Blizzard has officially confirmed what Diablo 4 fans have long been speculating. The game will see annual expansions. In a recent interview with Dexerto, Diablo franchise General Manager Rod Fergusson shed light on how the company plans to sustain the game for years to come.
Fergusson stated that the future of Diablo 4 is not just limited to the seasonal content but will feature larger expansions rolled out annually. This comes from the game’s quarterly seasons, which have already been mapped out.
“When you look at the launch of the game and this first season, we see that as building a foundation on which we can build for the future,” Fergusson said.
Diablo 4 has a high bar to meet, given the acclaim received by expansions for its predecessors, like Diablo 2’s Lord of Destruction and Diablo 3’s Reaper of Souls. The new announcement sets mounting expectations for Diablo 4 to match or even surpass these previous benchmarks.
Although Blizzard is committed to an ambitious timeline featuring both seasonal and annual releases, it’s important to note that game development is a fluid process. However, indications are that the first expansion could come as early as next summer, aligning with a year from the game’s initial release.
The announcement signifies Blizzard’s commitment to building Diablo 4 as a long-term live service with the company planning expansions well into the future. Given that there were 11 years between the releases of Diablo 3 and Diablo 4, this is a welcomed change for the community.
