Blizzard Entertainment used BlizzCon 2026 to present its future plans for several of its most important franchises. After two years without holding the event, the opening ceremony included announcements regarding Diablo, StarCraft, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft, in addition to projects scheduled only for the end of this decade.
Among the central revelations was Diablo 5, whose debut is scheduled for 2029. Furthermore, StarCraft will return with a substantial genre change: instead of a new Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game, the franchise will receive an open-world shooter, slated for release in 2030.
Blizzard confirmed that it is developing a new title for StarCraft but opted to abandon the real-time strategy formula that characterized the series. This new open-world shooter still lacks many details regarding gameplay, platforms, or storyline, making it one of the furthest projects on the timeline presented by the company at BlizzCon.
Regarding Diablo, although Diablo 4 continues to receive new content, Blizzard has already begun preparing its successor. Diablo 5 was announced for 2029, signaling the developer's intention to keep the current generation of the franchise active for a few more years before the transition. In parallel, Diablo 4 will have a new season soon, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the franchise, and the Amazon class should be added in 2027.
Blizzard also announced that Diablo will have an animated series produced in collaboration with Netflix. Additionally, the company mentioned that adaptations related to Overwatch and Warcraft may be part of its future plans.
New information was also brought to Overwatch, where the hero shooter will gain a new hero and a new map, in addition to modifications to established characters. Among these changes, Sombra will be reconfigured as a support character, and Roadhog will also undergo a redesign. These additions are part of Blizzard's continuous effort to revitalize the game through seasons, new characters, and gameplay adjustments.
World of Warcraft also had a relevant presence in the presentation. Blizzard guaranteed that The Last Titan will be released in 2027, expanding the Worldsoul saga and representing the peak of over twenty years of narrative within the MMO.
However, there was another big piece of news for the franchise: World of Warcraft: Forever, a new experience that will coexist with the current versions of World of Warcraft. This project is approaching the concept known by the community as 'WoW Classic Plus', proposing a new way to experience the classic style of the MMO, rather than just replicating an old version. According to data released at BlizzCon, World of Warcraft: Forever is scheduled for release in November.
With announcements covering the period from 2026 to 2030, BlizzCon demonstrated that Blizzard sought to leverage the return of its main event not only to showcase immediate updates to its games but also a long-term strategic plan for its most prominent franchises.