Diablo 4 won't receive more expansions moving forward, as Blizzard shifts its focus to the newly revealed Diablo 5 instead.

As revealed during BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony, Diablo 5 is slated to be coming in Spring 2029 and is set 100 years after Diablo 4 in a world where the titular Lord of Terror reigns supreme. In an interview with PC Gamer, Diablo game director Brent Gibson said there were no plans for additional Diablo 4 expansions, as the team is instead "focused on seasons [for Diablo 4] and getting to Diablo 5." He added that Blizzard told the "story of Hatred" culminating in the Lord of Hatred expansion, and now it's moving forward to tell the "story of Terror."

That doesn't mean support for Diablo 4 will end anytime soon. It sounds like Diablo 4's seasons will lead into the events of Diablo 5, even though the latter takes place a century later. That gives Blizzard room to set up Diablo 5's story, though Gibson said Blizzard doesn't "have a perfect picture" where it will all go because it wants to see how fans "react season to season." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfJppNJsNY

Diablo 4 is the only Diablo game to have received more than one expansion. Prior to release, Blizzard said it would receive "annual" expansions, though that quickly didn't come to pass. The game's Lord of Hatred expansion was released in April of this year, around a year-and-a-half after Diablo 4's first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. 

It's not a new expansion, but Diablo 4 is receiving a new class. The Amazon will join Diablo 4 as a standalone DLC next year. Diablo 4 Season 15, Hell's Legacy, begins September 15, and will see the return of iconic locations, items, Deckard Cain. The iconic Hordadrim will task players with battling memories of the Prime Evils from previous Diablo games, including Diablo himself.

Diablo 5 isn't coming until Spring 2029, but Blizzard has already revealed three of the game's playable classes.

Two of them will be familiar to Diablo 3 fans: the Monk and Demon Hunter. The third will be an all-new class, the Plague Knight. The Plague Knight sounds similar to Death Knights from Blizzard's other fantasy franchise and are described as "walking death" that spread disease and pestilence wherever they go, then consume it to increase their power. 

Blizzard revealed plenty of new details about Diablo 5 during a panel and subsequent blog post following the game's cinematic reveal as part of the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony. In addition to the three classes, Blizzard outlined the state of Sanctuary in Diablo 5 and how players will navigate it. Rather than journeying to towns, players will instead build a wandering caravan of survivors in a world that's been destroyed, and currently ruled, by Diablo himself. According to a developer blog post, Diablo 5's world will be "procedural," where terrain, monsters, and points of interest will change in the wake of the Lord of Terror's influence.

As for the survivors that players will call allies, Blizzard said they will serve roles as vendors and companions. Two examples of companions that will accompany players are a former Sister of the Sightless Eye and a lost treasure goblin searching for meaning "in a world where greed has lost its meaning," Blizzard said. 

Though Diablo 5 is still early in development, there was some information about how it will play compared to Diablo 4. An early look at the game's inventory screen and items is extremely reminiscent of Diablo 2. Blizzard said it's a goal for items in Diablo 5 to be "readable, memorable, and worth chasing across hundreds of hours." Like in Diablo 2, items will take up more space in one's inventory depending on their size. Blizzard also confirmed item sets will return, as will Diablo 2-style runes and runewords. 

Blizzard may be putting the focus on Diablo 5, but there is still new content coming for Diablo 4. A new class, the Amazon, will be sold as a standalone DLC pack in the first half of next year, and the game will continue to receive new seasonal content. Diablo 4 Season 15, Hell's Legacy, goes live on September 15 and will see the return of Deckard Cain. The iconic Horadrim will task players with confronting remnants of the Prime Evils, including Diablo himself.

World of Warcraft Forever is Blizzard's next iteration on WoW Classic, one that will add new content in the form of zones, quests, dungeons, raids, and even a new playable race while keeping the old-school MMORPG's world and gameplay intact.

Revealed during BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony, WoW Forever is Blizzard's attempt to give WoW Classic fans the "forever" game they've wanted for years. However, instead of the MMO progressing to the game's subsequent expansions and their new areas, as Classic has in the past, WoW Forever will instead keep the focus on WoW's original two continents, Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.

Within that Classic backdrop will be up to 1,000 new quests, Blizzard said, as well as revamped zones, and three entirely new zones that fill out areas present on the map in vanilla WoW but were never accessible to players. There will be nine new dungeons to explore, two raids, and an additional PvP battleground. A new playable race is also part of the package: the Skyborne elves. One of the new playable zones will be their starting area, Blizzard said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEMrosrAVH0

In addition to all-new content, Blizzard will be revamping classes with new talents and skills, as well as allowing for new class and race combinations. An option to toggle HD visuals and old-school graphics will also be included. Blizzard will continue to update WoW Forever with new content, but won't raise the level cap past 60.

