Blizzard Insists There Are 'Many Reasons to Keep Playing' Diablo 4 as Fans Debate End of Expansions and Diablo 5 in 2029

Blizzard has insisted Diablo 4 still has “bright support” as the community debates the shock news that no more expansions will be released for the game and with Diablo 5 looming over the horizon.

At BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony, Blizzard announced Diablo 5 for 2029 . It’s due out six years after Diablo 4, and promises more classes than any Diablo game has had before. (If you need a catch-up, here's everything announced at BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony .)

But what does all this mean for Diablo 4? In an interview with PC Gamer , Diablo 4 game director Brent Gibson said Blizzard is now focused on releasing seasons for Diablo 4 and “getting to Diablo 5.”

“We feel like we told the Story of Hatred,” he added. “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." That’s a reference to Diablo 5, which sees Diablo himself ruling over a post-apocalyptic Sanctuary.

Some Diablo 4 players have reacted to the news with anger, particularly the lack of any new expansions. Players are pointing out that former Diablo 4 boss, Rod Fergusson, mentioned “annual expansions” for the action role-playing game back in 2023 . That hasn’t happened, with just two released (Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred). Clearly, the early ambition for Diablo 4 has changed. Fergusson left Blizzard and Diablo last year to help get the new Bioshock game out the door at 2K Games.

“Why did they kill this game? I thought Lord of Hatred was well received?” one person asked on the Diablo 4 subreddit . “Guess those promises of supporting D4 for a long long time went out the window,” another said. Some are even calling into question further investment in Diablo 4, in terms of time and money.

“So why the f**k would anyone want to buy anything in D4 anymore?” another player said. “No point in buying battlepass or buying skins or collect. Unless they bring everything over to D5 like POE2, there is no point. What a disappointment.”

“This f***ing blows,” one fan added. “I thought the plan was yearly expansions, not just a 100 year timeskip and slap in the face.”

It’s important to note that others in the Diablo community are countering the backlash by saying Diablo 4 has offered — and continues to offer — plenty of content and that six years before a sequel is a reasonable amount of time.

“I spent $100 on Diablo 4 and only got over a thousand hours of entertainment,” one person joked . “Bliz bad I guess?”

“[Shrugs],” another said. “I'm not bent out of shape over the announcement, just a little surprised. As soon as you announce the next game in the series, that immediately takes the wind out of the sails of the current one. Announcing three years out, they either have a lot of faith in D4 to keep moving copies, or absolutely no faith in it.”

So, what exactly does Blizzard have in store for Diablo 4 over the next three years? At BlizzCon, it announced Season of Hell's Legacy, which starts tomorrow, September 15. Guided by the soul of the much-loved Deckard Cain, players face bosses from across the Diablo franchise, including the echoes of the Prime Evils. Further ahead, the Amazon class is coming to Diablo 4 during the first half of 2027. Just don’t expect any new expansions.

At BlizzCon, IGN spoke with Diablo 5 game director Joe Shely, narrative director Jennifer Helper, and production director Tiffany Wat, who confirmed the sequel is already in full production , but insisted there’s life left in Diablo 4.

“Diablo 4 has bright support,” Shely said. “It's fully supported by the team. We were just announcing earlier today, coming to Diablo 4, the Amazon, the Season of Hell's legacy, Diablo 4 is coming to Switch 2, and there will continue to be ongoing support for Diablo 4. There's many reasons for players to keep playing. And of course, we've been in development for some time on Diablo 5. We're in full production and it's been really an exciting time for us to be able to get to share it with players.”

Wat went on to say Blizzard has dedicated teams for each of its Diablo games, and they all work together on updates. “We have dedicated teams for each of those games because those games are important to us and they're really important for our community,” wat explained. “I think it really gives us a really great opportunity to be able to collaborate together, to talk with one another. Even though we might be distinct teams, we still work together quite closely because ultimately we are making games for the Diablo community. I think it's the best time to be a Diablo fan.”

The question for Blizzard will be whether Diablo 4 seasons and the Amazon class are enough to keep players interested. The sentinent online from core players is that Diablo 4 has, overnight, reduced interest. I've even seen some players question why they should bother fussing over the Geralt skin for the Barbarian class knowing Diablo 5 is coming in three years and cosmetics won't cross over.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.