BlizzCon 2026: StarCraft Returns, Diablo V Revealed and WoW Forever Announced

BlizzCon 2026 opened with Blizzard spreading its biggest announcements across almost every active corner of its catalogue. The headline reveals were a new open-world StarCraft shooter and Diablo V, but the ceremony also brought a new World of Warcraft branch, fresh Warcraft III content, an Overwatch hero and more. Blizzard’s own post-show recap confirms the major dates and details, giving us a clearer picture than the rapid-fire stage presentation alone.

StarCraft returns as an open-world shooter

The most striking change of direction belongs to StarCraft. Blizzard has announced STARCRAFT, described officially as an original open-world shooter set in the Koprulu Sector. It is currently scheduled for spring 2030. The reveal did not establish this as StarCraft III, and Blizzard has not yet published the kind of detailed gameplay breakdown that would answer how much of the series’ strategy DNA survives the move into an open world.

Diablo V is coming in 2029

Diablo V was the other long-range announcement, with a spring 2029 release window. Blizzard says Sanctuary has already fallen and Diablo has won when the new game begins. Before then, Diablo IV is getting plenty of attention: Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 15, bringing back the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, while an Amazon class pack is planned for the first half of 2027. Diablo IV also reaches Nintendo Switch 2 on September 15. Separately, Blizzard confirmed that a new animated Diablo series is in development with Netflix, although no release date has been announced.

Warcraft gets a new permanent branch

World of Warcraft: Forever may be the most unusual announcement for existing WoW players. Blizzard calls it a third World of Warcraft experience alongside Modern and Classic, built around the Vanilla-era Azeroth but expanded with new material rather than simply preserving the old game. Blizzard lists three new zones, more than 1,000 new quests, nine new dungeons, two new raids and the new Skyborne race. The beta begins September 17 and the full launch is set for November 4, 2026.

The modern game is continuing the Worldsoul Saga as well. Blizzard briefly teased The Last Titan, the trilogy’s concluding expansion, but says more information will arrive in early 2027. Warcraft III: Reforged received something much more immediate: Forsaken Kingdom, a new campaign following the fall of Lordaeron and the rise of the Forsaken. It launched during BlizzCon alongside update 3.0, which includes a substantial graphics update and a revamped World Editor.

Overwatch, Hearthstone and Heroes also had news

Overwatch’s next support hero is Doctrine, a vampire-inspired character who manipulates lifeforce and uses bat-like drones. Doctrine is playable in a limited trial before joining Season 5, which also adds the Watchpoint: Grímsvötn escort map and major reworks for Sombra and Roadhog. Blizzard says Season 5 will conclude the year-long Reign of Talon storyline.

Hearthstone, meanwhile, is getting the Reign of the Black Empire expansion on October 20, with the new Assemble keyword, while Battlegrounds adds Aberrations on September 22. A Monk class is planned for March 2027. Heroes of the Storm is also receiving Xal’atath as a new hero on September 28, with a PTR appearance from September 14.

A BlizzCon built around long-term commitments

The opening ceremony mixed things players can access almost immediately with projects that are years away. That makes StarCraft and Diablo V statements of intent more than near-term releases, while World of Warcraft: Forever and the Warcraft III campaign give Blizzard’s older worlds something concrete much sooner. The biggest unanswered questions now concern what STARCRAFT actually plays like, how Diablo V changes the formula, and how Blizzard plans to keep Forever distinct from both modern WoW and Classic over the long term.

Where to find it

• BlizzCon 2026 schedule