Unlike modern WoW, WoW Forever won't be focused on the endgame experience. Blizzard said many of the new dungeons and quests will be for characters under level 60. That aligns with what Blizzard said were its core principles in how it approached development of WoW Forever--that it should be about the journey, not the destination; the world itself is a character; and the game's social aspects should be a focus.

For those who want to continue experiencing the original version of Azeroth, the normal version of WoW Classic will still be playable.

Players won't have to wait long to experience this new version of Azeroth themselves. A playable beta will go live September 17, with the full version of WoW Forever launching November 4.

A new Warcraft 3 campaign exploring the origins of the Forsaken and the formation of the Undercity will be live later today, Blizzard announced as part of its BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony announcements.

Titled Forsaken Kingdom, the DLC campaign will put a spotlight on the last days of Lordaeron after it fell to Arthas and how it became the home of the Forsaken many players are familiar with in World of Warcraft. The campaign will be available in Warcraft 3: Reforged, Blizzard's once-maligned remaster of 2003's RTS classic. While the new campaign costs money, the 3.0 update for Warcraft 3: Reforged is free and also releases today. The update adds new visual improvements and quality-of-life features.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1kXClUCyuA

This is just the latest update to Warcraft 3: Reforged that looks to salvage its poor reputation. In 2024, Blizzard released a 2.0 update as part of the franchise's 30th anniversary that sought to address many of the common complaints players have had with the remaster since its 2020 launch. Reports from the time indicated Warcraft 3: Reforged was the victim of budget cuts and rocky development, and even saw Blizzard expand its refund policy in the wake of its release.

Forsaken Kingdom will be the first new Warcraft RTS content since the release of the original Warcraft 3's Frozen Throne expansion in 2003. Earlier this year, Blizzard made it so players could access the classic version of Warcraft 3 through Battle.net without the need to also launch Warcraft 3: Reforged.

As is BlizzCon tradition, a new World of Warcraft cinematic premiered during the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony, setting the stage for the MMORPG's next expansion, The Last Titan.

In a departure for BlizzCon, that glimpse was just about all fans learned about the new expansion, with Blizzard instead looking to put the focus more on the final content patch of the game's current Midnight expansion.

That update, titled Eclipse, will consist of a climactic showdown with the franchise's current main villain, Xal'atath. An in-game cinematic shown during the ceremony revealed Xal'atath's true objective, to merge with Azeroth's worldsoul and become unstoppable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI09FbRmCtc

Blizzard additionally teased a new standalone game mode, and yet another expansion Remix experience, will also be coming to Midnight before the expansion's end.

As for The Last Titan's setting, it takes players back to Northrend, the continent previously seen in 2008's Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Much like how Blizzard revamped Silvermoon City and the Blood Elf lands of Quel'thalas in Midnight to great results, Northrend will be completely rebuilt from the ground up. Blizzard said more details about The Last Titan will be shared next year.

The Last Titan was first announced at BlizzCon 2023, when Blizzard made the unprecedented move of announcing an entire trilogy of expansions all at once. Collectively, Blizzard called the three expansions The Worldsoul Saga, with a goal of bringing together many of WoW's disparate storylines from over the last 20 years into one fitting conclusion.

As the end of the trilogy, The Last Titan has a lot of expectations to live up to that the main storyline of WoW's two previous expansions, The War Within and Midnight, haven't exactly met. Regardless, it will still be exciting to see how Blizzard ties two decades' worth of story involving the Void, the Titans, and Azeroth herself together into one cohesive package.

New class additions to Hearthstone don't come often, but the next one has been announced during BlizzCon 2026's Opening Ceremony: The Monk is coming to the card game, leaving just the Evoker as the lone class to be left out.

The Monk's upcoming addition was one of several major pieces of news for Hearthstone revealed. A new expansion called Reign of the Black Empire that is set 10,000 years in the past will focus on the Black Empire and a struggle between the Old Gods and the Titans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib5EMar4b1E

If that excites the lore enjoyer in you, you'll also be happy to hear that the Journal is being transformed into The Journey. This is meant to give a more narrative-driven wrapper to the game, as it'll seek to tie the story together between expansions, modes, and limited-time events. The Journey will grow as you play through Reign of the Black Empire, tying together quests, achievements, and more elements of the game.

As far as the Monk goes, we don't know much in terms of how they'll play. We only got a short teaser for the new class, which marks the first such addition since the Death Knight arrived in 2022. The game originally launched with nine characters before later adding Demon Hunter and then Death Knight. The Monk will arrive in March 2027, with more details coming next year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hldzvHmT-ow

Other new features coming to Hearthstone include a new keyword, Assemble, which lets you effectively merge two minions into one, which sounds similar to Magnetize; you can pick specific text from their descriptions to create new combos. A new minion type, Aberrations, was also revealed, with their deaths feeding the gods in some way. Aberrations will be specific to Battlegrounds, which is also getting a 2v2 main ranked mode.

