Blizzard commits to supporting Diablo 4 ‘for years to come’
Blizzard has committed to supporting Diablo 4 for “years to come”, meaning that the upcoming Vessel of Hatred expansion almost certainly won’t be its last.
There was plenty for Diablo fans to be excited about at this year’s BlizzCon event, namely the game’s first expansion which was given a title and a tentative launch window of late 2024. However, the team at Blizzard is keen for fans to know that this is only the beginning for the game, with Associate Game Director Brent Gibson “looking way out into the future” for further content plans.
“We have a vision of where we’re heading, and that is a big vision”, Gibson tells me in an interview at BlizzCon. He describes this new expansion as the beginning of a “new arc” for the series, with Vessel of Hatred being the “first step” in a much larger plan of action.
Joe Shely, Game Director of Diablo 4, also echoed this sentiment, saying, “this is a game we want to continue to support for years to come. Some of the content we talked about today at the panel speaks to that in terms of seasons, but also in terms of expansions.”
This will be promising news for fans, given the game’s lacklustre appeal following a fairly stellar launch period. While the team at Blizzard initially seemed to falter on its season content offerings, the Season of Blood currently appears to be bringing plenty of players back into the fold.
Microsoft’s acquisition may have a positive impact on Diablo 4
Click to enlargeGibson also addressed the elephant in the room later in our interview, commenting on how the Microsoft acquisition of Blizzard might affect the Diablo series, Shely said that it was still “early days”, but that “Microsoft is very committed to Diablo 4, so we see a bright future there.”
What’s more, Gibson hinted that Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, might have a big influence in pushing Diablo 4 as far as it can go. Spencer name-dropped the game during his appearance at the BlizzCon opening ceremony, explaining that he loved hopping on the game with his mates in recent months.
Gibson mentions this in our interview, saying “Phil Spencer is a Diablo fan. That doesn’t hurt!”. As such, it’s clear that both the teams at Blizzard and Microsoft are dedicated to their support of Diablo 4 for the next several years at least.
If you’re keen to learn more about what the Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred expansion will involve, be sure to read our explainer.
