California’s Anaheim For the first time since 35,000 people attended the event in 2019, Blizzard Entertainment’s enormous BlizzCon celebration kicks off today.
We will provide you with instant access to news and highlights from the opening ceremony. Start quickly at 11 a.m. Pacific time to refresh this page for news updates.
Visit the BlizzCon homepage for the schedule of activities and livestream.
12:51 p.m.: Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard, returns to wrap up the event (and these updates.)
12:46 p.m.: Longdale makes a comeback to discuss the World of Warcraft expansion. Inside the War. Xal’atath, the harbinger of the Void, will lead an ancient civilization in this episode.
Alleria hears the darkness underneath her taunting her in another dramatic scene. The Isle of Dorn, The Ringing Deeps, and Hallowfall are among the next zones. There will be an end-game prize system for one to five players in the Delves mode. Your alts and you will be able to create a Warband together since all of your characters will share transmog, banks, reputations, and other items.
Gaining Master Hero Talents will provide access to additional modifications, such as the farseer and dark ranger. Players will be able to create characters from any race, including the Earthen. With every mount, dynamic flying was shown.
In 2024, the expansion will begin.
12:41 p.m. – A cinematic shows Anduin and Thrall debating their mutual return. For WoW, the style is very realistic.
“That sword was aimed at someone,” Thrall remarks, gesturing to Sargeras’s blade buried deep in Azeroth.
3:38 p.m. “We aren’t messing around when it comes to WoW storytelling,” he said.
“This is the right moment to speak up,” said Metzen. “Small, touching moments can sometimes lead to very epic things.”
At 12:33 p.m. The following three expansions were introduced by Metzen, who said, “We have decided to change it up today.” “Some minor spoilers may be ahead. I’m not serious. They aren’t gentle. Settle in!
The World of Warcraft: The War Within will be the tenth expansion. It will include Earthens and Nerubians and descend deep into Azeroth’s underground core. “You’ll be expected to carry out your usual task of administering indiscriminate justice to everyone who deserves it.”World of Warcraft: Midnight is the next. To repel an Old Gods invasion, you will be traveling back to the Old World, the legendary regions of Quel’Thalas, in this chapter. To permanently drive out the darkness, you will bring the elf clans together and stand with the Light. “That’s Azeroth.” Things may not go as expected.
World of Warcraft: The Last Titan will be the third. You will be traveling back to the ancient world in this chapter, namely to the chilly regions of Northrend. You will see firsthand the Titans’ return to Azeroth there, in Ulduar. And there you will discover an enormous conspiracy that spans human history and contradicts all of your preconceived notions about the Titans and the actual nature of Azeroth.
At 12:30 p.m. He made allusion to Azeroth’s soul when he remarked, “We call this storyline the Wordsoul Saga.” According to him, this is a plot that will be developed over the course of the next several years and expansions rather than an expansion.BlizzCon
“We are developing several methods to provide it to you more quickly than you are accustomed to.” He said that the announcement will not take place here.BlizzCon
At 12:27 p.m. “Returning to this location has been an unusual and protracted journey,” Metzen remarks.World of Warcraft will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. “We began to consider what to do next. What one plot could possible befit such a momentous occasion?Will the forces of Light and Void ultimately engage in a cataclysmic struggle? If that type of event occurs, on my pally main, I’m all in. What exactly have the Titans been up to since the beginning of civilization?
12:24 PM: Longdale switches to Dragonflight for retail World of Warcraft. In five days, Guardians of the Dream patch 10.2 will launch. She claimed it would involve the last raid of the expansion.There will be a conclusion to this tale and a link to the next.
“A fresh journey awaits us,” she said, passing the reins to executive creative director Chris Metzen.At 12:23 PM — There won’t be any testing in the open. On November 30, Season of Discovery will premiere.12:21 o’clock The first part of 2024 will see the new expansion take place. Class-altering skills will be available in Classic during the Season of Discovery.