Reign of the Black Empire releases on October 20.

Diablo 5 is coming in Spring 2029, and it will take players to a world where Diablo himself reigns supreme.

Announced via a short teaser during the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony, Blizzard revealed it's already at work on the next installment of the series. Set 100 years after the defeat of Mephisto in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, Diablo 5 will see the Lord of Terror return. However, instead of stopping him from destroying all of Sanctuary, he will actually have already won. 

Blizzard teased Diablo 5's story will revolve around what heroes have to become in a post-apocalyptic world that is already destroyed. More details will be shared about the game's lore, classes, and gameplay features, during a Diablo 5 panel as part of this weekend's convention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8HaSFXR7tU

Should Diablo 5 actually release in 2029, it will be the shortest gap between Diablo games in the franchise's history. There was a 12-year wait for Diablo 3 after Diablo 2, and another 11 years between Diablo 3 and 4. Diablo 5, in comparison, is slated to come just six years after Diablo 4--still a long time, but much shorter given the franchise's track record.

Blizzard has been on record saying it wants to create new Diablo games faster. In an interview earlier this year, Blizzard said that "over the next 30 years, maybe we get some out faster."

Diablo 4's next class is Amazon, Blizzard announced during the BlizzCon opening ceremony, but it won't be coming as part of a new expansion. Instead, Blizzard will sell the Amazon as a separate DLC class pack in the first half of next year.

The addition of the Amazon isn't exactly a surprise. First, it's an iconic class from Diablo 2, so it's a bit of a no-brainer there. Alongside the nostalgia factor, Diablo 4's latest expansion, Lord of Hatred, also took players to the literal home of the Amazons, Skovos. They featured heavily in the expansion's story but were not a playable class, with the expansion instead adding the Paladin and Warlock to Diablo 4's class roster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXuKlwKMTA

While the Amazon isn't coming until 2027, Diablo 4's next season, Hell's Legacy, is coming much sooner. The season kicks off next week on September 15 and will celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary and feature the return of enemies, locations, and items from previous Diablo games. That will include the return of Deckard Cain, who will take players on a journey to confront Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto, meaning the Lord of Terror himself will finally make an appearance in Diablo 4.

Though it leaked ahead of time, Diablo 4 is officially coming to the Switch 2 as well, with a Lord of Hatred collection that includes both of the game's expansions.

After years of complaints, Overwatch is finally reworking two of its veteran heroes. Announced during BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony, both Roadhog and Sombra will be receiving major reworks, with Sombra pivoting to being a support hero and Roadhog undergoing changes to make him more of a team player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBt8q49qD8k

Shortly after the reveal, Overwatch shared an updated look at both character's Hero kits. Below is a comprehensive overview of their changes:

Sombra

Of the two, Sombra is receiving the most significant redesign, pivoting from a Damage hero to Support. Whereas she used to be most effective at fast-paced, ambush-style combat, she will now be far more useful in team settings. Her Hack ability has been replaced with Hotfix, which allows her to freely hack health packs and enemy deployables as well as heal allies. Cyberspace replaces Virus, and sees Sombra launch a projectile that heals allies and weakens enemies. With the exception of CTRL ALT ESC, all of Sombra's Perks have been adjusted, and she now boasts Support passives.

Roadhog

By comparison Roadhog's changes are far less dramatic, with the most notable being the removal of Scrap Gun's Alt Fire. In lieu of this skill, Roadhog has been given Trash Compactor--an ability that allows Roadhog to absorb enemy projectiles and turn them into an explosive ball of scrap. This makes him far more effective as an actual Tank, granting him what seems like a fairly effective barrier that will hopefully deter players from abandoning their team in search of smaller firefights.

In addition to these changes, Blizzard has announced Overwatch's 54th character, Doctrine, is coming October 5.

Since its inception, Overwatch has positioned itself as an optimistic, science-fiction-driven world. Although some characters have introduced an element of the fantastical--the addition of the magical Wuxing University being the most notable tonal shift--the team behind the hero shooter has always prioritized scientific explanations for its heroes incredible abilities. Its newest character, however, seems to venture further into fantasy than ever before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK877kcyMTY

Revealed during BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony, Doctrine is the next support hero coming to Overwatch. Oh and fun fact, he's a vampire--or vampire-inspired, at the very least. With a sceptre that heals and speeds up teammates yet dishes out major damage to enemies, Doctrine is an extremely powerful hero with a high mechanical floor. Interested in putting your skills to the test and giving him a whirl? You're in luck, as Doctrine's limited-time hero trial has officially kicked off and will run until September 14.

