Blizzard just turned BlizzCon 2026 into one massive announcement drop, and honestly, there is a lot for players to process.

The September 12 opening ceremony at the Anaheim Convention Center brought the official reveal of Diablo V, a completely new StarCraft open-world shooter, and World of Warcraft: Forever, a permanent new WoW experience that stays within the original level-60 era. Blizzard also unloaded major updates for Overwatch, Diablo IV, Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, Warcraft III: Reforged and Heroes of the Storm.

BlizzCon 2026 ran from September 12 to September 13, marking Blizzard’s return to an in-person BlizzCon after its previous event in 2023. The company had teased a major opening ceremony, and it delivered announcements covering new games, expansions, remastered content, multimedia projects and long-term plans for some of its biggest franchises.

And the wildest part? Blizzard isn’t simply bringing back old ideas. StarCraft is becoming an open-world shooter, Diablo V begins after Diablo has already won, and World of Warcraft is creating an evolving level-60 version of Azeroth.

More Diablo Deep-Dives: The apocalypse-already-won premise deserves more than a highlight reel. For more, read our full breakdown of Diablo V’s Spring 2029 launch, its classes, story and returning itemization.

Blizzard Kicks Off BlizzCon 2026 With an Emotional Welcome

Blizzard president Johanna Faries opened the ceremony in front of a packed Anaheim Convention Center crowd, welcoming players back and acknowledging the long road that led to BlizzCon’s 2026 return.

“Unbelievable energy in here.”

Faries called the convention an “oasis” and “A place for us to connect and reconnect,” while thanking the Blizzard teams responsible for bringing the event back.

“I love you.”

Her opening speech arrived during a turbulent period for the wider Microsoft gaming organization, although the ceremony itself quickly shifted its focus toward Blizzard’s games and the future of its franchises.

A montage featuring Blizzard’s major properties then played before the company began revealing the projects waiting behind the curtain.

And that’s when things got seriously interesting.

More Gaming Convention Chaos: Big in-person events don’t always go smoothly behind the scenes. For more, check our report on Gamescom 2026’s multiple equipment thefts that left developers without laptops and unfinished builds.

STARCRAFT, OVERWATCH AND DIABLO TAKE CENTER STAGE

StarCraft Is Back — But Blizzard Is Turning It Into an Open-World Shooter

One of the biggest surprises of the entire ceremony was the return of StarCraft.

But this isn’t StarCraft III.

Blizzard revealed STARCRAFT, an original open-world shooter set inside the long-running science-fiction universe.

The project is being led by Dan Hay, the former Far Cry executive who has been associated with the game through previous reporting.

During the reveal, Hay talked about his long connection with Blizzard and explained that he had previously tried to join the company earlier in his career but was rejected.

“Dreams don’t die, dreams don’t fade. Dreams are patient. Dreams wait.”

Years later, Blizzard contacted Hay with an opportunity to build a team around StarCraft.

“This time, there was an opportunity”

The development team was introduced during the ceremony, with Hay describing it as:

“A team built with one purpose. A team built with one goal. To return to a universe forged in interstellar war.”

The game is being built as an open-world shooter, taking StarCraft in a direction very different from the real-time strategy formula established by the original StarCraft and StarCraft II.

The announcement cinematic showed soldiers preparing for combat, training with firearms, earning equipment and eventually deploying to an alien world where they encounter the Zerg.

The cinematic leaned heavily into the brutality of the StarCraft universe, showing soldiers being sent into battle against overwhelming alien forces.

Hay ended the reveal with a line that summed up how long fans have been waiting for the franchise’s return:

“And let’s be honest, it’s about damn time.”

There weren’t many gameplay details during the opening ceremony, so there’s still plenty we don’t know about the project.

What we do know is that STARCRAFT is currently targeting Spring 2030.

That puts the game several years away, but its existence alone represents a major change for the franchise. Instead of immediately returning to the RTS formula, Blizzard is using the StarCraft universe for an open-world shooter focused on exploration and combat.

