This week, *Diablo 4* enthusiasts received their first detailed roadmap for 2025, along with a glimpse of what's in store for 2026. In an exclusive interview with IGN, game director Brent Gibson delved into the roadmap, covering topics from the much-anticipated second expansion to exciting collaborations with other IPs. However, the release of the roadmap has sparked a wave of concern among the *Diablo 4* community, particularly about the content scheduled for 2025. Many players are questioning whether the new additions will be substantial enough to keep them engaged.
The sentiment of disappointment was echoed by several dedicated players on social platforms. "Oh boy! Can't wait for new Helltide color and temporary powers," said redditor Inangelion sarcastically. "It's gonna be so dope!" This reaction reflects a broader feeling among the hardcore *Diablo 4* community, who had hoped for more innovative and engaging seasonal content.
“A new season in other ARPGs is like ‘let's put in a little housing system where you build up a home base with vendors that give you more gear’ or ‘let's put in a whole shipping system where traders from other lands bring materials that let you upgrade your items in ways that change your class mechanic entirely,’ “ explained feldoneq2wire. In contrast, he criticized *Diablo 4* for seemingly focusing on superficial changes like the color of Helltides and temporary powers.
Fragrantbutte, another fan, expressed their love for the game but felt let down by the lack of depth in the upcoming content. "I'm not a *Diablo 4* hater, I love the game, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of meat on the bone here which is a bit disappointing," they said. Artyfowl444 added, " 'And more' is doing a lot of heavy lifting here."
The discussion reached such a level that Diablo community manager Lyricana_Nightrayne felt compelled to respond directly on the *Diablo 4* subreddit. "We added fewer details to the later parts of the roadmap to accommodate for things the team is still working on," they clarified. "This isn't all that's coming in 2025 :)"
A significant point of contention among players is Blizzard's approach to seasonal content in *Diablo 4*. Some appreciate the seasonal reset, while others argue it discourages deep engagement with each new season. While some believe that retaining all seasonal content would make the game overwhelming, others are considering taking a break until 2026 when more significant content is expected.
Mike Ybarra, former president of Blizzard Entertainment and now with Microsoft, weighed in on the debate via a post on X/Twitter. He emphasized the need for Blizzard to break the cycle of releasing seasonal content only to spend months fixing issues. "Don't ship to check a box," Ybarra stated. "Season's need to get off the cycle of shipping, spending two months to fix issues, then repeating."
Ybarra also critiqued the current expansion schedule, suggesting that it should be more frequent, perhaps annually. He advocated for less focus on story elements and more on new classes, mob types, and end-game activities that provide lasting engagement. "If the cycle continues to just ship w/o fixing the fundamental issues, then I'm not sure where Diablo is going," he concluded.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Gameplay Screenshots
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The discussion around *Diablo 4*'s expansions also touches on the delay of the second expansion, originally planned for 2025 but now slated for 2026. Blizzard's initial vision was to release an expansion yearly, with the first expansion, *Vessel of Hatred*, launching in 2024. The shift in schedule has left fans questioning the game's future roadmap.
In our interview with Gibson, he discussed the challenges of maintaining *Diablo 4* as a live service game that offers both free seasonal content and major paid expansions. "I definitely feel like gamers are more hungry than they've ever been," Gibson remarked. "And even if you delivered on their appetite today, that appetite will shift tomorrow. And so you just have to be in a really good spot to adapt to that situation."
Gibson emphasized the dynamic nature of game development in the live service model, where priorities can shift rapidly. He highlighted the diverse community of *Diablo 4* players, from casual to hardcore, and the team's approach to cater to different player types through focused seasonal updates. For instance, Season 8 will feature quality-of-life improvements for boss lair enthusiasts, while Season 9 will focus on nightmare dungeons.
*Diablo 4* Season 8 is set to launch later in April, with Season 9 scheduled for the summer and Season 10 expected later in the year.