In addition to his sceptre, Doctrine can also unleash a swarm of bat drones, infuse allies, and "manipulate life force." Blizzard has described the hero as the "ultimate vampire fantasy." Below is a more thorough look at his Hero kit:

While Doctrine (real name Tamuka Yeukai) hails from Zimbabwe, he is accompanied by the Escort map Watchpoint: Grimsvotn, which depicts the Icelandic prison he is seen escaping in his debut cinematic. Doctrine joins Overwatch on the side of Talon, his trailer revealing him to be a close friend of Doomfist. This relationship also expresses itself mechanically, as the Overwatch team stated his kit complements Doomfist's extremely well.

In other Overwatch news, the team shared that two of its most criticized legacy characters, Sombra and Roadhog, are undergoing major changes.

Following numerous rumors dating back many months, it's official: StarCraft is returning with a new game, but that game won't be in the traditional real-time-strategy genre the franchise is known for. Instead, the new StarCraft game is described as an open-world shooter.

The news was revealed as part of BlizzCon's opening ceremony. However, that's essentially all we know, as the new game-referred to only as StarCraft--won't be released until 2030. As such, there were no further details shared about how it will play or anything else. 

After Blizzard's Dan Hay said, "It's about damn time" that we returned to the interstellar war of StarCraft, we did see a cinematic trailer. Dominion forces are shown being pumped up after being trained as elite warriors. They're then sent onto the battlefield against a massive wave of Zerg forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIu2tGCCKQw

When it does arrive, this will mark the first original game in the StarCraft franchise since the StarCraft II trilogy wrapped up with Legacy of the Void in 2015. The original game did receive a remaster, StarCraft Remastered, in 2017, but Blizzard's focus has otherwise shifted to its other franchises over the last decade.

While a StarCraft shooter had been rumored for some time, the reveal is still sure to come as a contentious piece of news for fans starved for a traditional StarCraft game. (The audible reaction from the crowd when "open-world shooter" was said was not necessarily one of elation.)

This isn't the first attempt to spin off the series into something else, as StarCraft Ghost was meant to be a stealth-action entry, but it was ultimately canceled prior to release. A recent report indicated that Nexon is seeking the StarCraft license in order to make a new game--possibly StarCraft III--so there may still be some hope for another StarCraft RTS.

Teases for a StarCraft revival began earlier this month, after the game's official website started to "glitch" and fans discovered hidden text logs. Each one appeared to be a secret transmission hinting at something on the horizon, with rumors circulating that it could be anything from a Helldivers-inspired co-op shooter game to the revival of StarCraft: Ghost.

But the main takeaway is that StarCraft is back, and in a big way. While it wasn't the first successful franchise to emerge from Blizzard, it still remains a key pillar for the company even after years of dormancy. The original StarCraft real-time strategy game and its Brood War expansion were huge hits upon release, and in South Korea, local internet cafes became hubs for competitive PvP that laid the groundwork for the rise of esports.

Well, that was unexpected. As part of the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony, studio president Johanna Faries announced that Blizzard is partnering with Netflix on an animated Diablo series.

The announcement was made as Faries emphasized the studio is called Blizzard Entertainment, meaning it doesn't intend to limit itself to games. Overwatch and Warcraft were also specifically mentioned after the Diablo series' announcement, though Faries did not say if anything is official or concrete at this stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXuKlwKMTA

Blizzard is no stranger to non-interactive adaptations of its games, of course, with the Warcraft movie releasing about a decade ago. That movie didn't exactly light the world on fire, critically or commercially, but an animated series or two may better fit Blizzard's IP.

No timeline was given for when we could see the Diablo animated series, but it was just one of several big announcements the company made during its opening ceremony. The biggest on the Diablo front included the debut of the Amazon in Diablo 4 and the reveal of Diablo 5.

Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard's MOBA mashup of its various franchises, has largely remained unchanged since its developers moved onto other priorities back in 2022. But as WoW's long-running storylines are moving toward a conclusion that involves Xal'atath, that character is set to be added to HotS, and she arrives quite soon.

Blizzard revealed the new addition as part of the BlizzCon Opening Ceremony. Xal'atath will join the Public Test Realm beginning this Monday, September 14, with a full release set for September 28. This will mark the first new character since Warcraft's Hogger was added in 2020. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wks8GLNUHsk

While Xal'atath might turn out to be a one-off addition to the game, it was teased that another character could be added in the future. Given balance updates and a skin have represented the bulk of what's changed since Hogger's launch, it's welcome to see anything of substance arrive for HotS.

