Diablo 4 has finished its run of major expansions. Blizzard announced that Diablo 5 is coming in spring 2029, and with it comes the end of annual updates for the current action-RPG. The studio says it will keep putting out seasonal stories instead, but no new expansions are on the cards.
“We’re all focused on [Diablo 4] seasons and getting to Diablo 5,” Diablo game director Brent Gibson told PC Gamer at BlizzCon 2026. “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.”
Expansion Run Ends
Diablo 4 launched in 2023, and it has received two major expansions since then. Those expansions covered the Story of Hatred arc, ending with Lord of Hatred and the defeat of Mephisto. Gibson says the larger story arc has wrapped up.
“The events of Diablo 5 happen 100 years after everything that’s happening with Diablo 4, and so 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,” Gibson said. “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.”
That timeline means the sequel sits far outside the present-day setting of Diablo 4. Blizzard is treating the space between the two games as a period of exploration, with seasonal stories filling in the gaps until the next title arrives.
What Fans Expected Instead
Some players were expecting Diablo 4 to keep getting big new content updates for years to come. That expectation came from earlier statements by Rod Ferguson, who spoke about the game’s live-service direction before Gibson took over as director.
“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,” Ferguson said back in 2023. “So, as we look at our quarterly seasons, and we look at our annual expansions, those are the things that we’re really focused on for our live service.”
Ferguson’s comments framed Diablo 4 as part of a live-service model similar to Destiny 2. The idea was that the game would keep growing through regular expansions and seasons, with new content arriving each year.
That plan is now gone. Blizzard has confirmed that no new expansions are coming after Lord of Hatred.
The Seasonal Model Takes Over
Blizzard’s new approach is seasonal stories rather than annual expansions. Gibson pointed to the ongoing support for Diablo 2: Resurrected as an example of how the studio plans to keep older titles running while working on new ones.
The new Amazon class is still coming in the first half of 2027, according to Gibson. Beyond that, the focus shifts entirely to preparing for Diablo 5.
“We’re all focused on [Diablo 4] seasons and getting to Diablo 5.”
What This Means For Players
The announcement leaves players without a clear roadmap beyond the next few months. The Amazon class is the only confirmed addition, and it arrives in the first half of 2027. After that, the game moves into a period of seasonal content before the sequel arrives in 2029.
Gibson’s comments about continuity suggest Blizzard wants to keep the story connected across both games. But the lack of a fixed plan means fans won’t know what comes next until it happens.
The 100-year gap between Diablo 4 and Diablo 5 also adds uncertainty. Gibson admitted that the studio doesn’t have a perfect picture of where the story is going, because it wants to see how fans react season to season.
The Hard Truth About Live Services
Live services depend on a steady stream of new content. Diablo 4 was built around that model, and now the studio has pulled the plug on its core expansion cycle.
Gibson’s comments at BlizzCon made the shift explicit. The team is moving from annual expansions to seasons, and the focus is on getting to Diablo 5.
Whether that bet pays off depends on how well the seasonal content performs.
The Verdict On The Announcement
Blizzard’s announcement is honest in its own way. The company is moving forward, and it is doing so by dropping a promise it made to fans.
The move from annual expansions to seasons is a natural shift for a game entering its later years. Blizzard is promising continuity between the two games, but Gibson himself admits the picture is imperfect.
For players, the takeaway is simple: the next big expansion is done. Diablo 4 will keep running, but its biggest updates are behind it.
The road to Diablo 5 runs through seasons, and seasons alone. That is the plan, and it is what Blizzard is sticking to.
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