Diablo 4’s next expansion location is hiding in plain sight

Diablo 4 players believe they’ve figured out the location of the game’s second expansion which will be released in 2026. Spoilers for Vessel of Hatred lurk below.

While some Diablo 4 players are disappointed that it won’t have another major expansion until 2026, that hasn’t stopped them from speculating on the location. One theory that originated on Blizzard’s forum suggests that the next expansion will be set on Xiansai, a location the series has never visited before, only referenced.

Xiansai is an East Asian-themed island in the northern part of Sanctuary that sits between the two main continents, it’s also a location that has largely remained untouched by the Prime Evil’s forces. So naturally, it’s overdue a demonic incursion from Diablo or Mephisto.

Blizzard forum member, Conan proposed the theory, saying, “I would like to entertain the prediction that instead the second expansion has a good chance that it could take place in Xiansai. The reason for this prediction is because Diablo 4 has been beefing up the Xiansai lore from the start of the game.”

Conan went on to flesh out his theory in more detail, suggesting that key characters in Diablo 4’s story come from Xiansai and why it makes sense for them to return there. He said, “This (is) not only the homeland of Neyrell but also the birthplace of Akarat and we may be following his story more now.”

Xiansai could become the Island of Hatred

While Neyrell served as the “Vessel of Hatred” at the end of the first expansion, the demon lord Mephisto possessed Akarat, a messianic figure in the Diablo universe, and escaped in his powerful body to parts unknown.

Conan also pointed out that Blizzard has been teasing the location’s importance since Diablo 3, with it now feeling more relevant than ever. He also reminded players that the region hasn’t been seen before in the franchise, so therefore, Xiansai would be an ideal location to expand the map.

He said, “Xiansai is a very lore-heavy part of Sanctuary and the devs might want to take us there eventually in D4 because we have never been there in any Diablo game.”

As Vessel of Hatred was set in Nahantu, a returning region of Sanctuary, it does make a lot of sense for the second expansion to be set somewhere new. While many fans are hoping to return to Tristram or have Sanctuary’s western continent added to the map, this will likely be done in stages.

Xiansai is also the home of the Wizard class (not to be confused with the Sorcerers), so contains many arcane secrets that Mephisto would be keen to steal. The Prime Evil is unlikely to try and resurrect his brothers, especially after they abandoned him in Diablo 2, and Diablo absorbed Mephisto in Diablo 3.

More evidence for this is that Mephisto offered an offer of alliance to the Wanderer in Vessel of Hatred before being soundly rejected. Therefore, Xiansai would be a logical location for Mephisto to rebuild his power – in anticipation of a bigger battle to come.