BlizzCon is a big deal if you're a fan of all things Blizzard, as the weekend event kicked off with a traditional opening ceremony full of announcements and reveals for the company's biggest games--and a few surprises!

The biggest of these was easily the announcement that StarCraft will return in 2030, but this time, Blizzard is switching up genres as the sci-fi game goes from real-time strategy to open-world shooter. A new Diablo was also announced, and World of Warcraft fans were spoiled with several reveals. In case you missed it, you can catch all the trailers and news below.

Heroes of the Storm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wks8GLNUHsk&pp=0gcJCf4LAYcqIYzv

Heroes of the Storm is adding a new hero to its roster for the first time in six years, as Xal'atath is coming to the Nexus. You can try her out this weekend in the game.

For The First Time In 6 Years, Blizzard Is Bringing A New Character To Heroes Of The Storm

A Diablo animated series is in development at Netflix

The next announcement was about a Diablo animated series in development. Blizzard president Johanna Faries announced that it's being produced by Netflix.

"Diablo, I promise, is just the beginning," Faries teased. "To our Overwatch community, to our Warcraft community, and who knows, perhaps even some of our other universes."

StarCraft returns in 2030 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIu2tGCCKQw

Ubisoft veteran Dan Hay was on stage to announce a brand-new StarCraft, which he described as an open-world shooter. The cinematic trailer showed off some gung-ho Dominion recruits training to be the best in the galaxy, but a few hours later, the remains of these fresh-faced soldiers were being scraped out of their warsuits.

StarCraft Is Officially Back, But It’s Taking A Much Different Form

Overwatch

Overwatch director Aaron Keller was next on stage, dressed in an incredible jacket themed around the game. A new animated trailer was shown off, featuring popular characters like former Talon leader Doomfist, Reaper, Widowmaker, and Sombra as they assaulted a prison pulled from the Watchpoint Gibraltar map. The video ended with a tease of the ninth hero joining Overwatch this year, Doctrine.

Doctrine is a stylish techno-vampire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIu2tGCCKQw

Miranda Moyer and Ben Bell from the Overwatch team described Doctrine as a Support-class hero who wields a scepter in battle. He mixes vampiric and techno-powers together, and he can shroud enemies in darkness to hinder them. Doctrine can also use an "infuse" power to transform his next power. Doctrine's Hero Trial will be available for all Overwatch players later today.

Overwatch’s Newest Blood-Sucking Character Pushes The Game Even Further Into The Fantasy Genre

Big Overwatch changes are on the horizon

Sombra and Roadhog are getting some big reworks in Overwatch soon. Sombra is being turned into a Support-class hero, and a whole lot of content is planned for Season 5 of the game.

Overwatch Is Reworking Two Of Its Most Criticized Characters

A familiar face is coming to Diablo 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXuKlwKMTA

Stay a while, and listen to what's next for Diablo! Tiffany Wat and Brent Gibson from the Diablo team announced that everyone's favorite Horadrim scholar, Deckard Cain, will return to Sanctuary soon. You can meet the fan-favorite character in Diablo 4 on September 15, when Season of Hell's Legacy launches.

Hell's Pawn is crossing over to Diablo Immortal

Todd McFarlane's Spawn is coming to Diablo Immortal, which makes my inner '90s kid very happy. Honestly, could you ask for a better crossover character in the free-to-play mobile game?

Diablo 4 lands on Switch 2 in September

And it'll be out on September 15! Switch 2 owners can grab Diablo 4: Age of Hatred Collection when it launches alongside the new Season of Hell's Legacy.

The Amazon is coming to Diablo 4

At long last, you can play as an Amazon in Diablo 4. This new take on the fan-favorite character will wield her signature bow, as well as the new javelin-class weapon. She'll be added to the game in the first half of 2027.

Diablo 5 launches in 2029 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8HaSFXR7tU

With the Age of Hatred having concluded in Diablo 4, it's time for the next chapter in the series. Diablo 5 is currently scheduled to launch in Spring 2029, and things look bleak. In Diablo 5, the ancient Lord of Terror has returned and has conquered Sanctuary.

"What must you become, when the world has already fallen?" Wat teased for the dark direction of Diablo 5.

Hearthstone's next expansion launches in October https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib5EMar4b1E

What's next for Hearthstone? A new expansion and a new gameplay mechanic while you explore a narrative focused on the brawls between Old Gods that shaped the world of Azeroth. The new Assemble mechanic will allow you to fuse two cards together, and the Hearthstone team says that it's well aware that there'll be some "pretty busted" combinations. A pool of 250 cards can make use of this mechanic, and some of the combinations shown off are wild. You can try it out for yourself when Reign of the Black Empire launches on October 20.

