Release History

1:40 Diablo 4 came out on Jun 6, 2023, which in the Americas was Jun 5 at 4 p.m. PT, after four days of early access for Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Edition buyers from Jun 1. It then reached Steam on Oct 17, 2023, Xbox Game Pass on Mar 28, 2024 and Nintendo Switch 2 on Sep 15, 2026, and its expansions followed on Oct 8, 2024 (Vessel of Hatred) and Apr 28, 2026 (Lord of Hatred). The road there began at BlizzCon 2019, where Blizzard revealed the game on Nov 1, 2019; at BlizzCon 2026, Diablo's senior art director recalled being on stage "way back in 2019" for that announcement, before the team showed Diablo 5. That makes Diablo 4 three years old as of Jun 6, 2026, and the game is still being updated, with its 15th season live since Sep 15, 2026. What the game is today is on Diablo 4.

Quick facts

Before launch: 2019 to 2023

Blizzard revealed Diablo 4 at the BlizzCon 2019 opening ceremony on Nov 1, 2019, with the cinematic "By Three They Come" and a gameplay trailer, both posted on the official Diablo channel that day (OpenCritic's video list). No date came with it. On Nov 3, 2021, Blizzard said the game would not release in 2022, after its game director Luis Barriga had left in Aug 2021 and design lead Joe Shely had taken his place (Ars Technica). The window became official at the Xbox Games Showcase on Jun 12, 2022, which also revealed the Necromancer as the fifth class and promised cross-play and cross-progression (Blizzard). At The Game Awards on Dec 8, 2022, Blizzard announced Jun 6, 2023 and opened pre-purchase (Blizzard). The people and decisions behind those years are on Development.

Three public tests came before launch. The Early Access beta, for pre-purchasers, ran from Mar 17 at 9 a.m. PDT to Mar 20 at 12 p.m. PDT, 2023, and the Open Beta for everyone from Mar 24 at 9 a.m. PDT to Mar 27 at 12 p.m. PDT (Blizzard). The Server Slam, a load test on all five platforms with the level cap at 20, ran from May 12 at 12 p.m. to May 14 at 12 p.m. PDT, 2023; progress from the tests did not carry over (Blizzard).

Launch: Jun 2023

Pre-loading began on May 30, 2023 at 4 p.m. PDT. Owners of the Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Editions started on Jun 1 at 4 p.m. PDT, and everyone else on Jun 5 at 4 p.m. PDT, which was already Jun 6 in most of the world, the date Blizzard used everywhere (Blizzard). The game launched on PC through Battle.net, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Activision Blizzard called it "Blizzard Entertainment's fastest-selling game of all time", with $666 million in sell-through in less than a week. Season 1, Season of the Malignant, followed on Jul 20, 2023.

After launch: Steam, Game Pass and the seasons

Diablo 4 arrived on Steam on Oct 17, 2023, the same day as Season of Blood, and Steam players link a Battle.net account (Blizzard). Microsoft, Blizzard's owner since Oct 13, 2023, announced on Feb 15, 2024 that the base game would join Xbox Game Pass, and it did on Mar 28, 2024, the first Battle.net game on the service (The Verge; Game Pass). From then on a new season has started about every three months, usually at 10 a.m. Pacific; every one with its date and hour is on Seasons.

Vessel of Hatred: Oct 2024

Blizzard announced the first expansion at BlizzCon 2023 (Nov 3 to 4, 2023) and gave its date and opened pre-purchase at the Xbox Games Showcase on Jun 9, 2024 (Blizzard). Vessel of Hatred went live with Season of Hatred Rising on "October 7 at 4 p.m. PDT globally", which was Oct 8, 2024 outside the Americas, the date Blizzard headlined; Steam lists Oct 7, 2024 (Blizzard). Battle.net players could pre-load from Sep 30 and console players from Oct 5, 2024.

Lord of Hatred: Apr 2026

1:52 The second expansion was announced at The Game Awards on Dec 11, 2025, with pre-purchase opening the same day and the Paladin playable at once for anyone who pre-purchased (Xbox Wire). Blizzard's launch trailer ends on the words "Reckoning is here" and a card reading "The Reckoning arrives April 28, 2026". The actual rollout began a few hours earlier in the Americas: "Lord of Hatred begins rollout on April 27 at 4:00 p.m. PDT", which was Apr 28 in Europe, Asia and Oceania, after a pre-download from Apr 23 (Blizzard). Season of Reckoning, the 13th season, started 30 minutes later, at 4:30 p.m. PDT. In local time that was 7 p.m. on Apr 27 in New York, midnight on Apr 28 in London, 8 a.m. in Seoul and 9 a.m. in Sydney (Icy Veins). More on Lord of Hatred.

27:04 The second new class came in between. At the Diablo 30th Anniversary Spotlight on Feb 11, 2026, Blizzard introduced the Warlock ("let's take a look at a new class, the Warlock") and set a full Warlock developer update for Mar 5, while noting that many players had "already been playing as the Paladin" since Dec 11, 2025.

Trials and free weekends

1:50 Diablo 4 has never been free to play, but it has had several free trials. Xbox players got a 10-hour trial from Oct 19 to 22, 2023; Battle.net, Xbox and PlayStation had a free trial up to level 20 from Sep 19 to 23, 2024 (PCGamesN); the Paladin could be played free up to level 25 from Mar 11, 2026, for about a week; and the Season of Death Awakening gameplay trailer shows a card announcing a free Warlock trial up to level 30, which Blizzard's post set for Jun 30 to Jul 7, 2026, from 10 a.m. PT (Blizzard). What the game costs outside those windows is on Price and Editions.

