion for Diablo 4 in 2025, you'll need to temper your expectations a bit. According to Diablo's general manager, Rod Fergusson, the next major expansion for Diablo 4 won't be hitting the shelves until 2026.

During his recent talk at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Fergusson shared insights into the team's strategy for enhancing their relationship with the community. He mentioned plans to adopt a content roadmap approach similar to those used for Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft. This roadmap will outline the planned seasons and updates for Diablo 4 throughout 2025, providing players with a clear vision of what to expect and when.

However, Fergusson made it clear that the roadmap for 2025 won't include the much-anticipated second expansion. 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."

Fergusson didn't delve deeply into the reasons behind the delay of the second expansion, but he did provide some context earlier in his talk. Originally, Blizzard had planned to release expansions annually, starting with Vessel of Hatred in 2024, followed by another in 2025. However, Vessel of Hatred ended up launching 18 months after the initial release of Diablo 4, rather than the intended 12 months. This delay was due to the team's need to work a season or two ahead while also responding to player feedback and making necessary adjustments to live content. These efforts temporarily shifted resources away from Vessel of Hatred, causing a ripple effect that delayed all subsequent planned content.

Diablo 4 has recently rolled out its Season of Witchcraft, which introduces new witchcraft powers, an engaging new questline, and more. Our review of the base game awarded it a stellar 9/10, praising it as "a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."

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