Hearthstone's new hero is panda-ring to the Warcraft crowd

That's right, the kung-fu panda known as Monk, is coming to Hearthstone soon!

Hearthstone’s First New Class In 4 Years And A More Story-Driven Journal Are On The Way

World of Warcraft: Midnight - Eclipse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI09FbRmCtc

World of Warcraft's Holly Longdale and Ion Hazzikostas introduced a new chapter in World of Warcraft's Worldsoul Saga, teasing "all gas and no brakes" in the new major content update. Eclipse will set the stage for a showdown with Xa'latath, and the new cinematic trailer showed her on the verge of a serious power-up.

World of Warcraft: The Last Titan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRnlcUqX5t4

While Eclipse is the next big narrative chapter in World of Warcraft, The Last Titan is where Blizzard is promising a big shake-up to the MMORPG as it wraps up 20 years of storytelling. More details on it will be shared next year.

Warcraft 3 is getting a new campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUobjOJgSqc

Longdale teased that Blizzard is "putting the war back in Warcraft" with the new campaign, Forsaken Kingdom, for Warcraft 3: Reforged. When can you play it? Today! Players will get to experience the fall of Lodaeron as Human armies took on mighty Orc forces. Other enhancements include a Definitive Edition graphical update, map editor improvements, and you can even select more units to command.

World of Warcraft: Forever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerqLHQPN9Y

Azeroth is beckoning players back to where it all started, as we got a first look at World of Warcraft: Forever. The rumored Classic Plus mode for World of Warcraft will kick off with a beta on September 17 and launch on November 4. The game will include new dungeons, 10-20 player raids, the Skyborne as a playable race, account-wide perks, and new zones to explore.

It's almost time for the first BlizzCon event in two years, as Blizzard prepares to celebrate its past, present, and future with its traditional opening ceremony. This leads into two days of panels and interviews, as Blizzard talks about its biggest franchises, ranging from Warcraft to Overwatch. If you're not planning to make a trip to Anaheim to watch the show in person, the good news is that you can enjoy it from the comfort of your home. Here's a breakdown of when you can tune in for all the announcements.

How to watch the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony

You can watch a livestream of the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony through Blizzard's official YouTube, Twitch, and Battle.net channels.

• YouTube
• Twitch
• Battle.net

When to watch the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony

The show kicks off at the following times on September 12, and it'll run for roughly 75 minutes.

• 10:30 AM PT
• 1:30 PM ET
• 5:30 PM GMT
• 6:30 PM BST
• 7:30 PM CET
• 2:30 AM JST (September 13)
• 3:30 AM AEST (September 13)

Will the BlizzCon 2026 musical performance be livestreamed?

Nope, the musical performance will be exclusive to BlizzCon 2026 attendees. This year's headline act features K-pop group Le Sserafim, and international music duo Yoasobi will perform during BlizzCon's first-ever esports halftime show in the Overwatch World Cup Arena.

What to expect

We've got a detailed breakdown of our expectations for BlizzCon 2026, but to sum it up, we're expecting Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch to be in the spotlight. Blizzard is already teasing something for StarCraft, with most fans predicting that we could see a StarCraft shooter revealed or Nexon potentially developing the next entry in the franchise. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Diablo, so we wouldn't be too surprised to see the legacy games celebrated and maybe even a first look at a new Diablo 4 expansion.

For Overwatch, we're expecting Blizzard to focus more than ever on the game's competitive side, so a reveal trailer for the next playable hero and a look at how the current Reign of Talon storyline will conclude look pretty likely. Over in Azeroth, the reveal of a new World of Warcraft expansion is also an easy bet. BlizzCon has been a launching ground for multiple WoW expansion reveals in the past, so we're getting our popcorn ready for when the company drops a cinematic trailer for The Last Titan. There might also be a new version of WoW Classic shown off, but overall, it looks like Blizzard fans are in for a bumper show to help kick off the BlizzCon weekend.

As the studio behind one of the most highly anticipated games of all time, GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games has divulged more details on how it keeps its secrets. As part of a hearing, which began yesterday at the Glasgow Employment Tribunal--in which Rockstar Games has been accused of unlawfully firing 34 GTA 6 developers based in the UK and Canada last year--the studio compared keeping a lid on GTA 6 to be on the same level as Apple or the Coca-Cola Company protecting its trade secrets.

"Guarding the secrets of the unique gameplay and design are akin to Apple protecting the iPhone or Coke protecting its formula," Rockstar said in its opening note (via IGN). "The standards and expectations regarding information security and privacy are exponentially beyond that of most employers."

