BlizzCon 2026’s opening ceremony laid out Blizzard’s plans from September 2026 through 2030, including Diablo V in Spring 2029 and the return of StarCraft as an original open-world shooter in 2030. The opening ceremony announcements also filled the intervening years with new content for Warcraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Diablo.
The convention returned to Anaheim, California, on September 12 after being inactive for two years. Dedicated panels for Blizzard’s major universes were set to continue throughout the weekend after the opening presentation.
BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony schedule
The 75-minute ceremony was scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. PDT, 1:30 p.m. EDT, and 6:30 p.m. BST. It brought Diablo, Hearthstone, Overwatch, StarCraft, and Warcraft into one presentation before the individual franchise panels continued.
Viewers could watch the ceremony free through Blizzard’s official YouTube livestream or the Blizzard Twitch stream.
StarCraft returns as an open-world shooter
Blizzard plans to bring StarCraft back in 2030 with an original open-world shooter. The announcement moves the franchise far from its established real-time strategy roots, although the ceremony did not provide further gameplay details.
The first cinematic places the story after the events of StarCraft II and calls on the sons and daughters of the Dominion to carry forward the strength of those who defended humanity. Terran Dominion forces face the Zerg in the footage, which offers more story setup than playable information. It does not show combat or explain how shooting, exploration, or the open-world structure will work, and Blizzard did not name any platforms or provide an exact release date.
Reveal imagery also places the word “Dominion” beneath the StarCraft logo. Blizzard has not confirmed whether that wording is a formal subtitle or part of the project’s current branding, so the final title remains unclear.
The project is the first new StarCraft game announced since 2015’s StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. Its release is still scheduled for 2030, leaving Blizzard time to explain how the shooter fits into the wider universe while the traditional real-time strategy series remains without a newly announced successor.
Public discussion of the project dates back to 2024, when Jason Schreier discussed Blizzard’s work with former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay and a small team. Blizzard later posted a lead designer listing for an unannounced AAA open-world shooter that requested Unreal Engine experience.
In the week before BlizzCon, hidden records tied to Theta Squadron and the Roxara Lunar Mining Complex also appeared on the official StarCraft website. The teaser did not confirm a new game, but the cinematic now gives those clues a confirmed project to sit beside. The website’s earlier teaser is documented here.
Diablo’s next chapter starts before Diablo V
Diablo V is scheduled for Spring 2029, and its story begins after Sanctuary has fallen and Diablo has won. The premise shifts the series toward what remains for its characters after the world they knew is gone.
Players will have much less time to wait for the next Diablo IV content. Season of Hell’s Legacy arrives on September 15, 2026, as part of the franchise’s 30th anniversary celebration. The season brings back the Prime Evils, including Diablo, along with Deckard Cain, Nightmare Rifts, anniversary rewards, and equipment drawn from across the series.
The Amazon will join Diablo IV as a new class in the first half of 2027. Xbox players can also save 75% on the Diablo IV Standard Edition and up to 30% on Diablo II: Resurrected content through September 22, 2026.
Warcraft gets a new campaign and a new way to play
Warcraft III: Reforged received the Forsaken Kingdom campaign, the series’ first new story in more than 23 years. The campaign revisits the fall of Lordaeron and the rise of the Undercity. It became playable on September 12, 2026, alongside the 3.0 update’s graphics overhaul and revamped World Editor. The game is available through Xbox Game Pass, with the new campaign sold separately.
World of Warcraft is heading toward Eclipse (12.2), the next major update in the Worldsoul Saga. Xal’atath is closing in on Azeroth’s Worldsoul, while The Last Titan was shown as the saga’s final chapter and the conclusion to more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling.
Blizzard also announced World of Warcraft: Forever, a third way to play alongside Modern and Classic. Set in the Vanilla era, it will add three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and the Skyborne race. Its beta begins on September 17, 2026, ahead of the November 4, 2026 launch. Blizzard’s World of Warcraft: Forever details outline the full plan.
Overwatch and Hearthstone fill out the near future
Overwatch used its 10th anniversary to look ahead to Season 5. The season adds Doctrine, a vampire-inspired Support Hero who uses bat-like drones and life-draining abilities. It also includes reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, plus the Watchpoint: Grimsvotn map. The Reign of Talon, the game’s first year-long story arc, will conclude during the season, with the next Overwatch Spotlight planned for February 2027. More details are available on the Overwatch website.
Hearthstone is getting an overhauled Journal that brings quests, achievements, and events together while tracking each expansion’s story. Reign of the Black Empire arrives on October 20, 2026, with the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a stronger card. Battlegrounds will add the Aberrations minion type on September 22, 2026, and the Monk class will arrive in March 2027 as the game’s first new class in six years.
More Blizzard announcements from the ceremony
Heroes of the Storm will add Xal’atath on September 28, 2026, with the character available for testing on the PTR beginning September 14. Blizzard also announced an animated series set in the world of Diablo that is in development with Netflix.
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