Diablo 4's 2025 Roadmap Disappoints Hardcore Fans, Puzzles Former Blizzard President

This week, Diablo 4 unveiled its first content roadmap, outlining what players can expect in 2025 and teasing what's on the horizon for 2026. IGN's interview with game director Brent Gibson delved into the details, covering everything from the second expansion to potential collaborations with other IPs. However, the roadmap's release has sparked concerns among the Diablo 4 community about the sufficiency of new content slated for 2025.

"Oh boy! Can't wait for new Helltide color and temporary powers," remarked redditor Inangelion, capturing the sentiments of many hardcore fans who were hoping for more thrilling updates. "It's gonna be so dope!"

Other players, such as feldoneq2wire, expressed their disappointment by comparing Diablo 4's seasons to those of other action RPGs. "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,'" they noted. In contrast, they felt Diablo 4's seasons were less innovative, focusing primarily on cosmetic changes and temporary powers.

Fragrantbutte echoed these concerns, stating, "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." Similarly, artyfowl444 commented, "‘And more’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting here."

The community's outcry led to a response from Diablo community manager Lyricana_Nightrayne, who attempted to reassure players: "We added fewer details to the later parts of the roadmap to accommodate for things the team is still working on. This isn't all that's coming in 2025 :)"

A significant point of contention is Blizzard's approach to seasonal content in Diablo 4. While some appreciate the reset each season brings, others argue it discourages deep engagement. There's a divide between those who believe constant seasonal content would be overwhelming and those contemplating a hiatus until 2026, hoping for more substantial updates.

Mike Ybarra, former president of Blizzard Entertainment, shared his perspective on the matter via a post on X/Twitter. He urged Blizzard to break the cycle of merely meeting deadlines and instead focus on resolving core issues. "Don't ship to check a box," Ybarra emphasized. He suggested pausing to address end-game problems, reducing the time between expansions, and shifting focus from story elements to new classes, mob types, and enduring end-game activities.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Gameplay Screenshots

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The delay of the second expansion from 2025 to 2026 has also fueled discussions. Originally, Blizzard planned to release an expansion annually, but after launching Vessel of Hatred in 2024, the second expansion will skip a year.

In our interview, Gibson discussed the challenges of developing Diablo 4 as a live service game, balancing free seasonal content with significant paid expansions. "I definitely feel like gamers are more hungry than they've ever been," Gibson remarked. He highlighted the necessity of adapting to shifting player demands and the diverse needs of the game's community, from casual to hardcore players.

Gibson detailed how each season focuses on addressing specific community feedback, such as enhancing boss lairs in Season 8 or improving nightmare dungeons in Season 9. These targeted updates aim to cater to different player groups before culminating in a major expansion that addresses everyone's needs.

Diablo 4 Season 8 is set to launch later in April, with Season 9 slated for the summer, and Season 10 arriving later in the year.