For StarCraft fans, that’s one seriously unexpected way to bring the series back.

More Open-World Franchise Shifts: StarCraft isn’t the only franchise showing off a sprawling open world lately. For more, watch our coverage of GTA 6’s extended look at Leonida, from wild police chases to a chihuahua in a tutu.

Overwatch Season 5 Brings Doctrine, Hero Reworks and a New Map

Blizzard then shifted to Overwatch, revealing what’s coming with the game’s fifth season.

The biggest new addition is Doctrine, a Support hero inspired by a vampire.

Doctrine uses bat-like drones, can drain life and carries a sceptre, bringing a darker supernatural style to the battlefield.

Players at BlizzCon were able to play Doctrine, while a limited-time Hero Trial was also made available to players at home following the opening ceremony.

But Doctrine isn’t arriving alone.

Sombra and Roadhog are both receiving major reworks, while Blizzard is adding a new map called Watchpoint: Grimsvötn.

Season 5 will also bring the conclusion of The Reign of Talon, which Blizzard describes as the first year-long narrative arc in Overwatch history.

And the story won’t stop there.

Blizzard confirmed that the next Overwatch Spotlight will take place in February 2027, when the development team will reveal its plans for the year ahead.

Overwatch is also getting a major presence across the rest of BlizzCon.

A live tabletop RPG session called QuestWatch was written by Matt Mercer and the Overwatch narrative team, with Cassidy’s voice actor serving as Game Master.

International music duo YOASOBI was scheduled to perform during the Overwatch World Cup, while LE SSERAFIM returned as the closing musical act.

So yeah, Overwatch isn’t exactly slowing down.

More Hero-Shooter Roster Shakeups: New heroes and reworks aren’t the only roster drama in team-based games right now. For more, read our breakdown of Marvel Rivals’ missing Loki and whether he’ll return in Season 10.

Diablo V Is Coming in Spring 2029 — And Diablo Has Already Won

Then came the reveal that instantly changed the future of Diablo.

Diablo V is officially in development and is scheduled to launch in Spring 2029.

But Blizzard isn’t simply setting up another story where humanity desperately tries to stop Diablo from conquering Sanctuary.

This time, the fight is already over.

Sanctuary has fallen. Diablo has won.

For the first time in the mainline Diablo series, players will enter a world where Diablo has already achieved victory and the heroes have been defeated.

Blizzard framed the entire concept around one question:

“What must you become when the world has already fallen?”

The cinematic presented a darker version of Sanctuary and teased the next era of the franchise without fully revealing the game’s playable classes, systems or campaign structure.

Blizzard also scheduled a dedicated Diablo V panel at BlizzCon to provide an early look at the game’s world, classes and creative direction.

So while Diablo IV continues receiving new content, Blizzard is already building the next major chapter of the franchise.

And this time, we’re apparently starting from the aftermath of the apocalypse.

More Grim Dark-Fantasy Characters: A world where evil has already triumphed makes for good company with FromSoftware’s own brand of bleak spectacle. For more, meet Zork, The Duskbloods’ armored sea chicken who drinks blood like a mosquito.

Diablo IV Celebrates 30 Years With the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain

Diablo V wasn’t the only huge Diablo announcement.

Blizzard is also celebrating 30 years of Diablo with Season of Hell’s Legacy in Diablo IV.

The anniversary season brings back the three Prime Evils — Diablo, Baal and Mephisto — while also bringing the spirit of Deckard Cain back into the story.

Players will confront the Prime Evils, collect splinters of their souls and take on portions of their power.

The season is designed as a massive celebration of Diablo’s history, bringing together iconic characters, enemies, locations and loot from across the franchise.

Season of Hell’s Legacy begins rolling out on September 15, 2026.

Blizzard also revealed that more than 130 million players worldwide have entered Sanctuary across the Diablo franchise since its creation.

The anniversary celebration will also include equipment inspired by different eras of Diablo.

So while Diablo V is looking toward the future, Diablo IV is going all the way back through the franchise’s history.

