🎮 BLIZZCON 2026: WHAT BLIZZARD CONFIRMED
BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony delivered two of the most anticipated reveals in years: StarCraft returning in a completely new genre, and the first official confirmation of Diablo V.
StarCraft: from strategy to shooter
Blizzard confirmed StarCraft, an open-world shooter that leaves behind the real-time strategy format that has defined the series since 1998. The project is led by Dan Hay, a former Far Cry producer, who described the goal as "re-igniting" the StarCraft universe.
The reveal came as a cinematic rather than gameplay: a marine named Holt training under the Dominion, only to get hit by a Zergling rush upon landing on a planet. The story is set 70 years after StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. Blizzard didn't share gameplay, platforms, or multiplayer details. The release window is spring 2030.
Diablo V: Sanctuary has already fallen
For the first time in the series, Diablo V starts with the heroes already defeated: Diablo has won and Sanctuary has fallen. There are no towns or safe harbors, forcing players to choose alliances in a fight that's already lost.
The first three confirmed classes are Demon Hunter, Monk, and Plague Knight, an entirely new class built around spreading disease and death across the battlefield. Diablo V arrives in spring 2029.
Blizzard also confirmed a Diablo animated series in development with Netflix.
Other key announcements
- Overwatch 2: a new support hero, Doctrine, a vampire-themed hero with bat-like drones, arrives in Season 5, alongside full reworks for Sombra and Roadhog and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map.
- Diablo IV: now available on Nintendo Switch 2 as of September 15, the Amazon class arrives in 2027, and Season 15 ("Season of Hell's Legacy") also starts September 15.
- World of Warcraft: WoW: Forever, a new classic-era experience with three new zones, over 1,000 quests, and the new Skyborne race, launches November 4. The next expansion, The Last Titan, closes out the Worldsoul Saga.
- Hearthstone: the Monk, the game's first new class in over six years, arrives in March 2027.
What's next
With StarCraft switching genres entirely and Diablo V starting from a loss, Blizzard is betting big on reinventing its most beloved franchises rather than simply continuing them.
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