Warlocks and mage healers can be tanked; “in Season of Discovery, you can.” A new end game, a 10-man raid in Blackfathom Deeps, will be added to the game at the first level cap of 25. With even more fresh material, the bar will raise once again, according to Longdale, and “so it will go.”12:19 PM – The Warcraft expansion’s raids are shown in a Cataclysm Classic teaser video.
There is no feature that shows raid groups continuously wiping the Spine of Deathwing.12:16 p.m.: Classic Hardcore is brought up by Longdale. “We really enjoyed seeing you rise to the occasion or fail miserably.” The crew is planning to release a new tough game mode early in 2019.The upcoming Classic expansion, Cataclysm Classic, will include certain adjustments made in response to player input.
1:12:30 p.m. According to Longdale, this is the ideal moment to wrap up old relationships and begin new ones while revisiting the reasons for our initial passion for Warcraft.
Holly Longdale, the executive producer of World of Warcraft, enters the stage at 12:14 p.m.
12:06 p.m.: Saraf explains the fundamentals of Warcraft Rumble to the players. (See our earlier interview with the devs for further details on that.) The audience reacts very nicely. The game may be downloaded and played for free right now by everyone. “Come on, let’s turn off the WiFi!” he exclaims. I’m joking. Don’t turn off the WiFi, please.It was maybe to be expected that the arena’s WiFi quickly became unusable, necessitating three different tries to salvage this upgrade.Sylvanas, the hero of Warcraft, will debut as a new mini right now.
At 12:04 PM — After an unexpectedly endearing Warcraft Rumble sizzle reel video, executive producer Vik Saraf takes the stage.
At 12:02 PM — Players will be able to collaborate in a brand-new Hearthstone Battleground mode called Battlegrounds Duos. In addition to being able to swap cards, players will have a shared health pool. Gamers may test out the mode right now at BlizzCon. Everyone will be able to access it early in the following year.
At 12:00 p.m., Hearthstone Catch-Up Packs, which include 50 cards from the previous two years for current play, will be available to assist players who are just starting out or returning to the game. Upon logging in, all players will get packs, and those who bought a digital goody pack or a BlizzCon ticket will receive additional packs. Catch-Up Packs will be included in Showdown in the Badlands pre-purchase bundles.BlizzCon
At 11:55 a.m. Georgiou points out that Hearthstone will commemorate its tenth anniversary in March. An origin story for Reno Jackson and Elise Starseeker will be included in the Showdown in the Badlands expansion, which will be released on November 14 in Azeroth’s Wild West. Neutral hero Reno Lone Ranger is one of the return singleton decks.BlizzCon
At 11:52 a.m. Hight brings up the recently released mobile game Warcraft Rumble and the digital card game Hearthstone. He addresses the assembly, saying, “You are the heartbeat of the new adventures that are about to unfold.” Cora Georgiou, lead designer for Hearthstone, enters the stage.
11:00:51 a.m. “Players have called Warcraft home for generations,” according to Hight. “Warcraft is having a fantastic day today.”11:50 a.m. — General manager John Hight takes the stage after a preview of Warcraft.11:46 a.m.: The first expansion for Diablo IV, Vessel of Hatred, is scheduled for release “late 2024.” Along with a new woodland section and a return of a beloved Diablo II locale, it will include the Prime Evil Mephisto.
There will be a brand-new class that Diablo has never seen before.11:42 a.m.: Wat declares that all prestigious prizes are season-to-season transferable. You may create more as there are two more character spaces. You may practice using an aiming dummy. Now, stash may be found in every town and refuge. Bosses from the world occur twice as frequently. One crafting resource to reduce luggage space is gems.BlizzCon
Five rings will descend, according to Wilson. Before you spend money, an enticing preview pane will show you what affixes are available. Those that make it through a new seasonal event called Abbatoir of Zir will get a special glyph.The first holiday event, Midwinter Blight, will take place for three weeks beginning on December 12.
Wilson predicted that it would give the phrase “sleigh ride” a whole new meaning.Heroes may compete against one another in a Gauntlet PvP event for the chance to be included in the Hall of Ancients for a certain season, according to Wat.
