Diablo 4 might need to correct its issues and prevent the pitfalls that made its other expansion, Vessel of Hatred disappointing to play through.

Blizzard Entertainment’s flagship series, Diablo received its fourth major installment in the form of Diablo 4 back on June 5, 2023. The game was quite successful, and received its first major DLC, in the form of ‘Vessel of Hatred’ some time last year.

A second expansion has been confirmed to be in the works, but a recent presentation at DICE has confirmed some bad news – its inevitable delay to 2026. While unfortunate, things still might work out for Blizzard in the grand scheme of things, giving them much needed breathing room to complete the expansion and avoid prior missteps.

Diablo 4’s second expansion releases in 2026

A second expansion for Diablo 4 launches in 2026 | Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment Inc.

As detailed by multiple reports online, Diablo’s General Manager, Rod Fergusson announced that the second expansion for Diablo 4 launches sometime in 2026. This announcement took place at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, which was followed by a lot more interesting announcements.

Keeping in mind that the first expansion came out in October 2024, the gap between successive expansions seems to be notably higher this time around. It is likely that Blizzard is facing some developmental hurdles along the way, and as such has quietly opted to delay it.

It should also be noted that this announcement took place at DICE instead of the usual venue, which is Blizzcon. Hopefully, Blizzard has a preview of sorts cooking just in time for Blizzcon, given that this sort of announcement would only be reserved for the venue prior.

Vessel of Hatred had its share of issues, but was an overall fun and challenging expansion, but some of these issues perhaps brought down the game as a whole. For starters, the push toward live service felt more pronounced than usual – with what many would call it reaching a breaking point for its player base.

Vessel of Hatred felt incredibly rushed | Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment Inc.

However, the elephant in the room would be Blizzard’s overall execution of the story for Vessel of Hatred, which feels ham-fisted and unevenly baked. The progression is mediocre, and the story is unfinished and rushed.

A common concern one might have would be whether Blizzard actually wants to wrap up the story, or milk it for an additional few DLCs – which would be really disappointing, and a surefire way to lose the trust of its already enraged player base.

This is something that Blizzard cannot afford to do at this point.

A delay isn’t necessarily a bad thing though

A delay might in Blizzard’s best interests | Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment Inc.

While unfortunate, this could very well work out in Blizzard’s favor. After all, it is better to delay a game than to rush it out in an incomplete state, and Blizzard’s current track record has been nothing short of uninspiring.

Blizzard cannot afford to screw up, especially with a franchise as important (and massive) as Diablo, and it should most certainly not repeat whatever mistakes it made with Vessel of Hatred.

The story and gameplay both need to be knit tighter, and offer a real conclusion that feels well earned.