By Paula Beaton Following the reveal of Diablo V at BlizzCon on Saturday, Blizzard confirmed it has no more Diablo IV expansions planned between now and the 2029 release date set for the sequel.
In an interview with PCGamer at BlizzCon, Diablo game director Brent Gibson explained where the team stands on Diablo IV expansions:
“We’re all focused on [Diablo 4] seasons and getting to Diablo 5,” said Diablo game director Brent Gibson in an interview with PC Gamer at BlizzCon. “We feel like we told the Story of Hatred. We had a great conclusion with Lord of Hatred with what we have with Mephisto, and we are moving towards telling the Story of Terror.”
We haven’t seen the end of the Diablo IV story, however. Given that the events of Diablo V are set around 100 years after Diablo IV, when Sanctuary has fallen and Diablo has won, the apocalypse has still to happen.
Gibson confirmed that things aren’t set in stone when it comes to where things are going to go, so we will see what happens in the upcoming seasons.
“…that gives us a lot of room to kind of still ride the wave with all the fans on where the story can go as we make our way there. So continuity is something that we’re really excited about, but we don’t necessarily have a perfect picture on exactly where that’s going to go because we want to see how fans are reacting season to season.”
The good news is that Blizzard will provide ongoing support for Diablo IV as long as it remains popular with players, according to Gibson, who said we can expect support “for a very long time”. Earlier this year, we saw a new class join Diablo 2: Resurrected, suggesting that Blizzard remains committed to all its Diablo games and the wider game universe.
There’s no word yet on what future support for Diablo IV will look like but Blizzard seems keen to shape its plans in response to player feedback as development of Diablo V kicks off.
Diablo IV will also get another new class, the Amazon, in early 2027, with a new weapon, the Javelin.
Speaking of kicking off, the next season of Diablo IV, Season of Hell’s Legacy, is unleashed on September 15 and celebrates the 30th anniversary of the series, which launched in 1996.
“Three dark wanderers have returned from Pandemonium—each a former vessel of a Prime Evil, bringing with them the nightmares of their past. Guided by the soul of Deckard Cain, enter their fractured memories, confront the horrors that shaped their fate, and uncover the legacy of Sanctuary’s darkest legends.”
Players can expect the introduction of Rebirth, allowing existing heroes to begin a fresh journey in the Seasonal Realm. It will also bring the return of Deckard Cain, the addition of Diablo himself, and the opportunity to “claim the essence of a Prime Evil and channel their power against the echoes of the Burning Hells” with players able to choose between echoes of Mephisto, Baal, or Diablo.
While commiserating the news about no more Diablo IV expansions, you can catch up on everything you missed at BlizzCon in our roundup of BlizzCon news or find out more about what to expect from Diablo V.
Olivia Davies