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

If you were eagerly awaiting a new Diablo 4 expansion in 2025, you'll need to hold on a bit longer. According to Rod Fergusson, the general manager of Diablo, the next major expansion for Diablo 4 is slated for release in 2026.

During his talk at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Fergusson outlined plans to enhance the team's connection with the community by adopting strategies similar to those used for Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft. This includes the release of content roadmaps. He mentioned that a roadmap for Diablo 4's 2025 plans, which will detail seasons and updates, is forthcoming.

However, Fergusson made it clear that the next expansion 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."

Fergusson didn't delve deeply into the reasons behind the delay of the second expansion, but he did provide some insights earlier in his presentation. Originally, Blizzard had planned for annual expansions, with Vessel of Hatred set for 2024 and another expected in 2025. However, Vessel of Hatred was released 18 months after the game's initial launch, rather than the planned 12 months. This delay was due to the team's need to work on seasons ahead of time and to respond to player feedback, which necessitated pulling resources away from Vessel of Hatred. As a result, all subsequent planned content, including the next expansion, was pushed back.

Diablo 4 recently introduced the Season of Witchcraft, featuring new witchcraft powers, a new questline, and more. The base game of Diablo 4 received a 9/10 rating from us, praised as "a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."

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