BlizzCon 2026 is officially underway, with Blizzard Entertainment opening the event with major announcements including Diablo V, a new open-world StarCraft shooter, World of Warcraft: Forever, and much more.
Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center before the company turned its attention to what is coming across Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and its other properties.
Among the biggest surprises was Diablo V, which Blizzard says will launch in Spring 2029.
The next mainline Diablo game takes place after Sanctuary has fallen and Diablo has won. Blizzard’s initial description asks what players must become when the world has already fallen, although further gameplay and story details have yet to be revealed.
StarCraft Returns as an Open-World Shooter
Blizzard also confirmed the return of StarCraft with a new story-driven, open-world shooter.
The currently untitled game is targeting Spring 2030. Blizzard did not provide extensive details during its Opening Ceremony rundown, leaving more information about its story, gameplay, and platforms for another time.
The announcement nevertheless marks a major return for the StarCraft franchise with a new direction outside its traditional real-time strategy roots.
World of Warcraft: Forever Launches in November
Another major reveal was World of Warcraft: Forever, described as a third World of Warcraft experience that will exist alongside Modern and Classic.
Forever launches November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST.
Blizzard says the game will feature three new zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new playable race called the Skyborne, among other additions.
Modern World of Warcraft isn’t slowing down either. The Eclipse (12.2) update will continue the Midnight expansion and The Worldsoul Saga, as Xal’atath moves closer to claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul.
Blizzard also teased The Last Titan, the next World of Warcraft expansion and culmination of The Worldsoul Saga. More information is expected early next year.
Warcraft III Gets Its First New Storyline in Over 23 Years
Warcraft III: Reforged is receiving a new campaign called Forsaken Kingdom, which Blizzard says represents the Warcraft RTS’s first new storyline in more than 23 years.
Available now, Forsaken Kingdom explores the fall of Lordaeron and its transformation into the Undercity.
It arrives alongside Warcraft III: Reforged’s 3.0 update, which introduces a graphics update, revamped World Editor, and other improvements.
Diablo IV Brings Back the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain
While Diablo V is still several years away, Diablo IV is getting plenty of new content.
Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates Diablo’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside gear and rewards inspired by different eras of the franchise.
The Amazon will also join Diablo IV during the first half of 2027 as part of the game’s first class pack, bringing her signature bow and javelin into the game.
Meanwhile, the Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.
Blizzard is also taking Diablo beyond gaming, announcing that a Diablo animated series is in development with Netflix. Further details will be announced in the future.
Overwatch Season 5 Introduces Doctrine
Overwatch’s next season will introduce Doctrine, a new Support Hero, alongside major reworks for Sombra and Roadhog.
Season 5 also adds Watchpoint: Grimsvötn and concludes The Reign of Talon, which Blizzard describes as the first year-long narrative arc in Overwatch history.
BlizzCon will also feature YOASOBI at the event’s first esports halftime show during the Overwatch World Cup, while LE SSERAFIM will close the BlizzCon weekend with a live performance.
A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, while the next Overwatch Spotlight is scheduled for February 2027.
Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone Get New Content
Heroes of the Storm is getting another playable Hero, with Xal’atath joining the Nexus on September 29 AEST following a PTR release on September 15.
Blizzard also teased that there could be more to come for Heroes of the Storm in the future.
Over in Hearthstone, the Monk will become the game’s first new class in more than six years when it arrives in 2027.
The next expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, takes players back to an early period in Azeroth’s history before the imprisonment of the Old Gods. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new card.
Hearthstone is also receiving an overhauled Journal, while Battlegrounds will introduce Aberrations as a new minion type.
With Diablo V, a new StarCraft game, World of Warcraft: Forever, and substantial updates across Blizzard’s existing games, the Opening Ceremony has set the stage for a packed BlizzCon 2026, with additional details expected throughout the event.
