After several years away, BlizzCon made its grand return to Anaheim, kicking off with an Opening Ceremony full of surprises. The night touched nearly every legendary Blizzard franchise and ended with a packed list of announcements no one saw coming.

Heroes of the Storm Returns Unexpectedly

The show opened with the comeback of Heroes of the Storm, a reveal that caught everyone off guard. A brand-new trailer introduced Xal'atath (and her fingers) to the MOBA’s roster. Developers called this announcement a love letter to HoTS fans and teased more new heroes on the horizon.

New Partnership with Netflix

Blizzard unveiled a new animated series set in the Diablo universe, marking the start of an exciting partnership with Netflix. The company also confirmed talks to bring stories from Overwatch, Warcraft, and other beloved franchises to Netflix alongside the Diablo series.

STARCRAFT: A New Open-World Shooter

After months of speculation, StarCraft fans finally got their answer, and it wasn’t what anyone expected. Instead of StarCraft III, Blizzard announced a brand-new open-world shooter: STARCRAFT. The game, introduced with a gritty and intense trailer, is set to launch in 2030.

New Overwatch Hero: Doctrine

Doctrine, Overwatch’s 54th hero, is now playable. This damage-focused support character brings a vampire-themed kit and is a returning friend of Doomfist, teaming up against Reign of Talon. Doctrine can deploy a colony of bat-like drones that grant attack speed and healing to himself and an ally. The update also shortens Roadhog’s hook and reworks Sombra into a support class.

Diablo V Officially in Development

Just a short time after celebrating the launch of Diablo IV, Blizzard confirmed that Diablo V is already in development. The trailer shows a world at least 100 years after the events of Diablo IV, with the Lord of Terror Diablo back and the world under his control. Players will once again fight to save Sanctuary, but will have to wait until Spring 2029.

Diablo IV Comes to Switch 2

For those wanting to save an unruined Sanctuary, there’s good news: Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection launches on Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time on September 16, 2026. The collection includes the base game and both the Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred expansions.

Amazon Class Coming to Diablo IV

Next year, Diablo IV adds the long-awaited Amazon class, unique to the Skovos region. This new class arrives in the first half of 2027, bringing a fresh combat style to the Eternal War.

World of Warcraft: Midnight Eclipse

The next major content update for World of Warcraft is officially named Midnight Eclipse.

Warcraft III: Reforged Gets Its First Expansion in 20 Years

The classic real-time strategy game Warcraft III receives its first expansion in over two decades. The Forsaken Kingdom expansion is exclusive to Warcraft III: Reforged and adds over 30 hours of new gameplay. The expansion is already available now.

World of Warcraft Forever Announced

Described as "WoW Vanilla Plus," World of Warcraft Forever is a new permanent game mode locked at level 60, launching globally on November 4, 2026. The mode expands Azeroth with new locations and race/class combinations, delivers striking visual upgrades thanks to a new engine, and features controller support.

The Weekend is Just Getting Started

These are just the highlights from the Opening Ceremony. BlizzCon 2026 continues all weekend with developer panels, in-depth reveals, hands-on demos, and esports competitions, wrapping up Sunday evening with the Closing Ceremony and a special performance by LE SSERAFIM.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Diablo V coming out?

The game launches in Spring 2029, with a story set at least 100 years after Diablo IV.

Is the STARCRAFT open-world shooter replacing StarCraft III?

No, this is a completely separate project. It’s not StarCraft III, but a new open-world shooter arriving in 2030.

When does Diablo IV launch on Nintendo Switch 2?

Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection releases on Switch 2 on September 16, 2026, including the base game and both expansions.