The company claims that people are so hell-bent on peeking behind the curtain that it was forced to coat its building windows with a privacy film after aerial drones were used to spy on employees and photograph the inside of the building. Because of that, Rockstar has had to implement numerous security measures, such as enforcing strict no-photography rules for visitors, banning external storage devices on office premises, and restricting remote work for employees. The developer also has a full-time team of five investigators and a director who keep an eye out for potential leaks.

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All of those measures are designed to create a layer of secrecy between the studio and the public, but that hasn't stopped it from being hit by security breaches in the past. Following a massive data breach in 2022, another wave of GTA 6 gameplay leaks started circulating last month, right before the game's extended premiere on Netflix. "It would be an understatement to say that having videos of GTA 6 gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team, and this is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time," Rockstar wrote in a statement.

Rockstar's hearing at the Glasgow Employment Tribunal also relates to matters of internal secrecy, as the company says the 34 dismissed members were fired for leaking GTA 6 game features via Discord. The former employees have hit back at those claims, with the Independent Workers of Great Britain union alleging that Rockstar fired those workers because of their union ties and activities--something that Rockstar has denied.

The former Rockstar workers have asked people not to boycott GTA 6, but instead to purchase t-shirts to help raise funds for their legal battle. While this hearing is underway, great strides have been made across the pond at Blizzard, as the company officially signed a new agreement between its union and Microsoft earlier this week.

EA has officially been sold, and with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund now the majority shareholder in the video game company, talks are reportedly underway to merge it with Savvy Games Group, the gaming and esports holding company that's also owned by the PIF.

Speaking to Bloomberg, sources said the PIF is aiming to foster "better coordination" between its gaming assets, and the merger could happen once it completes its plan to acquire Chinese mobile gaming company Moonton, a deal valued at $6 billion. The PIF also owns Pokemon Go developer Scopely and game publisher SNK, and it holds sizable stakes in video game publishers like Nintendo, Capcom, and Koei Tecmo.  

The move could face scrutiny from regulators across the globe, however, as this would place several of the biggest gaming franchises in the world under one roof, including EA Sports FC, Battlefield, and mobile juggernauts like Monopoly Go. While EA's acquisition is valued at $55 billion, the massive leveraged buyout has also saddled the game company with billions of debt that needs to be addressed.

The PIF is the majority owner of EA Games, with a 93.4% stake in the company, while its partners Silver Lake and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's private equity firm, Affinity Partners, own 5.5% and 1.1% of the company, respectively.

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Employees fear that massive cost-cutting, projected layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations are on the horizon, as EA may be looking to reach $700 million in cost savings.

Developers at BioWare are already concerned with the future of EA and how the PIF might take issue with the studio developing pro-diversity games featuring inclusive storytelling and characters, which are fears that have been echoed by the developers of The Sims as well.

Everyone is focused on VRR (variable refresh rate) support for Switch 2 while docked. But the latest system update just provided a notable quality-of-life improvement for people--especially families--who own multiple Switch 2 and Switch consoles. Nintendo now allows for you to play a virtual game card on one of your devices without both having to be online. Previously, you'd need both hybrid consoles connected to the internet if you tried to play a digital title while it was "stored" on another.

For example, say your child is playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder on your old Switch OLED, but you want to play it on your Switch 2. You both can actually play the title simultaneously by turning off Wi-Fi on the original hybrid console. Then, on your Switch 2, you can utilize an online license to jump around as the mustached plumber, too. We tested this out successfully. 

This also helps a lot between manually sending virtual game cards back and forth between Switch and Switch 2 systems. Now I can just start say, Blasphemous, on either system without having to actually send it from the previous place to a new one. Sure, it's not as smooth as using apps across Apple devices, but it's a step in the right direction.

Here's Nintendo's official language for the version 23.0.0 update, which incorporates Switch 2 and Switch. "When starting software, if a virtual game card cannot be ejected from another console because it is powered off or otherwise not connected to the internet, there will be a prompt to start the software using an online license."

The one caveat for utilizing the online license is that only the user account that purchased the digital game can play it. So that means your child can't boot up the title with their account if the parent purchased it, which is silly. Nintendo needs to iron out digital ownership for families or come up with a nominal fee for multiple licenses to a game. 

Along with these changes, Nintendo also brought back music to the Mii Maker on Switch 2. In fact, you can choose between the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS tracks. It's been a big week for the house of Mario, with a Legend of Zelda 40th-anniversary Direct as well as a general Nintendo Direct.

28 Best Nintendo Switch 2 Games To Play Right Now View Images

With Sony no longer involved in the production of Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid spiritual successor, Physint, people are wondering why the PlayStation company decided to part ways with the veteran game designer's upcoming game. Xbox has stepped in to rescue the project, resulting in a rare win for Sony's rival. At the same time, Sony is weathering a PR storm brought on by its decision to kill game discs, rising console prices, and more.

