That would also fit perfectly with the upcoming movie, as what could be better than reliving the battles fought right after the film on your home computer?
We will cover BlizzCon and keep you updated – be warned, the weekend will be very “blizzardy” on our side. Complain now and save it for later.
The BlizzCon 2015 is just around the corner and has many exciting new features in store – we take a look at the possible highlights.
World of Warcraft: Legion
Friday: World and Content Overview 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM | Saturday: Game Systems 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM, Q&A 11:30 PM to 12:30 AM
The fans have high expectations for the upcoming expansion of World of Warcraft. Legion is supposed to bring fresh wind to Azeroth and especially to bring back some players who felt let down by Warlords of Draenor. Both the isolating garrison and the somewhat confusing time travel storyline for all non-lore freaks, caused severe criticism and drove many players away from the MMO giant.
With Legion, fans are now given much of what has been demanded for almost a decade: A conflict with the all-encompassing enemy of Azeroth, familiar characters like Illidan, and also progress in the storyline involving Sylvanas and the Forsaken. The Demon Hunter class is lore-exclusive to Night Elves and Blood Elves, but should be able to offer new gameplay fun through interesting mechanics.
But much is still uncertain, and BlizzCon is the perfect time to clarify and show more from the Broken Isles, the setting of the expansion. By the way, today a rough release date for World of Warcraft: Legion has been revealed.
Warcraft: The Beginning
One absolute highlight will be the release of the first official Warcraft movie trailer. After a 15-second teaser was already released in recent days, it now comes with the full trailer. The fan community is divided, as expectations are as high as fears, since movie adaptations of video games have almost always been a disaster.
Duncan Jones, the director, has already given reassurance in advance. “I am one of you. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I mess this up.” – Now the proof will come.
Hearthstone
Friday: What’s Next 12:30 AM – 1:30 AM | Saturday: Fireside Chat 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The most successful digital card game in history teased this week with Card Chaos already a Co-Op mode. Whether this was just a one-time thing and was meant to mislead fans will probably be revealed over the weekend. Many players hope to finally team up with friends against bosses or possibly other players, as was the case in the offline version of the card game.
The release of the large tournament was already some months ago, and it is time to announce the next adventure – along with exciting new cards that can shake up the slowly stagnating meta.
At the same time, Blizzard has to consider how they want to handle Hearthstone in the future. Certain “catch-up” mechanics will be necessary, as new players face a very expensive challenge that does not make it easy to get into the game.
Heroes of the Storm
There is still relatively little to say about the concrete plans for Heroes of the Storm. The developers have barely shown their cards in recent weeks, but it seems certain that at least some new heroes will be announced. If one believes a rather dubious email, then a total of 4 heroes and 2 new maps will be announced – this would roughly match the output of the last BlizzCon.
Which heroes those are remains completely unknown at this point. However, details have been circulating in the game data for months that suggest Zul’jin, Azshara, or Lady Vashj – whether these ideas have since been discarded or are now on the way will hopefully be revealed over the coming weekend.
Overwatch
Friday: What’s New 1:45 AM – 2:45 AM | Saturday: The World of Overwatch 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM
The beta of Overwatch is in full swing, but so far only a few players have been allowed in, mainly members of the press and larger streamers. Interest in the game is huge, and consequently, it is expected that some new features will be announced at BlizzCon. In recent days, Blizzard has already announced two more characters, D.Va and Mei, through some teasers; they may be presented at the convention or even already be playable.
Additional announcements could include new maps or further game modes. Also interesting would be statements regarding the payment model of the game and concrete hints on how progress should take place in the game – rewards from the data have already been read out, but there is still no sign of those systems.
A release date for the shooter would also be possible, but since the beta has just started, I consider a firm statement in that regard to be very unlikely. A certain game retailer has already leaked the announcement for consoles and there is also a limited release window for Overwatch that has appeared due to another leak.
Diablo 3 and StarCraft II
Diablo 3 and StarCraft II will likely be the “black sheep” of this BlizzCon, as no major announcements are expected here. Both games will have only a few panels at the convention, and these mostly compete with significantly more exciting competitors – so no one should expect any big revelations.
That’s not surprising, after all, the latest expansion of the strategy title is due, and practically everything is known about “Legacy of the Void”. Nevertheless, various panels will discuss a bit about the professional scene and show what plans they have for the future of competitive play.
For Diablo 3, they want to unveil some “news” – while this doesn’t sound like a long-desired new expansion, at least some new items or further adjustments to the game mechanics will likely be coming to the hungry players looking for fresh content.
No Big Surprise?
In summary, one might think that BlizzCon 2015 will not contain any big surprises, but I’m not so sure about that. Some voices speak of “at least one thing that hardly anyone expects” – this could, for example, be the remake of the old Warcraft games.
That would also fit perfectly with the upcoming movie, as what could be better than reliving the battles fought right after the film on your home computer?
We will cover BlizzCon and keep you updated – be warned, the weekend will be very “blizzardy” on our side. Complain now and save it for later.
