Blizzard seemingly confirms Diablo 4 will have annual expansions, which sounds a lot like an MMO

Diablo 4
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Blizzard has apparently revealed that Diablo 4 will be getting annual expansions like the MMO it most decidedly isn't.

Diablo franchise boss Rod Fergusson casually made the news in an interview with Dexerto, in which he seemingly confirmed annual expansions will accompany the seasonal updates in Diablo 4's roadmap going forward.

"When you look at the launch of the game and this first season, we see that as building a foundation on which we can build for the future," he said in the interview. "So, as we look at our quarterly seasons, and we look at our annual expansions, those are the things that we’re really focused on for our live service."

Fergusson didn't expand on what seems to be some fairly significant news, and chiefly he didn't say when the annual updates would start releasing, but he added vaguely:

"We've got plans, we have storylines that go well into the future. We’ve got plans. We're always leapfrogging our seasons, and leapfrogging our expansions, so it’s something we are going to do for a long time. We're excited."

Yearly expansions are most common in MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online, Destiny 2, and Lord of the Rings Online, and although Diablo 4 technically isn't an MMO but an action-RPG, it's interesting to see Blizzard continue to treat it like one in terms of its live-service offerings.

Again, as there hasn't been an official announcement, we know next to nothing about Blizzard's plans for Diablo 4 annual updates, and I definitely have questions. Will they be paid updates? Will they exist in separate realms that make you start a new character like the seasonal stuff? That wouldn't be very MMO-like, but it's definitely possible. 

Finally, why haven't we heard anything from Blizzard about this? It seems like pretty big news to nonchalantly drop as a side comment in an interview, which leads me to wonder whether it was a goof by Fergusson. There's been a lot of controversy around Diablo 4's endgame right from launch, and annual expansions have the potential to dramatically reshape that aspect of the game, so one would think Blizzard would make a slightly bigger deal about it. I'm sure we'll learn more in the future, but for now there's definitely a curious air around the whole thing.

And rather than confirm or deny Fergusson's quote, a Blizzard spokesperson instead told us when asked about it that they would "be in touch" should they have something to share.

Watch out for this Diablo 4 invincibility bug happening in the PvP areas.

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Read more
Diablo 4 The Butcher
Diablo 4's second expansion won't come out until 2026
Diablo 4
Diablo 4 boss would push for patches to have more fun stuff to balance out unpopular but necessary nerfs: "Lots of medicine, don't see much sugar"
A demon towers over its foes in some Diablo 2: Resurrected concept art
Diablo 2 creator says players treated the action RPG like a "lifestyle game" because it was fun, and MMOs like World of Warcraft had more to do with starting the live service trend
Diablo 4's new merc using his shield to help someone
Diablo 4 Season 7 faces new competition: the original Diablo, which is coming to Xbox Game Pass just a week earlier
Diablo 4 season 8 boss
Diablo 4 season 8 is revamping the boss ladder system with new mechanics and bosses, including one of the best from Diablo 3
Diablo 4 screenshot
Diablo 4 DLC director is "sticking to my guns" on the dungeon you can't enter unless you have friends
Latest in Action Rpg
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds dev says the game's success is thanks to an "emphasis on the story," but I think that's only a tiny aspect of it
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Skyrim
It took Skyrim players nearly 15 years to discover ingenious loot hack that completely changes the game and, uh, requires you to desecrate a couple corpses
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree final boss Radahn stares into the camera, holding a sword in each hand.
After 423 hours and over 15,000 total deaths, Elden Ring player finally beats Shadow of the Erdtree without the upgrades FromSoftware urged everyone to use: "Never give up"
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' Gemma actor requests "tips for beginners" from fans of Capcom's action RPG as it's the "first MH game that I've ever played"
Monster Hunter Wilds characters share a meal
Oh no, Monster Hunter Wilds is so good that I'm already counting the days until its inevitable Master Rank expansion
Latest in News
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds dev says the game's success is thanks to an "emphasis on the story," but I think that's only a tiny aspect of it
Agricola: Dead Harvest zombie farming board game artwork
Legendary farming board game Agricola just announced a zombie-fueled horror standalone, but fans seem to think it's an early April Fools joke
Jack Quaid in Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid's commitment to the bit is unmatched as his latest marketing stunt for upcoming action movie Novocaine goes viral
George R. R. Martin in Dark Winds season 3
Game of Thrones creator makes sudden cameo in TV show for apparent joke about The Winds of Winter
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again had Disney Plus' biggest premiere of 2025, but its viewership is lower than Agatha All Along and The Acolyte
Beyond the Ice Palace 2
After 37 years, this Commodore 64 classic returns with a new Metroidvania sequel that gives serious old-school Castlevania vibes