Over the past week, players have been sinking hundreds of hours into Diablo 4. The ARPG is filled to the brim with engaging content, has a very satisfying gameplay loop, and may very well be the best Diablo in years. It has been a fantastic treat for fans of the franchise so far, and anticipation is high for whatever Blizzard does next with the title. While season one looms on the horizon, the studio also has plans for a plethora of post-launch content that should help breathe new life into Diablo 4.
Blizzard has yet to reveal what Diablo 4's post-launch content will look like, but it has said it is currently working on two expansions. The size of these expansions is unknown, and players will likely have to wait till Blizzcon to learn more. There is a ton of potential for post-launch content like this, but Blizzard needs to ensure that it can deliver. Diablo 3 had a less than stellar post-launch content stream, and Diablo 4 cannot repeat the mistakes of its predecessor.
Diablo 3 Lacked Post-Launch Content
Diablo 3 was a decent entry in the Diablo franchise, but it was lacking in many areas. The always-on DRM was controversial, the art style was too cartoonish, its systems were a bit overly streamlined, and the story was not as gripping as in Diablo titles. Its core gameplay loop was still fun, but it was not the Diablo that fans were hoping for. Blizzard had a chance to improve things with the post-launch content, but it failed to deliver.
After receiving pretty consistent post-launch updates, Diablo 3's first major expansion would hit store shelves two years after the game's release. Reaper of Souls would bring players on a brand-new journey after the events of the main game. It introduced Diablo's Crusader class, a fifth story act, a brand-new mode, raised the level cap, and added a plethora of new abilities. It was praised for its darker tone and gave many players a reason to log back in.
While some fans thought Blizzard would follow up Reaper of Souls with another major expansion, the studio instead followed it up with a smaller DLC pack called Rise of the Necromancer. It launched five years after Diablo 3 was released and would barely add any content. The only thing that it introduced was the Necromancer class and various new rifts and bounties. While the class was fun, it did not really expand upon Diablo 3 much, and served as a pretty lackluster final DLC pack.
Diablo 4 Needs to Make Up for Diablo 3
Blizzard may have updated Diablo 3 consistently with new features, but it only released two DLC packs, and one of them was nothing more than a new class. On top of that, the packs were so spread out that it made for a strange release schedule. It led to a lackluster post-launch content stream, and Blizzard needs to make sure that does not happen again. Diablo 4 is in a much stronger place at launch than Diablo 3 was, and now the studio just has to build upon it.
Blizzard has said that it is currently working on two expansions for Diablo 4, and the seasonal updates will likely bring even more content to the ARPG. There is a ton of potential for new content within this version of Sanctuary, and hopefully the studio delivers. If World of Warcraft can get nine major expansions in the last 18 years, then there is nothing stopping Diablo 4 from getting loads of exciting content to keep the game alive for years to come.
Diablo 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
