A few months afterDiablo 4’s successful launch in June 2023, Blizzard executive Rod Fergusson made the bold claim that the game would receive new expansions every year. Although Blizzard was no stranger to supporting its titles long-term, it had never really attempted annualized expansions with theDiablofranchise before.Diablogames typically only received one or two major DLCs throughout their lifespans, withDiablo 3getting just two expansions over five years. Nonetheless, Blizzard seemed committed to its plans. It launchedDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatreda little over a year after the base game’s release.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatredwas generally well-received and, at the time, seemed like proof that Blizzard was sticking to the plan. However, the expansion won’t be getting a follow-up anytime soon. Blizzard confirmed earlier this year thattheDiablo 4expansion planned for this yearhas been delayed to 2026, meaning that the game will not receive yearly DLCs as initially planned. This was caused in part byVessel of Hatred’s three-month delay since that expansion was originally meant to launch in June 2024 instead of October. The delay of that DLC overall, according to Rod Fergusson, pushedDiablo 4’s entire post-launch roadmap back considerably.
Upon hearing the news thatDiablo 4’s yearly expansion had been delayed, some fans may have been upset.Diablo 4’s post-launch support hasn’t been amazing, to say the least, and a lot of disgruntled gamers are disappointed that Blizzard hasn’t been adding enough substantial content to the game’s seasonal updates. The newly-announcedDiablo 4roadmap for 2025is already light enough as it is, but the delay of the expansion is the real sting. That said, this may prove beneficial for both the expansion andDiablo 4in the long run.
The Diablo 4 Expansion Delay Could Help the Game in the Long Run
Blizzard Should Fix the Problems in Diablo 4 Before Launching the Game’s Next DLC
Part of the reason whyVessel of Hatredwas postponed back in 2024 was because Blizzard had stopped working on it to giveDiablo 4’s core systems a major overhaul. This was, in retrospect, probably the right move to make. Perhaps Blizzard can fill in the gap left bythe recentDiablo 4expansion delayby continuing to improve the base game. As it stands,Diablo 4has a few balancing issues and bugs that could be ironed out before the launch of the next DLC. This period could be a “season of support,” although Blizzard itself has refrained from such a claim. It’d be nice if Blizzard added an offline mode to the game, as well, in the meantime.
Annualized Releases Would’ve Made the Diablo 4 Expansions Less Exciting
The expansion’s delay to 2026 also has one other obvious benefit forDiablo 4: it makes the DLC’s release more meaningful. If Blizzard had stuck toits original plan of annualizedDiablo 4expansions, then there would be an inevitable sacrifice of quality in favor of quantity. The timing would have also decreased excitement for DLCs as fans would have come to know when and what to expect from them. TheDiablo 4expansion’s postponement will at least make it feel like a bigger deal for many fans. More people may come back to giveDiablo 4’s second major DLC a try, due to the long gap between it andVessel of Hatred.
The 2026 Diablo 4 Expansion Could Bring a Lot of Players Back to the Game
If there’s one thing thatDiablo 4needs right now, it’s a resurgence in players as it seemingly struggles to keep up with theother live-service action RPGs likePath of Exile 2andLast Epoch. Next year’s expansion could kick off a boom period for the game, as long as it ends up being as good as people are hoping for.
Diablo 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
