Highlights

  • Diablo 4 plans to release regular content updates in 2024, including quarterly seasons and an annual expansion called Vessel of Hatred.
  • Season 3 will introduce new content like The Gauntlet and leaderboards, setting the tone for the rest of the year.
  • The highly anticipated Vessel of Hatred expansion will feature a new playable class and a new storyline set in the jungles of Kurast.

Diablo 4 will be entering its second year of service in 2024, which should prove to be a great test of the game's staying power. After a rocky first season in 2023, Diablo 4 made some massive improvements with its Season of Blood to close out the year, and the future roadmap of content teased by Blizzard at Blizzcon 2023 was a great sign for fans hoping to see a renewed interest in the game in the coming year. Despite the drop in player count since its launch in June 2023, Diablo 4 has the chance to grow its player base in 2024 if it can deliver big with its teased new content.

As a live service game, Diablo 4 fans can expect to see regular content updates throughout 2024 as the game introduces new seasons as well as its first major content expansion in the form of Vessel of Hatred. Blizzard has stated that they are committed to delivering quarterly seasons for Diablo 4 as well as annual expansions like Vessel of Hatred. With the game launching halfway through last year, 2024 will be the real test to see if Blizzard can make good on this promised content schedule.

Diablo 4 (3)
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Diablo 4 Season 3 Begins in Late January

Although Diablo 4's Season of Blood is still ongoing, it's scheduled to end on January 23, meaning players can expect that Season 3 will begin on the same day. So far, Blizzard has not revealed much about what this season will entail, such as its theme and other content players can expect to see during this third season. However, there are a few pieces of information that Blizzard has shared about content coming in Diablo 4 Season 3, so players can begin looking forward to these new additions.

New Content like The Gauntlet and Leaderboards

Some of the new content confirmed for Diablo 4 Season 3 during Blizzcon were the additions of The Gauntlet and leaderboards. The Gauntlet will be a special challenge for players who reach World Tier 4, where they must successfully navigate a fixed seed, non-linear dungeon as fast as possible to earn the most coveted rewards. Along with The Gauntlet, leaderboards will be added to keep track of the players who earn the top scores for runs through this dungeon in a variety of categories, including solos for each class, as well as co-op runs.

More Seasonal Content Throughout the Year

Diablo 4 Season 3 will be the first of 2024's seasonal content players can expect to participate in, but it will likely set the tone for the rest of the year. Following Diablo 4's schedule of quarterly seasons, players can expect to see Season 4 begin sometime in April, and it is planned to include some major updates to the game's itemization system. While not much is known about the theme or story content of Diablo 4's 2024 seasons, the amount of content that has been confirmed to be coming should still have players excited about what's in store.

Other Quality of Life Updates for Diablo 4 Are Likely

It's clear that Blizzard is listening to the Diablo 4 community when it comes to optimizing the gameplay experience after the harsh criticism it received with the release of Season 1. Much of what has been discussed in terms of future content for Diablo 4 has been quality-of-life improvements players want to see, such as an improved itemization system to help players better sort through loot and find the item with just the right affixes they're looking for. Blizzard has also acknowledged the need to make Helltides more accessible and plans to increase their length and decrease the downtime between events in the coming season.

Diablo 4's First Major Content Expansion Vessel of Hatred Arrives in Late 2024

Perhaps the most exciting Diablo 4 content players can expect to see in 2024 is the Vessel of Hatred expansion planned to be released later in the year. This expansion was announced with a teaser trailer at Blizzcon 2024 and is set to pick up where the story of the base game left off with Neyrelle traveling to the jungles of Kurast with Mephisto trapped in the Soulstone. The Vessel of Hatred expansion is planned to deliver a much more substantial amount of content to Diablo 4 players than the seasonal updates, making it likely the largest piece of content players can expect in 2024.

New Class

A major part of the Vessel of Hatred expansion will be the introduction of a new playable class that is sure to shake up Diablo 4's gameplay. While the new class itself has not been confirmed, Blizzard has hinted at what this class could potentially be, claiming it will be one never before seen in the Diablo series. Leaked information about the Vessel of Hatred expansion suggests that this new class will be called Spiritborn and will wield a glaive while utilizing natural elements for combat, but other possibilities for Diablo 4's new class include a potential Cleric class or a sea-based Corsair.

New Storyline

The Vessel of Hatred expansion will also include a new storyline that is set to follow up on the ending of Diablo 4's base game. It will be set in the jungles surrounding the city of Kurast from Diablo 2, in a region known as Nahantu, and will likely feature Mephisto as the primary villain, given the Prime Evil's history with the region. While details about the Vessel of Hatred expansion are scarce outside what little was revealed at Blizzcon, fans can expect Blizzard to dive into more detail about the content they have planned for this expansion later in the year as its release approaches.