1. Blizzard Announces Diablo V for Spring 2029
Blizzard announced that Diablo V is now in development—and they’re aiming for a Spring 2029 release. The game takes place 100 years after the events of Diablo IV, and will debut with three classes. Set in Westmarch, one of Sanctuary’s western kingdoms, the series’ fifth installment promises to be the darkest yet. Diablo has won, and there are no heroes left.
2. World of Warcraft: Forever Gets November Release Date
World of Warcraft: Forever joins with World of Warcraft: Classic and World of Warcraft: Modern to form a trifecta of experiences available to the player-base. Forever will feature 1,000 new quests, three new zones, nine new dungeons, two new raids, and a new playable race of elves called the Skyborne. The beta for World of Craft: Forever opens September 17th, and the game will release proper on November 4th.
3. Blizzard Partners With Netflix to Create New Diablo Animated Series
Activision-Blizzard has decided to expand their empire into the world of adult animation. A Diablo animated series has been announced, though details are scant so far. There’s no animation studio attached, nor has there been any indication on who will be show-running Blizzard’s daring new creative endeavor. But! We know it exists, and we know that Blizzard has interest in bringing more properties to life on our television screens.
4. StarCraft Returns! But As An Open World Shooter?
StarCraft, a legendary real-time strategy game series, is back with a 2030 release date and a new direction. StarCraft’s 28 year life has existed firmly in the real-time strategy genre, but now Blizzard is moving in the direction of a story-driven, open-world shooter. It seems they’re trying to ‘modernize’ the IP. Blizzard dropped a cinematic teaser at BlizzCon, but there’s not a lot of information available about the game. Unsurprising, given its far-away release window. We do know that the new StarCraft takes place seventy years after the events of StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void.
5. Warcraft III Gets First New Storyline in 23 Years
Speaking of real-time strategy games, Warcraft III: Reforged has been given some love after years of neglect. Its new campaign, Forsaken Kingdom, became available September 14th. Forsaken Kingdom explores the fall of Lordaeron, and how it became known instead as the Undercity. This comes on the back of the 3.0 update, which makes loads of quality of life changes to Warcraft III, as well as a graphics update and improved World Editor.
6. Surprise New Hero Drops for Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm has a new-but-familiar face joining the cast: Xal’atath, the Harbinger of the Void. Like all characters in Heroes of the Storm, Xal’atath hails from another Blizzard property. In this case, Warcraft. This is Heroes of the Storm‘s first new hero in over six years. It seems Blizzard is making efforts to spread a little TLC to their more neglected IPs.
7. Diablo IV Celebrates the Series’ 30 Year Anniversary with New Content and Switch 2 Release
Even with Diablo V on the horizon, Diablo IV is not being left behind. Diablo IV: Season of Hell’s Legacy starts September 15th, with new gear and gifts. Players also get to contend with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Caine. Blizzard gave a snapshot of early 2027 as well, with their First Class Pack featuring the mighty Amazon, alongside her bow and javelin. On top of all of that, the Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection arrives on the Switch 2 on September 15th. It supports cross-platform play and cross-progression, and a new ‘evolving endgame’, per Blizzard.
8. Overwatch Debuts New Hero and Map
A new Overwatch season has begun, and with it the series’ longest continuous narrative, The Reign of Talon, concludes. New Survivor Support Hero Doctrine (real name Tamuka Yeukai) has arrived, and a new map called “Watchpoint: Grimsvotn” comes along with him. Hailing from the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe, Doctrine is a cyberneticist supervillain who primarily uses his scepter and a swarm of robot bats to fight. Kinda badass, right? Along with Doctrine and his map, Sombra and Roadhog are receiving major hero reworks.
9. Blizzard Remembers Hearthstone Exists; Flood of New Content Announced
Beloved strategy deck-building game Hearthstone, which takes place in the universe of World of Warcraft, is getting some updates as well. In 2027, a new class, the Monk, will be released. This is Hearthstone’s first new class in six years. The new expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, takes place long ago, before the Old Gods were imprisoned, in the earliest days of Azeroth.
Blizzard rolled into BlizzCon with news aplenty, and fans of their various properties are rejoicing. With a ton of new stories, new content, and thoughtful refurbishing of old favorites, Blizzard has won itself some good will for the time being. And, come on. Who expected a Diablo V release anytime in the near future? God is good. Or, uh, the devil is good?