Diablo 4 annual expansions aren’t happening as Blizzard pushes new content into 2026

The annual expansion plan for Blizzard’s live-service ARPG Diablo 4 is already over. Following the release of Vessel of Hatred, the next expansion will now release sometime during 2026. 

Next Diablo 4 expansion teased

At the DICE Summit, General Manager of Diablo Rod Fergusson revealed that there will be no expansion for Diablo 4 in 2025. 

“In his DICE Summit presentation today on building a resilient live service, Diablo GM Rod Fergusson emphasized serving the game over the plan,” a Blizzard spokesperson told games outlet Polygon. “To that, we are excited to share that we are in development on our second expansion for Diablo IV, which will debut in 2026.”

While the news that the next Diablo 4 expansion won’t hit 2025 is disappointing for some, it makes sense. Vessel of Hatred already took the studio longer than expected and, despite a great attach rate with 60% of players moving to the paid Spiritborn class, there are a lot of gameplay concerns that need to be addressed for its follow up. 

Alongside new development timelines to stop conflicting release dates for Diablo 3 and Diablo 4 seasons, and a new plan to create less buggy updates, the next expansion should be more polished upon launch. 

Additionally, the arrival of a second expansion is a good thing. After all, every other Diablo game has received just a single expansion: Hellfire for the original, Lord of Destruction for D2 and Reaper of Souls for D3. The fact that a second expansion is on the table is a huge plus for the new game.

While there are no official details for the new Diablo 4 expansion, there are hopes that there will be some form of Paladin-like class for players to play as. After old key art resurfaced showing a Holy-themed class, there is hope that this will be a focus of an upcoming expansion. Or they could do it as a season, like they did for the Witch Doctor. (Womp womp.)

For more Diablo coverage, read our interview with creator David Brevik about why he doesn’t vibe with modern ARPGs like Diablo 4. Additionally, read about his original version for Diablo 3 that he wouldn’t make today.