BlizzConline: Diablo II Resurrected, World of Warcraft updates and more

BlizzConline kicked off Friday and the opening ceremony didn’t disappoint for Blizzard fans across many franchises.

Some of the big winners, like Diablo II Resurrected and World of Warcraft, had multiple games announced, expansion packs and more. Others, like Overwatch 2, didn’t get much of an update except for a behind-the-scenes look after the opening ceremony at what is going on in development. Here are the highlights of what was announced during BlizzConline’s kickoff.

Diablo

The big winner of the night was Diablo. There was a new cinematic for Diablo IV, which introduced a new class, the Rogue. No release date was issued for the game.

Diablo II: Resurrected was also announced. This is a complete remaster of Diablo II, including a full HD remaster of the original game and the Lord of Destruction expansion. The game is also getting a complete modernization of every single cinematic, shot-for-shot. This game is launching in 2021 and players can get their hands on it before the full release by signing up for the beta.

Diablo II: Resurrected will be available on PC and consoles, and will feature cross-progression.

Diablo is also getting a mobile game called Immortal which will bridge the story gap between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3.

Read more: Nintendo Direct: Skyward Sword, new Smash fighters and more

Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 still has no release date, and likely isn’t coming in 2021. There was no mention of the game in the opening ceremony, but at the Overwatch 2 Behind the Scenes panel, players got a peek into what developers have been working on.

There were new PvP maps announced, Rome and New York City. Sojourn got some gameplay footage, and developers have revealed that she uses a rail gun, which shoots a deadly shot at players if her handler is accurate enough.

There were some new Hero Missions announced, which is the PvE part of the game. This was always the basis of Overwatch 2 and is meant to bring in players that might not be interested in the PvP aspect of the original Overwatch.

Players were also able to get a better look at the character progression that allows players to “level up” their characters through talent trees.

New enemies, visual improvements, audio improvements and character tweaks have also been revealed for Overwatch 2.

Hearthstone

There were quite a few updates for Hearthstone players to take in during the opening ceremony at BlizzConline.

There is a brand new game mode called Mercenaries, which is based on RPG-type play and features roguelike missions with upgradable characters. This game mode launches later in 2021.

The next Hearthstone expansion is called Forged in the Barrens. It brings 135 new cards to the game and marks the start of the Year of the Gryphon.

A new core set of cards is being implemented and will feature a new mix of 235 old and new cards. These cards are free for all players and will ensure that every player has the ability to have a shot at winning games with the base deck. Each year, the core set will change and create the foundation for the year, which gives developers the ability to keep the game fresh and build off of the core set. Several new cards were also revealed.

World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft Classic

Chains of Domination is the newest World of Warcraft patch announced at BlizzConline, and with it came an awesome cinematic to set the scene. There is no release date for the patch, but the story seems like it is worth waiting for.

In addition, players will soon have the opportunity to donate to Doctors Without Borders and unlock two new pets. The first is Bananas, a cute baby monkey, and the other is Daisy the Sloth. Players can donate any amount to the charity, and once a goal is hit, Bananas will be unlocked. A stretch goal will see Daisy unlocked.

WoW Classic is getting an expansion: Burning Crusade. This expansion is releasing in 2021, although the exact date is unconfirmed. Blizzard hasn’t announced a beta for this expansion, and players will have the choice whether to stay in the WoW Classic world or to change the world forever by venturing into the new areas that Burning Crusade brings with it.

Other announced games

Blizzard also announced the Blizzard Arcade Collection, which is available to anyone who bought a BlizzConline digital download pack immediately. The Blizzard Arcade Collection bundles three classic titles developed by Blizzard in the early and mid-1990s.

The Lost Vikings, Blackthorne and Rock n’ Roll Racing are all available in the collection. The Blizzard Arcade Collection is now available on PC and consoles.

Lead image credit: Blizzard