BlizzCon 2019 kicked off yesterday and with it came a truckload of new games. To help you stay on top of all the announcements made at this year’s opening ceremony, we’ve put together this handy roundup with everything we know about the games, their release dates, and of course, their trailers.
And this year’s show hasn’t exactly been a surprise. Long-rumoured Diablo IV has been confirmed, Overwatch 2 is coming, Hearthstone: Descent of Dragons is on the horizon, along with a new autobattler, and World of Warcraft’s new expansion called Shadowlands is coming out in 2020.
We even got an apology from Blizzard’s president, J. Allen Brack, for the company’s behaviour towards banned Hearthstone player Chung ‘Blitzchung’ Ng Wai at the start of the show. The apology was brief before he opened the floor up for all the following announcements.
This is every game Blizzard announced at this year’s BlizzCon. We should get more information about the games and their mechanics in individual keynotes later today.
OVerwatch 2
There’s been lots of rumours and leaks swirling round for the last couple of weeks, but Overwatch 2 is finally confirmed. A sequel to Overwatch, the game will have PvE elements and a strong narrative, with the missions focusing on what looks to be a world war.
Don’t hold your breath of the game coming out soon though, because it isn’t ready yet, and Blizzard plans to “go dark” on the shooter after the conference.
world of warcraft: shadowlands
Following on from World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, Shadowlands focuses on the Sylvanas and their attempt to overthrow the Lich King. There won’t be any loose ends from the previous expansion, but beware because your characters are about to drop 50 or 60 levels to make sure progress in the game actually means something.
Shadowlands comes out in 2020.
hearthstone: descent of dragons deck and hearthstone: battlegrounds
A new deck called Descent of Dragons is coming to Hearthstone and will launch on December 10. The deck will follow up on the stories of two sets from the Year of the Dragon, with pre-orders available today.
Blizzard also announced that an eight-person Hearthstone autobattler is also coming later this month. Although it might look like your average autobattler game, Blizzard says it has its own Hearthstone twists, and should provide CCG fans with a new game to sink their teeth into.
Hearthstone: Battlegrounds drops on November 12, but if you pre-purchase the Descent of Dragons deck, or have a virtual BlizzCon ticket, you can play from November 5.
Diablo 4
Probably the least surprising on the list – Diablo IV has finally been announced. Although the RPG isn’t coming any time soon, we do know lots about the game. Its world will be huge and non-linear with dynamic weather and day and night cycles, you’ll have customisable mounts, and lots of classes to explore.
BlizzCon continues today (November 2). You can find all the times for Blizzard’s keynote speeches here.