At 11:39 a.m. Chris Wilson and Tiffany Wat, the production directors, enter the stage. According to Wilson, there is a boss battle ladder this season that goes from levels 55 to 100. By using an experience squish, gamers may reach level 100 forty percent quicker. Wat observed that the relationship between item power and boss difficulty is now closer.
At 11:38 a.m. According to Fergusson, Diablo IV was the largest launch in Blizzard history; gamers have now logged 1.5 billion hours of gameplay.
At 11:36 a.m. Following a sizzle clip, Diablo’s general manager, Rod Fergusson, approaches the stage. He claims that at the Hell’s Ink events, over a thousand individuals, including himself, received lifelong Diablo tattoos.
A new PvP mode for Overwatch 2: Clash has been released at 11:32 a.m. There will be five consecutive points in it. Starting, attacking, or defending is the central point. A team wins when they catch every five or when they score the highest.
A new map including Hanaoka, the residence of the Shimada brothers, Genji and Hanzo. Witches, eldritch terror, and a mirror reality where heroes became villains and vice versa will all be there next year.
In season 10, Venture, a damage hero, will appear. There will also be a new support hero arriving with the code name Space Ranger.
All players may access Mauga after the Opening Ceremonies and throughout the weekend.
11:30 a.m.: Keller reveals the drops for the crossover event between Overwatch 2 and the Korean musical group Le Sserafim.
Gschwind announces exclusive Twitch drops during the World Cup broadcast at 11:28 a.m.
At 11:25 a.m. A video preview for the Overwatch World Cup Finals, which are taking place during BlizzCon, is shown. The esports director, Soe Gschwind, steps up to the mic.
Rogers introduces a brand-new hero at 11:20 a.m.: the self-healing, trap-equipped Samoan hero Mauga. With an endless supply of ammo, Mauga may engage in chain-and-cage combat with other heroes. His debut will be in Season 8. In Samoan, mauga means “mountain.”
At 11:19 a.m. According to Keller, a new competitive system redesign is imminent. The Overwatch art director, Dion Rogers, steps up to the podium.
At 11:17 a.m. According to Keller, millions of people play Overwatch every day. He discusses the game’s portrayal.
11:16 a.m.: Aaron Keller, the game director, takes the stage after an Overwatch sizzle clip.
Ybarra praises the players for their “passion and honesty” at 11:14 a.m. “This is the main purpose of BlizzCon.”
11:00 a.m. He responds to a cheer from the audience, “Coming up, you’ll hear from some new friends — and some old friends,” clearly referring to Blizzard icon Chris Metzen, who has returned to the corporation. “Our future is genuinely our own.”
At 11:11 a.m. Spencer declares, “Blizzard’s future is brighter than ever.”
11:07 a.m.: Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer speaks about playing Diablo IV on stage.11.06% A.M. “We are in service to you in everything we do,” Ybarra declares. “Our goal is to help everyone feel happy and like they belong.”
President of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Ybarra enters the stage at 11:02 a.m. Based on call and answer, the majority of the attendees are Warcraft enthusiasts.10:59 a.m.: The stage is ready, and the lights are off.
10.54 a.m. Although the arena is almost filled, there are still long lineups outside the Convention Center. When will the festivities begin? (It would seem so, given the five-minute warning just went off.)10:35 a.m.: As the auditorium at the Anaheim Convention Center gradually fills, call and answer begins.
At 10:28 a.m. Employees of Blizzard are filming sporadic hype films from the front rows while yelling. In the meanwhile, the three journalists in front of me are all using their phones to play today’s release of Warcraft Rumble. The Convention Center has quite impressive wireless access.
At 10:18 a.m. In the other venues, seating is inconsistent, so groups of people waiting to see the ceremony appear on screens form. Even though the stadium is still only around 25% full, the sporadic applause and chanting has started.10 a.m. — A small number of people entering the arena with Opening Ceremony tickets are beginning to arrive. It’s less eerie now that the lively chatter is resonating.At 9:50 a.m. Here’s the scene outside, lined up in Hall D, the Warcraft Hall, where one of the simulcasts is happening, courtesy of Ian Cruz.
