In a year when ARPGs are blowing up the gaming space,Diablo 4has been oddly quiet for the franchise’s status as the reigning ruler of the genre. WithPath of Exile 2andLast Epochgetting major new content drops,Diablo 4’s roadmap for 2025feels comparatively barren. However, despite a lackluster outline for the coming year, there may still be one area of hope forDiablo 4fans looking to keep the game exciting until its next expansion releases.
Diablo 4has been stuck in a tough situation since its first major expansion, Vessel of Hatred, received a mixed reception upon release. Most players felt that Vessel of Hatred didn’t add enough substantial content to justify its price, and the new storyline it introduced was underwhelming given its potential. WhileDiablo 4initially promised a new major expansion every year after release, it seems the game will be skipping one in 2025 with the next expansion planned for 2026, leaving the game without a significant content update in the coming year.
Diablo 4’s New IP Collab Tease May Be the Most Exciting Part of Its Roadmap
Diablo 4’s 2025 Roadmap Points to an Underwhelming Future
While each of the upcoming seasons forDiablo 4seems to feature its own unique mechanics, such as Boss Powers coming next season, there isn’t a whole lot else to get excited about in the coming year. Minor quality of life improvements are welcome, to be sure, but they are not major selling points that are going to be drawing players back into the game, especially when a competitor likePath of Exile 2has just introduced a brand-new class.
The clear standout among the rather mundane features coming toDiablo 4is the IP collabs teased for the Belial’s Return and Infernal Chaos seasons.Diablo 4is no stranger to crossovers with other Blizzard IPs, receiving a series ofWorld of Warcraft-themed skinsback in August 2024, but there are tons of potential collabs that could be even more exciting.
How Potential IP Collabs Could Be the Key to Diablo 4’s Momentum in 2025
While specifics haven’t been confirmed, there are a variety of different IPs that would be exciting to see get content inDiablo 4. One of the most likely candidates would beOverwatch 2, Blizzard’s popular hero shooter that has already collaborated withDiablo 4in the past on skins likeLilith Moira, Imperius Reinhardt, and Inarius Pharah. WithOverwatch 2getting severalDiablo-themed skins, it would be great to see a collab that goes the other way and addsOverwatch-themed skins toDiablo 4.
Characters like Reinhardt, Reaper, and Mercy would all be great candidates for skin inspirations inDiablo 4, but the existence of two IP collabs on the roadmap means there’s room for more than just anOverwatchcrossover. Another great IP forDiablo 4to collaborate with might beDoom: The Dark Ages,given that both Blizzard and Bethesda are now owned by Microsoft, and are known for their demon-slaying gameplay.Doom: The Dark Agesreleaseswithin the window of the first listed new IP collab on theDiablo 4roadmap, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the Doomslayer get a timely skin inDiablo 4.
Getting new skins based on other popular IPs is nice, but to really entice players to check outDiablo 4during this downtime between major expansions, these collabs need to go beyond simple cosmetics. Bringing the worlds of franchises likeOverwatchandDoomdirectly into theworld of Sanctuaryfor limited-time quests or a new themed game mode would be a great way to ensure these collabs are ones players can’t afford to miss. Taking a page out ofFortnite’s book and incorporating an IP into the gameplay would takeDiablo 4’s collabs to a level that may help soften the blow of an otherwise disappointing 2025 roadmap.
