Diablo 4's Next Expansion Postponed to 2026 After Vessel of Hatred

If you were eagerly anticipating a new expansion for *Diablo 4* in 2025, you'll have to wait a bit longer. According to Diablo's general manager, Rod Fergusson, the next major expansion for *Diablo 4* is scheduled for release in 2026.

During his speech at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Fergusson elaborated on Blizzard's strategy to enhance its connection with the *Diablo 4* community. Drawing inspiration from *Diablo Immortal* and *World of Warcraft*, Blizzard plans to introduce content roadmaps. Fergusson announced that a roadmap outlining *Diablo 4*'s 2025 plans, including seasons and updates, will be released soon. However, he made it clear that the eagerly awaited second expansion will not be part of this roadmap, as it's slated for a 2026 release.

"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 stated.

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Fergusson didn't delve deeply into the reasons behind the delay of the second expansion, but he provided some insights 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* ended up launching 18 months after *Diablo 4*'s initial release, rather than the intended 12 months. Fergusson explained that the team, typically working a season or two ahead, had to redirect resources to address player feedback and make necessary adjustments to live content, which slightly delayed *Vessel of Hatred* and consequently pushed back all other planned content.

*Diablo 4* has recently launched its Season of Witchcraft, introducing new witchcraft powers, a fresh questline, and more. We rated the base game of *Diablo 4* a 9/10, describing it as "a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down."