BlizzCon 2026 Reveals Diablo V, StarCraft Shooter, Warcraft
BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony announced Diablo V for 2029 and a new open-world StarCraft shooter for 2030. It also revealed World of Warcraft: Forever, a new Warcraft III campaign, and major updates for Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Diablo IV.
Blizzard announced Diablo V for Spring 2029 and a new open-world StarCraft shooter for 2030 during the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony. The event also detailed major updates for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone, alongside new content for Diablo IV and Warcraft III: Reforged.
StarCraft Returns as an Open-World Shooter
The StarCraft franchise is returning in 2030 with a new game described as an "original open-world shooter." The announcement was met with significant enthusiasm at the Anaheim, California event. Blizzard's presentation framed it as a long-awaited revival for the sci-fi series.
Diablo V and Diablo IV Updates
Diablo V will launch in Spring 2029. The game's story begins after the fall of Sanctuary, with the demon Diablo having achieved victory. Blizzard stated the narrative will explore "what we become when the world we knew is gone."
For the current game, Diablo IV's Season of Hell's Legacy launches on September 15, 2026, to mark the series' 30th anniversary. The season reintroduces the Prime Evils, including Diablo, and brings back the character Deckard Cain alongside Nightmare Rifts and anniversary rewards. A new class, the Amazon, will be added to Diablo IV in the first half of 2027.
From September 12 through September 22, Xbox players can save 75% on Diablo IV and up to 30% on Diablo II: Resurrected content.
Overwatch's 10th Anniversary and Season 5
Overwatch celebrated its tenth anniversary by outlining future plans. Season 5 introduces a new Support Hero named Doctrine, a vampire-inspired healer who uses bat-like drones. The hero is playable at BlizzCon and will be available for a limited time at home. Season 5 also includes major reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, plus a new map called Watchpoint: Grimsvotn.
The season concludes The Reign of Talon, Overwatch's first year-long story arc. The next development roadmap, called an Overwatch Spotlight, is scheduled for February 2027.
The Overwatch World Cup at BlizzCon will feature a halftime show by YOASOBI, while LE SSERAFIM returns as the closing act with a new in-game collaboration. A live tabletop RPG one-shot, QuestWatch, has been written by Matt Mercer and the Overwatch narrative team. Xbox players can earn a Mythic Voucher for a skin by playing one match.
Warcraft's Expansive Updates
Blizzard provided updates across the Warcraft universe. The next major update for World of Warcraft, titled Eclipse (patch 12.2), continues The Worldsoul Saga storyline with the villain Xal'atath threatening Azeroth. A first look was also given at the saga's final chapter, The Last Titan.
A surprise announcement was a new story campaign for Warcraft III: Reforged titled The Forsaken Kingdom. Set during the fall of Lordaeron, it is the first new Warcraft III story in over 23 years. It is available now alongside the 3.0 update, which includes a graphics overhaul and a revamped World Editor. The base game is on Xbox Game Pass, with the new campaign sold as DLC.
A new version of World of Warcraft, called World of Warcraft: Forever, was announced. Set in the Vanilla era, it will exist alongside Modern and Classic versions. It features three new zones, over 1,000 new quests, nine new dungeons, two new raids, and a new Skyborne race.
| Content | Launch Date |
|---|---|
| World of Warcraft: Forever Beta | September 17, 2026 |
| World of Warcraft: Forever Full Launch | November 4, 2026 |
Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm
Hearthstone is receiving a redesigned Journal feature to centralize quests, achievements, and story. A new expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, launches on October 20, 2026, introducing the Assemble keyword. On September 22, Battlegrounds will add a new Aberration minion type. The Monk class will be added as a new playable hero in March 2027.
In Heroes of the Storm, the character Xal'atath joins the roster on September 28, 2026, with a Public Test Area period starting September 14. Blizzard hinted at the possibility of another hero coming later.
Additional Media and Events Blizzard confirmed an animated Diablo series is in development with Netflix. The BlizzCon livestream continues throughout the weekend with deep-dive panels and events. The company highlighted three key dates: Diablo IV's Season of Hell's Legacy on September 15, the World of Warcraft: Forever Beta on September 17, and the full Forever launch on November 4.
