Bilawal Bashir 
Diablo 4 has confirmed that it will double down on a live service model with annual DLC expansions, despite fan frustrations.
Diablo 4 launched earlier this year with plenty of fanfare. Sale estimates suggest the game sold around 10 million units since its release. Blizzard announced that Diablo 4 broke $666 million in global sales just five days after launch, making it a resounding commercial success. The game was praised by fans and critics alike but the goodwill evaporated after Diablo 4’s honeymoon period ended.
In Diablo, seasons and expansions are different from each other. Diablo 3 had 29 seasons that ran for more than a decade. The game only received one expansion, Reaper of Souls, which added the Crusader class. Later, the Rise of the Necromancer DLC added the fan-favorite Necromancer class. Diablo 4 is now set to change that entirely with expansions coming on an annual basis.
Will Diablo 4 have DLC?
Diablo 4 manager Rod Fergusson confirmed the game will have annual DLC expansions.
In an interview with Dexerto, Fergusson stated that the plan is to support Diablo 4 with regular content updates for years. This will include quarterly updates alongside annually released expansions. He also explicitly acknowledged the live service approach Blizzard is taking to the game.
“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,” added Fergusson.
It is unknown if Diablo 4’s expansions will be free, but this formula harkens to Destiny 2 which was initially published by Blizzard’s sister company Activision. The game carried a full price tag when it launched in 2017 with paid expansions. After developer Bungie departed Activision in 2019, the game was made free-to-play.
Will the Diablo 4 DLC expansions have a story?
Diablo 4’s DLC expansions will have a story that continues well into the future, Diablo director Rod Fergusson said.
Diablo 3 lasted for 29 seasons and got stellar support from the company. Diablo 4 is different from the last game, especially with the shared online world elements. There is no word whether the game will receive more classes with the annual expansions. Currently, there are only five playable classes in the game. Diablo 3 added 2 additional classes over time, both of which were part of paid DLC content.
Diablo 4’s second season will launch on October 17 and will reportedly bring a new questline for the players. The seasonal update will also add five endgame bosses, giving players more evil to vanquish. The post-launch period of Diablo 4 has had several issues including the widely panned Season 1 update and a bug that forced Blizzard to turn off in-game trading.
