Games

Diablo 4's Next Expansion Could Face a Challenge

Published

4 days ago

November 9, 2024

Christoph Rediske

diablo 4 expansion path of exile challenge

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Diablo 4’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, left the story open-ended for Neyrelle and Mephisto.
Path of Exile 2’s early access starts on December 6, aiming to attract both new and veteran players.
Diablo 4’s next expansion needs to surpass Vessel of Hatred and time its release perfectly to avoid being overshadowed by Path of Exile 2.

Diablo 4‘s Vessel of Hatred expansion has now been out for over a month, furthering Neyrelle’s story of destroying Mephisto and introducing the new Spiritborn class with all its bells and whistles. Now, all eyes are on Diablo 4‘s next expansion, as its first has left things very open-ended for the story of Neyrelle and Mephisto, and the fate of Nahantu and Sanctuary.

Originally, it was suspected that Diablo 4‘s Vessel of Hatred expansion might be outdone by the potential popularity of Path of Exile 2, the long-awaited sequel to Grinding Gear Games’ 2013 ARPG. Fortunately for Vessel of Hatred, it seems to have avoided Path of Exile 2‘s shadow (for the time being, at least), as the latter has been delayed to a December 6 early access release. Nevertheless, depending on what Path of Exile 2 does from here on out, Diablo 4 could have its work cut out for it.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s Setting Is a Blessing and a Curse After the Main Campaign

In some ways, the setting for Vessel of Hatred is a breath of fresh air, but it simultaneously downplays Diablo 4’s main story in the long run.

Diablo 4’s Next Expansion Needs to Keep an Eye on Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2’s Early Access Begins This December

It has been over 10 years since the release of the first game, but Path of Exile 2 is nearly here, with its early access period beginning on December 6, 2024. It was originally scheduled for a November 15 release but was delayed to ensure players’ Path of Exile microtransactions carry over. Nevertheless, it’s just around the corner now, and it plans to make a big splash in the ARPG genre.

Path of Exile 2 aims to please both new and veteran players by maintaining the game’s challenge while lessening its learning curve to make it more accessible for newcomers. Included in the sequel are a multitude of new features, like new Skill and Support Gems, twelve character classes to choose from, a redesigned user interface, cross-platform play and progression, couch co-op, and more. Needless to say, Path of Exile 2 may put up a fight against Diablo 4 once it launches, as the latter has been a bit divisive as of late.

Diablo 4’s Next Expansion Needs to Dodge Path of Exile 2’s Shadow

Vessel of Hatred is Diablo 4‘s first expansion, continuing the story of Neyrelle after she was seen running off into Nahantu with Mephisto’s soulstone at the end of the main campaign. Unfortunately, while it did add the highly versatile Spiritborn to the base game’s selection of classes, Vessel of Hatred’s story ultimately falls flat due to some anticlimactic resolutions and unresolved plot points. The hope is that the next expansion will not only tie up some loose ends left in the wake by Vessel of Hatred but that it will also deliver more than its predecessor’s narrative. However, none of that may even matter if it can’t dodge Path of Exile 2‘s shadow.

It’s currently unclear how long Path of Exile 2 will be in early access, but it’s always safe to assume a game will be in early access for at least a year, which means it could potentially receive its 1.0 update in December 2025. It’s also currently unknown what Diablo 4‘s next expansion will be and when it might arrive. However, should Diablo 4‘s next expansion arrive by this time next year, and should Path of Exile 2‘s 1.0 update also be released around then, the two game launches coinciding with one another could make things difficult for Diablo 4, especially after the mixed reception of its Vessel of Hatred expansion.

Since the Vessel of Hatred expansion was released just over a year after the launch of the base game,
Diablo 4
‘s next expansion could potentially follow suit, looking at a late 2025 release, potentially right alongside
Path of Exile 2
1.0.

With Path of Exile 2 launching very soon and no timeline yet on when its early access might end, Diablo 4 presumably has plenty of time to make its next expansion everything it needs to be in order to stand out. Vessel of Hatred appears to have dodged a Path of Exile 2-shaped bullet, especially after the latter’s delay, but Diablo 4 will need to, at the very least, keep its eye on Path of Exile 2 moving forward.