The Diablo series sees new developments: At today's BlizzCon, Blizzard officially announced Diablo V. The story is set one century after Diablo IV, by which time Sanctuary has completely fallen under the control of the Lord of Terror, Diablo.
However, Diablo V won't officially launch until 2029. During this transitional period, Blizzard will continue the Diablo IV storyline through seasonal content, but there are currently no plans to release additional expansions for the game.
"Our current focus is on seasonal updates for Diablo IV and pushing forward with the development of Diablo V," Brent Gibson, Game Director for the Diablo series, said in an interview during BlizzCon. "We believe the story of Vessel of Hatred has reached a complete conclusion. The storyline revolving around Mephisto brought the chapter of the Prime Evils to a satisfying close, and now we are turning to begin the story of the Lord of Terror."
Although there are currently no plans for new expansions, the story of Diablo IV is not over. In line with the world-building of Diablo V, Blizzard needs to gradually lay the groundwork for the coming apocalypse. Based on current plans, this part of the story will unfold through subsequent seasons. Of course, nothing has been finalized yet.
"The story of Diablo V takes place one hundred years after the events of Diablo IV, giving us ample creative space to explore more narrative possibilities with all players as we move toward the new title," Gibson said. "We highly value narrative continuity, but we haven't fully determined the specific direction of the story yet, as we want to adjust content based on player feedback from each season."
Reporters also asked about the future operational model: Will we see a situation similar to Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2, where a live-service game and its sequel are operated simultaneously? Or will development resources shift entirely to the new title once Diablo V is released?
Gibson stated that as long as there are still people playing Diablo IV, Blizzard will not stop supporting it. He cited Diablo II: Resurrected as an example, underscoring Blizzard's long-term commitment to the entire Diablo "universe"—the game even received a new class earlier this year.
"Diablo IV is deeply loved by players and has a massive player base," Gibson said. "We will continue to support this game with new content for a long time to come."
The exact form of support remains unclear, but with Diablo V still quite some time away from launch, related plans are expected to continue evolving based on player feedback. Diablo III may not serve as the reference model, although that game is currently in a content loop, continuously rotating its core seasonal content.