Blizzard Entertainment opened BlizzCon 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center with a packed Opening Ceremony led by company president Johanna Faries. The showcase confirmed Diablo V for Spring 2029, a story driven open world StarCraft shooter for Spring 2030, World of Warcraft: Forever launching on November 4, 2026, and an animated Diablo series in development with Netflix.
Quick Facts: Event: BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony. Venue: Anaheim Convention Center. Opening address: Blizzard president Johanna Faries. Biggest reveals: Diablo V in Spring 2029, STARCRAFT open world shooter in Spring 2030, World of Warcraft: Forever on November 4, 2026 with Beta from September 17, and a Diablo animated series with Netflix. Full details: the official BlizzCon 2026 ceremony recap and the official BlizzCon livestream.
Faries opened the ceremony by celebrating the player community and the teams who bring Blizzard worlds to life, framing the weekend as a reminder of why community, artistry, and creativity matter to players everywhere. What followed was one of the busiest opening showcases in the show history, with major news for Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm.
Diablo V starts a dark new chapter in Spring 2029
The largest Diablo news is Diablo V, which Blizzard says will be unleashed in Spring 2029. In this new chapter Sanctuary has fallen and Diablo has won, and players must face the question at the center of the story: what must you become when the world has already fallen. Readers can find more in our breakdown of the Diablo V reveal and the official Diablo recap from the ceremony.
Before that, Diablo IV celebrates the franchise 30th anniversary with the Season of Hell's Legacy starting September 15. The season brings back the Prime Evils, including the Lord of Terror himself, alongside Deckard Cain plus anniversary rewards and gear inspired by every era of the series. Diablo IV first class pack follows in the first half of 2027 with the javelin wielding Amazon, one of the most feared archetypes in the franchise history.
Diablo IV also reaches a new platform, as the game arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 15 with the new season included. Ceremony attendees even got a look at the return of an infamous joke boss, the udderly malevolent Moophisto, ready to trouble unsuspecting adventurers once more.
World of Warcraft: Forever offers a third way to play
World of Warcraft: Forever is a new third World of Warcraft experience sitting alongside Modern and Classic. It revisits the Vanilla era while carving new paths through unseen corners of Azeroth, with three new zones, more than 1,000 new quests, nine new dungeons, two new raids, and the new Skyborne race. It launches on November 4, 2026, with the Beta starting September 17. See our WoW Forever launch report and the official Warcraft recap for the full rundown.
The current saga moves forward too. At the midpoint of The Worldsoul Saga in the Midnight expansion, the next major update Eclipse (12.2) has Xal'atath drawing closer to claiming the Worldsoul of Azeroth. Beyond that, The Last Titan is positioned as the culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling, closing an extraordinary chapter while laying groundwork for what comes next, with more information expected early next year.
Classic strategy fans were not left out. Warcraft III Reforged gains its first new storyline in more than 23 years with the Forsaken Kingdom campaign, which revisits the fall of Lordaeron and its transformation into the Undercity. It arrives with the 3.0 update, bringing a major graphics update and a revamped World Editor, and it is available to play today.
STARCRAFT returns as an open world shooter in 2030
After years of waiting, STARCRAFT is back as an original story driven open world shooter set in the Koprulu Sector, landing in Spring 2030. The announcement trailer sets a cinematic tone for the return, and the project marks the franchise first full step into the shooter format. More context is available in our StarCraft shooter report.
Blizzard also confirmed it is taking its universes beyond games. An animated series set in the world of Diablo is in development with Netflix, with more details to be shared later. Blizzard describes this as only the beginning, with further screen projects taking shape across its universes.
Overwatch Season 5 brings Doctrine plus big music moments
BlizzCon 2026 celebrates ten years of Overwatch, and Season 5 adds a new Support Hero named Doctrine, a life draining vampire inspired fighter with bat like drones. He joins alongside major reworks for Sombra and Roadhog plus the new map Watchpoint: Grimsvötn. Season 5 also closes out The Reign of Talon, the first year long narrative arc in Overwatch history. Full hero details are on the official Overwatch site.
Music takes a central role this weekend. International duo YOASOBI performs at the first ever esports halftime show during the Overwatch World Cup, while LE SSERAFIM returns to close out the weekend on the Main Stage ahead of an upcoming United States tour. A new LE SSERAFIM in game collaboration is available now, and the next Overwatch Spotlight arrives in February 2027. Fans should also watch for QuestWatch, a first ever live Overwatch tabletop role playing one shot written with Matt Mercer, with Cassidy voice talent serving as Game Master on the Main Stage.
Hearthstone adds the Monk plus Reign of the Black Empire
Hearthstone gets its first new playable class in six years when the Monk bursts onto the scene in March 2027 with a fluid and adaptable playstyle. Before that, the Reign of the Black Empire expansion lands October 20, taking players back to ancient Azeroth at the height of Old God power. It introduces the new Assemble keyword, which merges two cards into one powerful new card. The official Hearthstone recap has the complete card level detail.
The overhauled Journal ties every expansion together in a narrative wrapper, gathering quests, achievements, and past events in one place while continuing to grow with future content. Battlegrounds also gains a new minion type on September 22 in the form of the Aberrations, beings born from Old God corruption and experimentation.
Heroes of the Storm welcomes Xal'atath
Xal'atath joins Heroes of the Storm as its newest Hero, arriving in the Nexus on September 28 with PTR access from September 14. Blizzard paid tribute to the players who kept carrying the torch for the game over the years and hinted that even more could be on the way for Heroes in the future. The reveal trailer is embedded above for a first look at her arrival.
With panels, esports, Community Night, and hands on areas still ahead, the Opening Ceremony was only the start. Viewers can follow the rest of the weekend through the official BlizzCon livestream and the BlizzCon programming schedule to plan every must see moment.
When does World of Warcraft: Forever launch?
World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, 2026, with the Beta starting September 17. It is a third Warcraft experience alongside Modern and Classic, set in the Vanilla era with three new zones, more than 1,000 new quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and the Skyborne race.
When is the Diablo V release date?
Diablo V is set for Spring 2029. Blizzard says Sanctuary has fallen and Diablo has won in this chapter, which asks what players must become when the world has already fallen.
Is Blizzard making a new StarCraft shooter?
Yes. STARCRAFT is an original story driven open world shooter set in the Koprulu Sector, planned for Spring 2030. It is the franchise first full move into the shooter format.
When does Xal'atath join Heroes of the Storm?
Xal'atath arrives in the Nexus on September 28, with PTR access opening September 14. Blizzard also suggested more Heroes of the Storm news could follow in the future.
What is the Netflix Diablo series?
Blizzard confirmed an animated series set in the world of Diablo is in development with Netflix. No release window was shared, and Blizzard says more projects across its universes are also taking shape.
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