Diablo 4's Next Expansion Postponed 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 Rod Fergusson, the general manager of Diablo, the next major expansion for the game is slated for release in 2026.

During his speech at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Fergusson elaborated on Blizzard's strategy to enhance its community engagement by adopting successful practices from Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft, including the release of content roadmaps. He mentioned that a roadmap for Diablo 4's 2025 plans, which will detail the upcoming seasons and updates, is expected to be released soon. However, he clarified that the next expansion won't be included in this roadmap, as it is scheduled for 2026.

"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."

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While Fergusson didn't delve deeply into the reasons behind the delay of the second expansion, he provided some insight earlier in his talk. Initially, Blizzard had planned to release expansions annually, starting with Vessel of Hatred in 2024, followed by another in 2025. However, Vessel of Hatred was released 18 months after the game's initial launch, rather than the intended 12 months. Fergusson explained that this delay occurred because the team, while typically working a season or two ahead, had to shift resources to address player feedback and make necessary adjustments to live content. This shift temporarily delayed Vessel of Hatred and consequently pushed back all other planned content.

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