Anniversaries and BlizzCon 2026

Diablo 4's third anniversary event ran from Jun 2 to 9, 2026 (Blizzard), and 2026 is also the series' 30th anniversary, counted from the first Diablo at the end of 1996.

42:08 The biggest dates of the year came at BlizzCon 2026 in Anaheim. At the opening ceremony on Sep 12, 2026, Blizzard announced that Season of Hell's Legacy "launches Tuesday, September 15th", with Deckard Cain returning; it began at 9:30 a.m. PT that day (Season of Hell's Legacy).

44:58 In the same ceremony Joe Shely announced that the Age of Hatred Collection, the base game with both expansions, was coming to Nintendo Switch 2 "on September 15th alongside the Season of Hell's Legacy", with a playable demo on the show floor (Platforms and Crossplay).

47:47 The next date on the calendar came last: the Amazon Class Pack "is going to arrive the first half of 2027". Blizzard has given no exact date, and has announced no end date for Season 15 and no date for Season 16, as of Oct 21, 2026 (Amazon, Season 16).

Frequently asked questions

When did Diablo 4 come out? Diablo 4 came out on Jun 6, 2023, which was Jun 5 at 4 p.m. PT in the Americas; Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Edition owners could play from Jun 1, 2023.

When did Diablo 4 come out on Steam? Diablo 4 launched on Steam on Oct 17, 2023, the same day as Season 2, Season of Blood.

Was Diablo 4 delayed? Yes, in the sense that Blizzard said on Nov 3, 2021 that Diablo 4 would not release in 2022; it had no announced date before that, and the Jun 6, 2023 date announced in Dec 2022 held.

When did Lord of Hatred come out? Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion came out on Apr 28, 2026, which was Apr 27 at 4 p.m. PT in the Americas.

When did Vessel of Hatred come out? Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred expansion came out on Oct 8, 2024, which was Oct 7 at 4 p.m. PT in the Americas.

When did Diablo 4 come out on Switch 2? Diablo 4 came to Nintendo Switch 2 on Sep 15, 2026, as the Age of Hatred Collection with both expansions.

How old is Diablo 4? Diablo 4 turned three on Jun 6, 2026; Blizzard held a third anniversary event from Jun 2 to 9, 2026.

Sources

• Diablo IV, OpenCritic (video list), read Oct 20, 2026
• Blizzard delays Diablo IV, Overwatch 2 amid exec departure, Ars Technica, Nov 3, 2021
• All Hell Breaks Loose in 2023: Diablo IV Is Coming, Blizzard Entertainment, Jun 12, 2022
• Meet Your Maker on June 6: Pre-Purchase Diablo IV, Blizzard Entertainment, Dec 9, 2022
• Your Guide to the Diablo IV Open Beta, Blizzard Entertainment, Mar 13, 2023
• Help Us Gear Up for Launch During the Diablo IV Server Slam, Blizzard Entertainment, Apr 20, 2023
• Diablo IV Launches Soon: Here's What You Need to Know, Blizzard Entertainment, May 25, 2023
• Diablo IV Launch Sales Record, Activision Blizzard, Jun 12, 2023
• Diablo IV Coming to Steam on October 17, Blizzard Entertainment, Oct 4, 2023
• Diablo 4 is coming to Game Pass, The Verge, Feb 15, 2024
• Prepare to Embody the Spiritborn: Pre-Purchase Vessel of Hatred, Blizzard Entertainment, Jun 9, 2024
• Conquer Colossal Foes in Season of Hatred Rising, Blizzard Entertainment, Oct 2, 2024
• Daddy's coming home with Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred, Xbox Wire, Dec 11, 2025
• Prepare for the Reckoning: Lord of Hatred Draws Near, Blizzard Entertainment, Apr 23, 2026
• Lord of Hatred launches a day early: here's your exact unlock time, Icy Veins, Apr 23, 2026
• Diablo 4 free trial in September, PCGamesN, Sep 20, 2024
• Diablo 4 10-hour free trial on Xbox, Shacknews, Oct 19, 2023
• Become the Butcher in Season of Slaughter, Blizzard Entertainment, Mar 5, 2026
• Hunt the Death Cult in Season of Death Awakening, Blizzard Entertainment, Jun 23, 2026
• Celebrate the Diablo IV Anniversary, Blizzard Entertainment, May 26, 2026
• Diablo's Next Era Revealed at BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremonies Recap, Blizzard Entertainment, Sep 12, 2026
• Diablo IV: What's Next Panel Recap, Blizzard Entertainment, Sep 13, 2026
• Diablo V | Forging the Next Era Panel | BlizzCon 2026, Diablo, Sep 13, 2026 (video)
• Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred | Launch Trailer, Diablo, Apr 21, 2026 (video)
• Diablo 30th Anniversary Spotlight, Diablo, Feb 11, 2026 (video)
• Diablo IV | Season of Death Awakening | Gameplay Trailer, Diablo, Jun 23, 2026 (video)
• BlizzCon 2026 | Opening Ceremony, Blizzard Entertainment, Sep 13, 2026 (video)