Why would it take another loss in the court of public opinion? Reportedly, Kojima's recent games haven't been big earners for Sony, which could be why Sony decided to cease funding for Physint.

According to a Bloomberg report, people familiar with the project have expressed concerns about Physint's development, as it has reportedly missed deadlines and could be going over budget. With Physint potentially being a timed exclusive for PlayStation, it's claimed that the company was reluctant to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in a game it would not own.

Alinea Analytics' Rhys Elliott also weighed in on the situation, saying, "From a strictly financial perspective, though, I can understand Sony's position. In a vacuum, anyway. PR and optics still matter. Ballpark math: word on the street is that the first Death Stranding cost about $100 million to make, and the second somewhere in the $150 million – $200 million ballpark (longer dev cycle, COVID, and all that). Depending on marketing overhead and the opportunity cost of pulling those Guerrilla developers onto Death Stranding, the franchise has almost certainly broken even--but not by much."

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As Elliott explained, Sony is becoming increasingly cautious of which projects it funds, as it has experienced several high-profile flops in the PS5 era.

"Margins are the name of the game now," Elliott added, suggesting that recent key misses from PlayStation Studios have made the company more cautious over which big-budget projects it backs. "Over the past few years, scares like Concord (cancelled, $300 million+ down the drain) and softer sales from the likes of Marathon (1.8M sold), Saros ($61 million), Marvel Tokon (725K, $49 million), and Lego Horizon Adventures (under 250K across Steam and PS5, $11 million) seem to be making PlayStation more wary."

As for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Elliott reported that the game has sold 2.5 million copies since launch, across PS5 and PC. Of those sales, 1.8 million were on PS5 and 700,000 came from PC, resulting in $170 million in revenue. And that's probably not good enough for Sony, considering the lengthy development time for the game and the costs of featuring several celebrities in it. To make matters worse, Death Stranding 2 sales have reportedly slowed massively since launch, even with the game discounted to $40.

"Meanwhile, the original Death Stranding has sold about 5 million copies at this point in its lifecycle--though it did have some deep discounts down to $20 in that window," Elliott added.

All of this adds up to what could be a very disappointing investment for Sony, as it published the two Death Stranding games. After a decade, Kojima Productions has released two games that have generated around $413 million in revenue, with the sequel being noticeably less successful than the first. That total is nothing to sneeze at, but considering that Sony as a whole made over $80 billion in revenue during its 2025 financial year, Kojima's games aren't contributing a whole lot to those numbers.

Parting ways with Kojima will likely save Sony money in the interim, but it's not a good look for the company at a time when its reputation continues to take a beating. Xbox pledging to support Physint is a big PR win for Microsoft's gaming division, and a move that could be more valuable as the brand aims to recapture the momentum it once had. 

Logan is sporting a sharp look in Marvel's Wolverine, and if you're a fan of his latest video game incarnation's fashion sense, you can bring him home with this sixth-scale figure. Hot Toys has revealed its official Wolverine figure, which features Logan in his default black-and-yellow "Battle Reborn" battlesuit. As you'd expect, it's not going to be cheap, but you are getting plenty of extras with this figure.

You'll have two options: either a $285 standard figure or a $375 deluxe edition. Both versions feature the same Wolverine body and design, which comes equipped with seamless silicone arms, an internal metal skeleton, and interchangeable components. There's no unmasked headsculpt, but you are getting alternate eye-plates and lower faces that allow you to change up Wolverine's expressions. You can also swap between two sets of cowl wing-flaps to show him off with varying stages of battle damage, and the textured suit is complemented by forearm gauntlets, a utility belt, and soft vinyl material boots.

Looking sharp!

You can even change up Logan's claws with sets of replica Adamantium, scarlet, and diamond blades, and they come with attachable translucent slashing motion effects. Finally, a carved katana ornament earned from the "Last Stand at Cold Pines" storyline mission is also included. If you're looking to create a diorama piece, then you'll want to grab the deluxe version, as it includes a statue bust of Omega Red in the display stand. While he doesn't have any articulation, there are two wire-embedded Carbonadium tentacles that you can coil around Logan.

This isn't the first time that Hot Toys has ventured into the Marvel Universe created by Insomniac Games, as the toy company previously released several Marvel's Spider-Man figures. These included both Spider-Men--Peter Parker and Miles Morales--in their various alternate outfits, including their default threads, Spider-Punk, Spider-Man 2099, and Venomized Suit, to name a few. Hot Toys has also made several Wolverine figures over the years, although these have primarily been focused on the version of the character played by Hugh Jackman in the X-Men and Deadpool movies.

Outside of Marvel, the Video Game Masterpiece line also covers games like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Fortnite, and Marvel Rivals.