BlizzCon 2026 Had StarCraft, Diablo V And A Lot Of Surprises

BlizzCon 2026gave us three announcements that immediately changed what Blizzard's next few years look like. StarCraft is finally getting another shooter, Diablo V is official and World of Warcraft: Forever takes Warcraft in another new direction.

There was more than just future projects. Warcraft III: Reforged received a new campaign during the show, while the Diablo panels explained how Diablo IV will continue without another planned expansion after Lord of Hatred.

We also got a much clearer idea of what Blizzard wants from these games. The new Warcraft campaign leans heavily into RPG mechanics, and the StarCraft shooter finally shows what Blizzard thinks that universe can become away from traditional RTS.

These were the BlizzCon 2026 announcements that gave us the most to work with.

The new game is called STARCRAFT, with former Far Cry lead Dan Hay overseeing an open-world shooter scheduled for spring 2030. The cinematic announcement confirmed Blizzard's return to the series, although it offered little basis for judging combat or mission design.

Following a soldier through the Koprulu Sector could give StarCraft room for smaller stories about life inside its wars. Blizzard still needs to show how that perspective translates into play. Hay said that announcing the distant release target demonstrated the team's confidence and commitment, though that leaves players with a long wait for the finished game.

Diablo V is targeting spring 2029 and puts Diablo back in control of Sanctuary. You play as the Heir to Westmarch, traveling with a caravan whose survivors provide services and follow you through the campaign.

Blizzard showed a world that can change between visits, with terrain, encounters and rewards shifting as you move through it. The Demon Hunter and Monk return alongside the new Plague Knight, while Runewords and gear sets bring some familiar Diablo II ideas back into the loot system.

Inventory space is limited again, with larger items taking up more room, and Blizzard is testing stat requirements on equipment as another way to shape builds.

Diablo IV starts Season of Hell's Legacy on September 15, and Blizzard used BlizzCon to show where the game goes next. Deckard Cain returns to guide a story around the Prime Evils, while soul splinters let us borrow demonic powers at a cost.

We also saw the Amazon, who joins as a class pack in the first half of 2027 with bows and javelins. Blizzard is moving away from more full expansions for now, with seasons and smaller additions carrying the game toward Diablo V.

September 15 also brings the Age of Hatred Collection to Switch 2, bundling the base game with Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred.

One of BlizzCon's Warcraft surprises was playable before the weekend was even over. Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom launched during the show, following Lordaeron's collapse and the founding of the Undercity.

The four-mission prologue puts us among Lordaeron's guards as Arthas returns, before the main campaign shifts to Garek Bandarion and Dark Ranger Anya. Rather than a traditional run of base-building missions, Forsaken Kingdom leans into exploration, items and hero progression, closer to Rexxar's campaign in The Frozen Throne.

Blizzard estimates around 30 hours for the full campaign, with its story continuing into World of Warcraft: Forever. A free 3.0 update also adds Definitive Edition graphics, an updated World Editor and the Forsaken Paladin as a neutral Tavern hero in multiplayer.

BlizzCon put a date on Blizzard's third version of World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, with beta starting September 17, and will sit permanently alongside modern WoW and Classic.

The level cap stays at 60, with no flying mounts or level scaling, but Blizzard is adding more than 1,000 quests across new areas such as Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas and the Riverglades. Nine dungeons are planned for launch, followed by two raids on December 9.

Camping adds outdoor rest stops where groups can contribute professions and share buffs, while Darkspear Islands introduces a new 15v15 battleground.

We also saw the new Skyborne race, which starts on Zephras Isle and can join either faction. Forever is included with an existing WoW subscription, although Skyborne access and early beta entry are tied to paid editions.

Modern World of Warcraft had plenty of its own BlizzCon news, starting with Talebound, a new action RPG mode coming with Echoes of the Worldcore. You can play solo or in groups, with dodges, guards and double jumps giving combat a much faster feel than regular WoW. A PTR preview is planned for October.

Blizzard also detailed Eclipse, update 12.2, with the Mantle Vault, an eight-boss Worldcore raid, Thraegar's Stand dungeon and the legendary caster dagger Midnight's Edge. Season 3 will rank top Mythic+ rewards by specialization, while the Calibration Chamber lets groups practice rotations with raid buffs and instant cooldown resets.

Elsewhere, Forsaken, Night Elf and Troll Paladins are coming, transmog restrictions are being loosened and housing gets easier decoration tools. Blizzard also announced Wrath of the Lich King Remix and showed more of The Last Titan, which returns to Northrend to finish the Worldsoul Saga.

While the Overwatch World Cup was being decided elsewhere at BlizzCon, Overwatch used the weekend to set up Season 5. Doctrine joins the Support roster on October 6, bringing a scepter and bat-like drones, while the new Watchpoint: Grímsvötn Escort map continues his escape story from Reign of Talon.

Sombra is also moving from Damage to Support, which changes how she fits into a normal team comp instead of simply tweaking the same role. Roadhog is getting a substantial rework as well.

Dokiwatch and the LE SSERAFIM collaboration are returning, and a Hero 55 tease gave us one more thing to watch heading into 2027. The next Overwatch Spotlight is set for February.

BlizzCon had Hearthstone looking in two directions at once, with the World Championship on stage and the next expansion already on the calendar.

Reign of the Black Empire launches on October 20 and returns to ancient Azeroth under the Old Gods. Its new Assemble keyword combines two cards into one, while Monk joins the game in March 2027 with Chen Stormstout introducing the class.

The redesigned Journal ties quests, stories and events together, starting with the Black Market on September 15. Ranked matches earn currency for packs, cards and cosmetics, while Battlegrounds gets its new Aberrations mechanic on September 22.

Heroes of the Storm returning to the BlizzCon stage was already unexpected enough. Blizzard followed that with an even better surprise for the community by announcing Xal'atath as a new hero.

Xal'atath joins the roster on September 28, with public testing beginning September 14. Her arrival gives team drafts another variable to account for and existing players an entirely new matchup to learn after years with very little new hero content.

Blizzard also hinted that Xal'atath may not be a one-off addition. There is still no regular release schedule or wider roadmap, but between her arrival and Heroes appearing in the Blizzard Classic Cup, the game left BlizzCon looking considerably more alive than it did going in.

It was not one of BlizzCon's biggest announcements, but a Diablo animated series was certainly a welcome surprise. Blizzard and Netflix are developing the project together, although there is no release date yet and very little has been shared about the story.

Johanna Faries also mentioned discussions around possible Overwatch and Warcraft adaptations. Those sound much earlier in development than the confirmed Diablo series, with no format or release plans attached to either one yet.