What you need to know
- Diablo 4 is the latest action-RPG masterpiece from Blizzard Entertainment, and it's fast approaching a full release.
- Ahead of release, Diablo producer Rod Fergusson revealed in an interview that the team is already working on new content for Diablo 4.
- The first two seasons of Diablo 4's live service structure are coming, but there are also two expansions in the works.
- Fergusson didn't reveal many details on the upcoming expansions, but players may not have to wait for even more Diablo 4.
One of the biggest video game launches of the year is already here, and a lot of players are about to explore the latest slice of Sanctuary in Diablo 4. The latest action-RPG from the legendary franchise is the biggest, boldest, and baddest from the series yet, but it seems the developers behind the game aren't waiting for launch to work on what's coming next.
In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, which you can watch below, Diablo producer Rod Fergusson answered a ton of questions surrounding the game's live service model, cosmetic microtransactions and quarterly seasons, and so much more. It's a great interview with a lot of great information, but one moment in particular is bound to tantalize excited Diablo players.
During the interview, Fergusson revealed that the team at Blizzard Entertainment wasn't resting on their laurels during the Diablo 4 launch cycle — Far from it, the developers responsible for crafting one of the best Xbox games of the year so far is already working on the next stages of Diablo 4.
Built on a live service model, Diablo 4 is going to constantly expand after launch with new content, tweaks and improvements, and far more. The game will be supported for years after launch, aiming to give players a ton of reasons to continually return to the game time after time. This has already begun with Diablo 4's first big patch update. Building a healthy, sustainable live service model for a game is no small task, however.
"You have to build your team and your structure around a way you can do that sustainably, because you're kind of always shipping in a way," Fergusson said during the interview. "As I sit here, we're about to launch the main game, we're finishing up season one, we're working on season two, we're working on expansion one, we're kicking off expansion two — all that's happening right now, and we haven't even launched the game."
That's right, in addition to Diablo 4's Battle Pass and purely cosmetic microtransactions, which revolve around quarterly, themed seasons, Blizzard is already working on two DLC expansions for Diablo 4. There isn't much information on what these expansions will include, but players can at least rest easy that Diablo 4's story content doesn't end when the campaign credits roll. Fergusson also hinted that expansions and future seasons provide opportunities for the team to implement features that didn't make the full game, and used Diablo 2: Resurrected's rune words as a specific example.
There's also no timeline on when we can expect these expansions, but the fact that Blizzard is already working on Diablo 4's second expansion suggests that the first can't be too far off. Diablo 4's core campaign contains dozens of hours of content, though, so players still have plenty to do before they'll be ready for even more. Players will also be able to engage with the themed Season content beginning in mid-July, which will provide countless opportunities to earn unique cosmetic rewards.
Diablo 4 is now available in early access across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and PlayStation consoles, and releases in full on June 6, 2023. For more information on this incredible game, be sure to read our full Diablo 4 review.
