Blizzard Entertainment traditionally prefers to release expansions to usher in new content and to extend the campaign of a Diablo game. But, for Diablo 4, the long-time developers will trade in the series' signature DLCs for seasonal campaign updates.
According to a Game Informer interview with Diablo 4 associate game director, Joe Piepiora, Diablo 4's post-launch update every quarter will feature additional story content tied to new mechanics and features as well as the seasonal battle pass, which comes in both free and premium variants. The first season will not be live upon the launch of the game in June and will come sometime later.
The announcement has sparked debate on Reddit, with gamers raising concerns about having to pay for ongoing content. Blizzard has assured players who purchased the base game that the seasonal content will be free. However, the players are concerned that Blizzard will hide content behind the paid premium battle pass in the future.