More Legacy Content Overhauls: Anniversary celebrations aren’t the only way developers are reworking beloved systems for longtime fans. For more, dive into our recap of Elden Ring Patch 1.17, its Tarnished Pack DLC, massive buffs and PvP changes.

Diablo IV Is Coming to Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo players aren’t being left behind either.

Blizzard confirmed that Diablo IV is coming to Nintendo Switch 2.

The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection launches on Switch 2 on September 15, alongside Season of Hell’s Legacy.

The collection bundles:

• Diablo IV
• Vessel of Hatred
• Lord of Hatred

The Switch 2 release gives Nintendo players access to Diablo IV’s current Sanctuary experience, including newer content and the Skovos setting introduced through Lord of Hatred.

More Switch 2 Platform Drama: New ports aren’t the only Switch 2 story making headlines this year. For more, see our report on the Nintendo Switch 2 ban wave and whether a server error was really to blame.

The Amazon Returns to Diablo IV

Diablo IV is also getting its first class pack, and Blizzard is bringing back one of Diablo II’s most recognizable archetypes.

The Amazon arrives during the first half of 2027.

The class originates from the island of Skovos and has been redesigned specifically for Diablo IV.

The Amazon retains her iconic bow, but she will also introduce the javelin as an entirely new weapon type for Diablo IV.

Her gameplay is being built around four archetypes:

• Champion
• Skirmisher
• Ranger
• Commander

Unlike Diablo IV’s free seasonal additions, the Amazon is part of a paid class pack.

So yes, one of Diablo’s classic combat identities is making its way back into Sanctuary — but with a Diablo IV-specific redesign.

More Nostalgic Set Reveals: Bringing back a classic archetype for a new generation isn’t limited to video games. For more, check out our feature on the LEGO Ocarina of Time Link & Epona set, its 1,750 pieces, price and release window.

Diablo Is Expanding Beyond Games With a Netflix Animated Series

Blizzard is also taking Diablo outside gaming.

A new Diablo animated series is in development with Netflix.

Blizzard hasn’t revealed the story, release date, cast or production team yet, but the company confirmed that the series is part of a broader effort to bring Blizzard universes to other forms of entertainment.

“And Diablo, I promise, is just the beginning, to our Overwatch community, to our Warcraft community, and who knows, perhaps even some of our other universes.”

That suggests the Diablo series could be the beginning of a much wider push toward adaptations of Blizzard’s franchises.

And that’s where Part 1 ends — but Blizzard’s biggest surprises weren’t finished.

More Game-to-Screen Adaptations: Diablo isn’t the only game property navigating a jump to television right now. For more, read our report on The Last of Us Season 3 leak that could reveal what Tommy and Jesse were doing in Seattle.

HEARTHSTONE, WARCRAFT AND WORLD OF WARCRAFT FOREVER

Hearthstone Goes Back to the Old Gods

Hearthstone is heading deep into Warcraft’s ancient history.

The next major expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, launches on October 20, 2026, taking players back to ancient Azeroth when the Old Gods were at the height of their power.

The expansion introduces a new keyword called Assemble.

The mechanic allows two cards to be merged into a new card, with Blizzard saying it draws from a pool of more than 250 cards.

That means the number of potential combinations could get seriously wild.

Battlegrounds is also receiving a new minion type called Aberrations on September 22.

These creatures are connected to the corruption, experimentation and influence of the Old Gods.

But Hearthstone’s biggest addition arrives later.

In March 2027, the Monk becomes Hearthstone’s first new playable class in six years.

The class is represented by Chen Stormstout and is built around an agile and adaptable playstyle.

Hearthstone is also getting an overhauled Journal system designed to connect expansions, quests, achievements and events through an ongoing narrative framework.

Instead of treating those pieces as isolated content, the Journal is intended to show how the game’s continuing story fits together.

