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

Disappointed Diablo IV fans hoping for a new expansion in 2025 will have to wait a little longer. 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, the second expansion is explicitly excluded from this 2025 roadmap, 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 on the reasons for the delay, he hinted at challenges encountered during the development of Vessel of Hatred. The expansion's release was pushed back to 18 months post-launch instead of the planned 12, due to the team's responsiveness to player feedback and adjustments to live content. This reallocation of resources impacted Vessel of Hatred's timeline and subsequently shifted subsequent content releases.

Diablo IV recently launched its Season of Witchcraft, introducing new witchcraft powers, a questline, and more. The base game received a 9/10 rating, praised for its "stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design."