Blizzard Leisure’s BlizzCon is again and in-person for the primary time in 4 years. BlizzCon 2023 runs Nov. 3-4 in Anaheim, however Blizzard followers can watch the present from wherever, with two days of stay broadcasts.
The largest newsmaking occasion came about Friday, when Blizzard held BlizzCon’s opening ceremony, an almost two-hour occasion that promised “thrilling bulletins” for World of Warcraft, Diablo 4, Hearthstone, Warcraft Rumble, and Overwatch 2. Blizzard delivered, revealing a number of new heroes for Overwatch 2, Diablo 4’s first growth, a staggering three expansions for World of Warcraft, and Cataclysm for World of Warcraft Traditional.
Right here’s all the things Blizzard has introduced at BlizzCon 2023, up to now.
Overwatch 2’s new hero(es)
Blizzard revealed the subsequent hero coming to Overwatch 2, the Samoan tank Mauga, on Friday. The twin-chaingun-wielding Mauga is coming to Overwatch 2 in season 8 of the free-to-play hero shooter, however followers of the franchise can strive him out early this weekend.
Overwatch recreation director Aaron Keller additionally provided a sneak peek on the subsequent yr of Overwatch 2, together with a brand new PvP recreation mode referred to as Conflict, which he described as a five-point seize gameplay mode. Conflict will function the return of a reworked location from the unique Overwatch: Deprecated map Hanamura is coming again, re-imagined as a Conflict map referred to as Hanaoka.
Keller additionally promised overhauls to Overwatch 2’s most vital in-game programs, together with a reworked model of Aggressive play and all-new Aggressive rewards. He teased themes for upcoming seasons, which is able to deal with Eldritch horror, Egyptian mythology, witches, and a mirror universe “the place heroes change into villains and villains change into heroes.”
Lastly, Keller teased two extra heroes coming to Overwatch 2 in 2024: a brand new injury hero, Enterprise, coming in season 10, and a brand new assist hero at present codenamed “Area Ranger,” coming in season 12.
The long run for #Overwatch2 is BRIGHT ✨
⚔️ New Recreation Mode CLASH
New Map Hanaoka
New Injury Hero
New Help HeroDive into these reveals and extra of what is to return in 2024 TOMORROW at 1:30pm PT throughout the What’s Subsequent Panel! pic.twitter.com/OWiUyo8Xpe
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) November 3, 2023
Diablo 4’s first growth, Vessel of Hatred
Within the midst of season 2 of Diablo 4, Blizzard teased season 3, which is able to introduce a brand new kind of weekly problem dungeon referred to as The Gauntlet.
However the larger information was the reveal of Diablo 4’s first growth, Vessel of Hatred, which is coming to the sport in late 2024, Blizzard introduced. Gamers will go to a jungle area new to Diablo 4, as soon as once more face Mephisto, and get entry to a “utterly new class, by no means seen earlier than within the Diablo universe,” Diablo 4 manufacturing director Tiffany Wat stated.
World of Warcraft Traditional
Holly Longdale, government producer for World of Warcraft, revealed that “a brand new strategy to play hardcore mode” in World of Warcraft Traditional is coming in 2024. However the larger addition for WoW Traditional can be an up to date model of the Cataclysm growth that initially launched in 2010. Longdale stated that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Traditional will embody modifications primarily based on participant suggestions.
Within the shorter time period, Longdale additionally teased Season of Discovery for World of Warcraft Traditional, describing it as “vanilla WoW with a spicy twist,” with new secrets and techniques and class-altering talents. Meaning gamers might change into a Mage healer or a tanking Warlock. Season of Discovery launches Nov. 30.
World of Warcraft’s subsequent growth(s)
Chris Metzen, government inventive director of the Warcraft universe, returned to the BlizzCon stage to speak about the way forward for World of Warcraft. Metzen laid out an bold plan to chart the subsequent twenty years of World of Warcraft, which is able to begin with the Worldsoul Saga. That’s not only one growth, it’s three.
Metzen introduced:
- World of Warcraft: The Conflict Inside, which is able to ship gamers to the subterranean kingdom Nerubian Empire to dispense justice;
- World of Warcraft: Midnight, a return to the previous world, sending gamers to the fabled lands of Quel’thalas to battle the forces of The Void;
- World of Warcraft: The Final Titan heads to the wintry lands of Northrend, the place gamers will bear witness to the Titans of Azeroth, uncovering an unlimited conspiracy that stretches all through the historical past of the world and divulges the true nature of the Titans.
The primary growth in World of Warcraft’s Worldsoul Saga trilogy, The Conflict Inside, can be launched in 2024. It will likely be WoW’s tenth general growth.
Hearthstone
Cora Georgiou, senior recreation designer for Hearthstone, confirmed off the trailer for Showdown within the Badlands, a brand new growth which takes place in Azeroth’s model of the wild west and tells an origin story for characters Reno Jackson and Elise Starseeker.
Georgiou additionally revealed a brand new means for Hearthstone gamers to get new playing cards: Catch-up packs are “recreation altering for getting your assortment caught up,” as a result of gamers can rise up to 50 playing cards from a single pack.
There’s additionally a brand new mode coming to Hearthstone Battlegrounds referred to as Battleground Duos, a brand new cooperative strategy to play.
Warcraft Rumble
Blizzard’s cellular action-strategy fight recreation set in Azeroth, which creators say “harkens again to our RTS roots,” Warcraft Rumble, is out now. Season 1 of the cellular motion recreation kicks off with a brand new tabletop mini-style model of Sylvanas Windrunner.