More Hidden Detail Leaks: Old lore resurfacing isn’t the only way a franchise’s mysteries get uncovered — sometimes it’s buried in an achievement list. For more, read our report on the leaked Persona 6 achievements revealing Yokohama, Hex and new mechanics.

World of Warcraft: Midnight Moves Toward Eclipse

Modern World of Warcraft is moving deeper into the Worldsoul Saga.

The next major Midnight content update is called Eclipse, or patch 12.2.

The update brings players closer to a direct confrontation with Xal’atath, who is moving toward her ultimate objective: the Worldsoul of Azeroth.

Eclipse takes place in the Worldcore and pushes the Worldsoul Saga toward its final chapter.

And Blizzard has already teased what comes after.

The Last Titan will be the final installment of the Worldsoul Saga.

Blizzard describes it as the culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling.

More information is expected in early 2027, following the events of Midnight: Eclipse.

The Last Titan is currently scheduled for 2027.

More Long-Term Hardware Roadmaps: Multi-year storytelling plans aren’t the only thing players are waiting years to see play out. For more, read our story on why the PS6 release date is still up in the air amid rising memory costs and a major PlayStation shift.

Warcraft III: Reforged Gets a New Campaign After More Than 20 Years

Just when it seemed Blizzard had finished pulling surprises out of its hat, Warcraft III: Reforged got a brand-new story campaign.

Warcraft III: Reforged — Forsaken Kingdom is a new campaign centered around the fall of Lordaeron and the creation of the Undercity.

The campaign follows the rise of the Forsaken and features familiar characters including Sylvanas Windrunner, while introducing new characters and events that connect Warcraft III’s original story with the early history of World of Warcraft.

The campaign arrives alongside the Warcraft III Reforged 3.0 update.

The update includes:

• A substantial graphics update
• Improvements to the World Editor
• Additional enhancements
• A new Forsaken Paladin hero unit

And Blizzard didn’t make players wait for it.

The campaign was released immediately during BlizzCon 2026 as a shadow drop.

Blizzard describes it as the first new Warcraft III story campaign in more than two decades.

That’s a pretty huge return for one of the most important RTS games in Warcraft history.

More Dormant Franchise Revivals: A 20-year wait for new content isn’t unique to Warcraft III. For more, read our story on Onimusha: Way of the Sword bringing samurai action back after 20 years.

World of Warcraft Forever Is Blizzard’s Take on Classic Plus

Then Blizzard revealed perhaps the most intriguing World of Warcraft project of the entire show.

It’s called World of Warcraft: Forever.

The project is essentially Blizzard’s answer to the long-running idea of a “Classic Plus,” but it isn’t simply another Classic server.

Forever will exist alongside Modern WoW and Classic WoW as a third World of Warcraft experience.

The experience returns to the first year of the original game and keeps players within the level-60 era.

It launches on November 4, 2026, with its beta beginning on September 17.

The core philosophy is different from traditional WoW progression.

Instead of constantly raising the level cap and sending players into another expansion, Forever will keep the game at level 60 while allowing Azeroth itself to continue evolving.

Blizzard explained the philosophy this way:

“We don’t want to race ahead and leave our accomplishments, our gear, and our friends behind. That said, we will progress in other ways and get updates as we go.”

And Forever is far more than a visual refresh of vanilla WoW.

Blizzard is adding:

• Three new zones
• More than 1,000 quests
• Nine new dungeons
• Two new raids
• The new Skyborne playable race
• New race-and-class combinations
• New skills and talents
• Additional professions content
• New reputations
• Account-wide perks
• An updated world presentation

Players will also get an SD/HD character toggle, allowing them to switch between different visual presentations for characters.

The world itself is being expanded, including new locations such as:

• Zephras Isle
• Riverglades
• An expanded Mount Hyjal

Raid content will include both 10-player and 20-player raids.

The goal is basically to keep players inside the original level-60 framework while allowing Azeroth to develop in ways the original game never explored.

Blizzard describes Forever as:

“It’s a new beginning that never ends.”

And that philosophy extends into the game’s future.

