BlizzCon 2026 Liveblog: StarCraft’s open-world shooter, Diablo V’s reveal

Today’s the day when we all answer the most important question: What sort of impressive outfit will Holly Longdale be wearing? Oh, and there’s all of the reveals to come out of Blizzard’s slate of games, too. That’s also important to know.

Yes, it’s BlizzCon time once again and we’re going to be here to liveblog the big reveals. Join us as we all collectively sit in the wide digital theater that is the event’s livestream and share the major unveilings for World of Warcraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, and very likely StarCraft among others. Get comfy!

Leeroooooy Nnn’jenkiiiiinsHere we go, folks! After about 30 minutes of people fiddling with props in a backstage set, it’s about to go down. Heroes of the Storm livesThings kick off with, of all things, Heroes of the Storm and the introduction of Xal’atath arriving later this month, with a PTR arrival this Monday. There’s also a hint of another new hero “in the near future.” Animated series revealsBlizzard is working on a new animated series for Diablo with Netflix, with no immediate details beyond that it’s happening. There’s further a hint of additional talks to bring Warcraft and Overwatch to TV screens as well. More details will be shared as soon as they can be, so this might take a while to gestate. StarCraft open world shooterIt’s happening: The open-world StarCraft game has been officially unveiled at long last. The game is simply being called StarCraft (possibly working title) and will arrive in 2030 (yikes on bikes). OverwatchA long splashy animated trailer shows off the ninth hero, Doctrine, a support hero who can wield a scepter to heal allies, harm foes, and utilizes an ability known as fuse. Also he has robotic bats because he’s a vampire (evidently). He’ll arrive in the next season, and will be playable in a hero trial between now and September 14th. Season 5 will also have a new map, the return of Dokiwatch, the promise of unvaulted battle passes, and reworks for Roadhog and Sombra. Diablo IV and Diablo VDiablo IV’s next season, Season of Hell’s Legacy, launches on Tuesday, September 15th, bringing back Deckard Cain to lead players through old locations, returning classic items, and familiar foes, specifically the three prime evils, using them to empower your character.

The ARPG is also arriving to the Nintendo Switch 2 on the same date. Next year, the Amazon class will arrive to Diablo IV, bringing her signature bow and a javelin weapon.

Last but not least, Diablo V was confirmed for spring 2029, taking place in a world where Diablo has won.

HearthstoneThe next expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, is coming on Tuesday, October 20th. This will bring a new minion type, a new keyword, and an updated journal that will grow along with the expansion. There will also be new events and 2v2 tavern brawls. Finally, the presentation confirms the Monk class will arrive in 2027. World of Warcraft RetailLast but definitely not least, Holly Longdale comes on stage rocking an absolutely killer fit to announce “a kickass year” for Warcraft. First, the next major content update, patch 12.2: Eclipse, was confirmed, complete with a new cinematic that focuses on Xal’atath monologuing as she heads to the literal world core More information will be shared during the panel later this afternoon. There’s also a “glimpse” of The Last Titan expansion, due to arrive in 2027. WarCraft IIIBreaking from the MMORPG portion of the IP, Blizzard unveiled Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom, a new campaign for the RTS, which takes place during the fall of Lordaeron and a new adventure. There will also be some graphical updates, a new Forsaken Paladin hero, and a host of other updates to the game overall. Forsaken Kingdom launches today. WoW Classic PlusIt’s happening for really real, but with an unexpected name: World of Warcraft Forever was unveiled, introduced by Longdale as specifically Classic Plus. Described as “a new beginning that never ends,” Forever will run alongside Modern and Classic set right at the fall of Lordaeron but with the promise of new story twists. There will be new zones including Mout Hyjal, Zephras Isle, and the Riverglades, alongside expanded original zones, new dungeons, new raids for 10 and 20 players, new skills and talents, new race and class combos, and the new Skyborne playable race. The MMORPG will also be locked at level 60 but will still have some added progression in place. More information will happen at a What’s Next panel this afternoon and a deep dive panel tomorrow. That’s a wrap!And with that, the opening ceremony for the event is complete. We’ll have breakdowns of panels coming soon, but thanks for hanging out! • BlizzCon 2026: Diablo V previews a world in ruin, game mechanics, and classes during its panel • BlizzCon 2026: World of Warcraft Forever’s deep-dive panel talks group play, progression, and item updates • Fans raise a ruckus over the paywalling of World of Warcraft Forever’s Skyborne ‘cash elves’ • BlizzCon 2026: World of Warcraft shows off what’s next for Midnight • BlizzCon 2026: World of Warcraft Forever deep dive promises ‘adventures worth telling in the original world of Azeroth’ • BlizzCon 2026: Retail World of Warcraft teases the Last Titan expansion and Eclipse update • BlizzCon 2026: Hearthstone invites old gods, aberrations, the Monk class, and 2v2 mode • BlizzCon 2026: World of Warcraft Forever is a ‘permanent home’ for Classic players • BlizzCon 2026: Blizzard just launched a new Warcraft 3 campaign after 23 years • BlizzCon 2026: Blizzard announces Diablo V for 2029, plus Diablo IV’s next season • BlizzCon 2026: Overwatch reveals Act 3 conclusion and new support hero Doctrine • BlizzCon 2026: Blizzard announces new open-world StarCraft shooter • BlizzCon 2026 Liveblog: StarCraft’s open-world shooter, Diablo V’s reveal, and World of Warcraft’s version of Classic Plus • Casually Classic: Tempering personal expectations for the WoW Classic BlizzCon announcement • The Daily Grind: Is there anything you’re looking forward to during BlizzCon 2026? • StarCraft’s website is glitching, possibly as a preamble to a big BlizzCon announcement • Casually Classic: Does cosmetic transmog belong in WoW Classic? • BlizzCon posts its complete program schedule and other event details ahead of this year’s show • Rumor: Nexon is nearing a deal with Blizzard to create a StarCraft successor • Casually Classic: What clues did Season of Discovery hold for WoW Classic Plus? • Casually Classic: What else could WoW Classic do with its hardcore mode? • Rumor: WoW Classic Plus files have been loaded onto the Chinese version of the MMORPG • Blizzard announces a long list of BlizzCon luminaries including T-Pain, YOASOBI, and Simu Liu • Casually Classic: Will the WoW Classic Plus announcement anger the community no matter what? • Blizzard says Diablo and Overwatch ‘drove exceptional performance’ in 2026 • Casually Classic: Are you prepared for WoW Classic Plus if it launches next month? • World of Warcraft’s Chinese version plans a big ‘X Party’ to celebrate 21 years of the game • Diablo IV opens up the 3.2 test server with soul splinters as leaks indicate an impending Switch 2 launch