After a 3-year hiatus, BlizzCon is back, and yes, there were plenty of big announcements.
It was only right that Blizzard Entertainment’s President Johanna Faries kicked things off at BlizzCon 2026 with an emotionally charged speech that featured some big announcements for your favorite Blizzard Games franchises like Heroes of the Storm, Diablo, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone.
So let’s dive into them.
Heroes of the Storm
Fans of Heroes of the Storm rejoice: Xal’atath is joining the roster as the game’s newest Hero, arriving on September 28 and will be available on PTR September 14. Blizzard teases there might be even more to come for HotS over the years.
Diablo Is Coming To Netflix
In a move that should not surprise anyone, one of Blizzard Entertainment’s most popular franchises, Diablo, is getting an animated series on Netflix.
Johanna Fairies dropped the big news, while not giving too much away, revealing the show will take place in the world of Diablo and is currently in development with Netflix.
Fairies also hinted that other Blizzard franchises could get similar treatment, with the developer partnering with other “creative powerhouses to tell even more stories beyond gaming across new screens.”
We. Cannot. Wait.
StarCraft Returns In…2030
Ubisoft veteran Dan Hay hit the stage with some welcome energy to happily announce that we are returning to the Koprulu Sector: StarCraft returns.
While we didn’t see any actual gameplay, we did see a well-made cinematic trailer for the original open-world shooter, with a release date of Spring 2030.
In the trailer, we follow a very inspired recruit who proudly powers through basic training, but life immediately comes at him fast when he meets a sad fate, which was a surprising turn, but gives us a pretty good idea of how great the threat we will face in the game is as he joins other recruits who met the same fate, with their blood being washed out of their damaged suits, which are being cleaned and repaired to be thrown back into battle.
A Vampire Is The Ninth Hero Coming To Overwatch
Overwatch is still enjoying a resurgence after ditching the 2 and basically restarting fresh. The very popular hero shooter’s director, Aaron Keller, hit the stage in some immaculate drip in the form of an Overwatch jacket that was being auctioned off to introduce a new animated trailer.
In the new look, we see Talon leader Doomfist, Reaper, Widowmaker, and Sombra assaulting a prison on the Watchpoint Gibraltar map that holds the ninth hero, Doctrine.
When we first see Doctrine, he is a frail man freed from his cell, but he quickly changes when a swarm of bats surrounds him, revealing he is a vampire.
Miranda Moyer and Ben Bell from the Overwatch team further revealed that Doctrine is a Support-class hero armed with a scepter that fuses vampiric and techno abilities, including shrouding opponents in darkness.
He can also use an “infuse” ability to morph his next ability.
Doctrine is currently available for use in the game as part of a limited-time Hero trial, but his true debut will come in Season 5, where he will help bring the Reign of Talon to its epic conclusion, closing out Overwatch’s first year-long story arc.
Major Characters Are Getting Reworks
Overwatch players who have been actively complaining about Sombra and Roadhog, the dev teams have heard your cries.
Both Sombra and Roadhog are being reworked, with Sombra being morphed into a Support-class hero and Roadhog into what they describe as a “more dynamic tank.”
You can peep the full breakdown of what Doctrine brings to Overwatch as well as well the two reworks below.
Two Fan-Favorirte Will Return To Sanctuary In Diablo IV
Tiffany Wat and Brent Gibson from the Diablo team hit the BlizzCon stage to announce that Horadrim scholar, Deckard Cain, is coming back and will be returning to Sanctuary as part of Season of Hell’s Legacy which arrives on Sept.15.
Per Blizzard:
In Season of Hell’s Legacy, the lost soul of Deckard Cain returns to guide you through an epic journey to redeem the dark wanderers from the torment of the Prime Evils. Confront the Prime Evils Baal, Mephisto, and Diablo, reclaim splinters of their souls, and bear the burden of one of the Splinters to assume a portion of their power. But remember: no demonic gift is bestowed without a steep price.
The Amazon character class which is a favorite among Diablo players is also returning along with her signature bow and the new javelin-class weapon.
You can fight the hordes of hell with the Amazon when she arrives in Diablo IV first half of 2027.
Diablo IV Is Coming To The Nintendo Switch II & Spawn Is Coming To Diablo Immortal
Nintendo Switch II owners rejoice, you too will be able to join the battle for Sanctuary when Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection launches on the console on September 15, the same day Season of Hell’s Legacy arrives in the game.
This crossover makes all the sense in hell when Todd McFarlane’s Spawn arrives in Diablo Immortal, the free-to-play mobile game.
Diablo V Is Coming & Teases Things Are Very Bleak In Sanctuary
Sadly there are no more expansions coming to Diablo IV, BUT we are getting another game with the announcement of Diablo V.
The game which is slated to arrive in 2029 will see us back in Sanctuary, but this time things are absolutely bleak with the forces of Hell taking over with the return of the ancient Lord of Terror who is now in full control.
As part of the tease the question was aksed, “What must you become, when the world has already fallen?”
We also got our first look at the classes that will be available in Diablo V. Players can look forward to battle the Lord of Hatred and his minnions with returning Demon Hunter, the Monk and the all-new Plague Knight.
Hearthstone Is Getting A New Expansion & New Fuzzy Hero
Hearthstone is getting a new expansion and gameplay mechanic that will inject some new energy into the game.
According to Blizzard, the new Black Empire expansion will allow players to “step back into ancient Azeroth, when the Old Gods ruled at the height of their power and the Titan-forged rose to challenge their dominion.”
The new Assemble mechanic will allow players to fuse cards that the developers admit could lead to some “pretty busted” combinations.
When Black Empire launches on October 20, 250 cards will be aailable to use the mechanic.
That’s not all either. Players can also look forward to a new hero, the Monk class, which is a lovable, but deadly looking panda who will be the first new character coming to the game in four years.
All of The World of Warcraft Announcements
World of Warcraft’s Worldsoul Saga is getting a new chapter with Midnight Eclipse, which sets the stage for an epic battle with Xal’atath, teasing that she is about to level up in an epic way.
But that’s not all World of Warcraft: The Last Titan will be the final chapter as the game wraps up 20 years of storytelling.
A description of The Last Titan per Blizzard reads:
The Last Titan is more than a return to Northrend—it’s a reflection on generations of courage, sacrifice, and unforgettable deeds across Azeroth. From the Shifting Sands of Ahn’Qiraj to the Frozen Throne, the Worldbreaker, the Burning Legion, and even the realms beyond life and death, heroes have fought time and again to defend our home. As Azeroth calls on us one last time, this next chapter will offer a glimpse at the challenges waiting ahead when more is revealed early next year, after the events of Midnight: Eclipse.
Warcraft 3: Reforged is also getting a new campaign with Forsaken Kingdom which went live immediately following its announcement.
Per Blizzard:
For the first time in more than two decades, a new campaign has arrived in Warcraft III: Reforged. Forsaken Kingdom follows the fall of Lordaeron and its transformation into becoming the Undercity, introducing new faces alongside familiar figures, like Sylvanas, as players discover what it truly means to be Forsaken. Warcraft III: Reforged—Forsaken Kingdom is live now and playable on the show floor at BlizzCon.
And finally World of Warcraft: Forever is taking players back to where it all started, Azeroth. The Classic Plus mode will kick off with a beta beginning September 17 and launch on November 4.
Players can also lookforward to new dungeons, 10-20 player raids, the Skyborne as a playable race.