“The future is untold. We may see stories that could have happened, and some that didn’t happen at all.”

That makes Forever fundamentally different from a traditional Classic progression server.

Players aren’t eventually pushed through later expansions. Instead, they remain inside the level-60 era while Blizzard continues creating new content, stories and experiences within that framework.

More Franchise Milestone Celebrations: Reworking a beloved era for a new generation of fans isn’t just a WoW thing. For more, read our story on Nintendo’s Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct and whether Ocarina of Time could finally get its 2026 release date.

Heroes of the Storm Gets Xal’atath

Heroes of the Storm also received a surprise announcement.

Xal’atath is joining the Nexus as a new playable Hero.

She arrives on September 28, with the character becoming available on the Public Test Realm on September 14.

The announcement isn’t a full relaunch of Heroes of the Storm. Instead, Blizzard is continuing to add new content while recognizing the community that has kept playing the MOBA.

“To all the HOTS players out there, I see you.”

Blizzard also teased that there could be more Heroes of the Storm content in the future.

More Ongoing Live-Service Updates: Keeping a smaller but dedicated community engaged with fresh content is a challenge shared well beyond MOBAs. For more, check our coverage of Phasmophobia’s Quality of Life Part 2 update, adding restricted maps, better VR and creepier deaths.

BlizzCon 2026 Shows Blizzard Has Multiple Futures in Motion

Put all of these announcements together and Blizzard’s direction becomes much clearer.

StarCraft is moving into open-world shooting and exploration, with its new game currently targeting Spring 2030.

Diablo is simultaneously celebrating 30 years through Diablo IV while preparing Diablo V for Spring 2029, where Sanctuary has already fallen and Diablo has already won.

World of Warcraft is moving in two very different directions at once.

Midnight is heading toward the conclusion of the Worldsoul Saga, while World of Warcraft: Forever returns to the original level-60 era and expands it without moving beyond that framework.

Meanwhile, Warcraft III: Reforged has received a brand-new story campaign after more than two decades.

Hearthstone is diving into Old Gods lore, preparing its first new class in six years and rebuilding its Journal around an ongoing narrative.

Overwatch is entering its next phase with Doctrine, major hero reworks, a new map and the conclusion of its first year-long narrative arc.

And Heroes of the Storm is still getting new content with Xal’atath.

The scale of the announcements is especially notable because this was Blizzard’s first in-person BlizzCon since 2023.

The company had spent months positioning its 2026 return as a major moment for the community, and the opening ceremony ultimately delivered announcements across almost every major Blizzard universe.

For longtime players, though, the biggest takeaway is that Blizzard isn’t simply leaning on nostalgia.

StarCraft is becoming an open-world shooter. Diablo is starting from a world where evil has already won. Warcraft III is getting a new campaign after more than 20 years. And World of Warcraft is attempting to build a permanently evolving version of its original era.

Blizzard’s biggest franchises are heading in very different directions, but BlizzCon 2026 made one thing extremely clear:

There is a lot more Blizzard gaming ahead.

More Corporate Crackdown Stories: Blizzard isn’t the only publisher taking a hardline stance on protecting its games this year. For more, read our report on Activision taking the Call of Duty cheat war to a seller’s front door with a dramatic cease-and-desist visit.

Disclaimer

Release dates, features and development plans are subject to change. Details presented above reflect Blizzard Entertainment’s official announcements and information available as of September 19, 2026.

Sources

• Blizzard — Everything Announced at BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony
• Blizzard — Diablo’s Next Era Revealed at BlizzCon 2026
• Blizzard — World of Warcraft at BlizzCon 2026: Discover What’s Next
• Blizzard — Carve a New Path with World of Warcraft: Forever
• Blizzard — Pre-Purchase World of Warcraft: Forever Upgrades
• Blizzard — BlizzCon 2026: Monk Joins Hearthstone, The Old Gods Return, and More
• Xbox Wire — BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony Recap

Featured Image Credit:

• Blizzard Entertainment