The final hours before BlizzCon 2019 have begun. We are outlining the major games you can expect and what the one or other surprise could be.
For Blizzard fans, the most important event of the year is approaching, as BlizzCon 2019 starts in just a few days. From Friday to Sunday (November 1 to November 3), there will be numerous new announcements and information about current and upcoming games from the game developer. BlizzCon seems to fulfill CEO J. Allen Brack’s words that this time it will be “the best BlizzCon ever”. At least that’s what the numerous leaks that have been circulating on the internet suggest.
But the actual schedule also looks promising. In the BlizzCon program there are actually 6 panels (event units) listed that are still marked with “Coming Soon!” Therefore, the exact schedule will be revealed only after the opening ceremony, which indicates discussions about new projects.
But what can the players actually look forward to? Which major titles are practically guaranteed and what are there still speculations about?
The major new announcements of BlizzCon 2019
Let’s first look at the “big 4”, meaning the announcements that are practically considered secured and will likely make up the lion’s share of the show at BlizzCon.
A new WoW expansion – Shadowlands?
World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth launched spectacularly, but quickly fell out of favor with fans. It will likely go down in history as one of the least popular expansions. However, hope is on the horizon, as a new expansion is likely on the way. For weeks now, there have been supposed leaks and hints about an expansion called “Shadowlands” that takes players to the realms of the dead and brings the Lich King as the central figure back into the storyline.
How likely is that? Almost guaranteed. With the upcoming patch 8.3, WoW: Battle for Azeroth is steering towards its end, and the next expansion has been in development for a long time. The leaks from Lich King Bolvar, which came directly from Blizzard, leave little doubt.
When will the game be released? Sometime in 2020. A realistic estimate would be late summer 2020, possibly later if Blizzard wants to take more community feedback into account and implement it this time.
Overwatch 2
Fans of Overwatch have been loud in recent years, constantly emphasizing how much they enjoyed the PvE missions in Overwatch events. They wanted more of that, a cohesive campaign experience, and more customization options for the heroes. With “Overwatch 2”, this could now become a reality. Leaks promise a large PvE component, focusing on the characters, their story, and customization options possibly through a talent system.
It is unclear whether this will be a completely standalone game or just a “story expansion”. The latter is likely the most probable, as it would avoid splitting the player base.
How likely is that? Very likely. Due to a couple of blunders at Blizzard, internal documents have already leaked that refer to Overwatch 2. Also, new artworks labeled “Overwatch 2” suggest a presentation at BlizzCon.
When will the game be released? Uncertain and dependent on the scope. If Overwatch 2 is “only” an expansion for the base game with PvE modes, a release by summer 2020 seems plausible. Otherwise, it could take over a year.
Diablo IV
The flow of new content for Diablo III has decreased significantly in recent years, resulting in only minor adjustments at the start of a new season. After the announcement of Diablo Immortal was viewed critically, fans are eager for a “real” fourth installment of the series. Blizzard has already let slip last year that this is in development, albeit Diablo IV was not in a presentable state back then.
The time seems ripe for a new hack-and-slash in the Diablo universe.
How likely is that? Extremely likely. There have also been several leaks concerning Diablo IV through advertising. A new installment in the series is eagerly awaited, especially after the fans reacted so angrily last year.
When will the game be released? Uncertain. There can be several years between the official announcement of a Diablo title and its actual release. Only at BlizzCon will we see how far along the title has progressed. However, it is likely that work has been ongoing for several years.
New Hearthstone expansion
A new expansion is on the way for Blizzard’s card game, as the storyline surrounding the crazy “Ü.B.E.L.” league and the theft of the mage city Dalaran is still unfinished. Since the story has been announced as a trilogy, the corresponding third part is still missing. There should be 135 new cards and a comprehensive solo adventure that players can look forward to.
How likely is that? Almost guaranteed. Blizzard has already begun to tease the Hearthstone expansion. Moreover, it is almost a “firm law” that three expansions are released for Hearthstone every year, and one is still missing. There is no doubt about a presentation at BlizzCon.
When will the game be released? Probably between mid-November and early December. After an announcement at BlizzCon, it usually takes only a few weeks until a Hearthstone expansion is released to the players.
Unknown surprises for Mobile?
Apart from the “quasi confirmed” announcements, there are still a few unknown titles that might appear. These primarily include mobile games that Blizzard is surely working on behind the scenes but has said little about so far. This is likely due to the fact that the last mobile game, Diablo: Immortal, was not well received.
Warcraft – Auto Chess: The “Auto Chess” genre has become quite popular in recent months, whether with the LoL spin-off Teamfight Tactics or the DOTA variant “DOTA Underlords”. Blizzard has so many interesting characters to draw from that implementing this game could be a piece of cake and could essentially be a “license to print money” through skins and cosmetics.
Mobile titles with Augmented Reality? Another large genre in recent years has been AR games, such as the pioneers Ingress, Pokemon GO, or now Minecraft: Earth. With the proliferation of smartphones, these games have become everyday for many people and there is much money to be made here. With Blizzard’s large franchises, it would be easy to set up something interesting.
It is clear that Blizzard is working on mobile titles behind the scenes, likely even a whole series of them. Whether they are ready to be thrust into the public eye is questionable.
What else is there? – The little things on the sidelines
Apart from the major announcements, there will surely be a few status updates on already known and released games. Although these may not receive a particularly large stage, they should contain some information and positive news for fans of the respective games.
Warcraft III: Reforged
The closed multiplayer beta of Warcraft III: Reforged has only started a few hours ago. Since the release in the Battle.net launcher is still listed as “Will be released by December 31, 2019 at the latest”, a release must occur this year.
Those who want to explore the story surrounding Arthas, the Lich, and the origins of Sylvanas and Jaina in stunning graphics can expect a soon release of the strategy classic in a new guise. It is likely that a release date will be announced at BlizzCon.
Diablo Immortal
After the rather botched announcement at BlizzCon 2018, Diablo: Immortal simply vanished, as there have been no updates on Blizzard’s mobile spin-off. Although many fans have loudly protested against the game, there are still some players looking forward to a mobile game and hope that Diablo: Immortal will be released soon.
After numerous rumors about a release turned out to be false before BlizzCon, fans can at least expect a new status update on the game and possibly see new images and more information on individual game mechanics.
Heroes of the Storm
After Heroes of the Storm suffered a significant shock last year when the development team was drastically reduced, things looked bleak. However, contrary to players’ fears, HotS is not dead, although the development is progressing much slower. New heroes are still launched more or less regularly.
Recently, Deathwing was announced as a hero. BlizzCon 2019 should also feature at least one or two new heroes to be released over the coming months. There may even be a new map or a fresh game mode, but in any case, plans for the future.
Diablo II: Remaster
There are increasing rumors that alongside Warcraft III, the old classic Diablo II is also supposed to receive a remaster to function on newer computers and look better. Whether this will be a major “overhaul” like WC3: Reforged or just a “update patch” remains to be seen.
World of Warcraft Classic
With Classic, players probably shouldn’t expect major novelties, but perhaps a brief summary of events since the launch and a rough timeline of new content releases in phases. There may also be discussions about “future content” like “Classic +” or the opening of servers for “The Burning Crusade” – but this seems rather unlikely at present.
In summary, the program for BlizzCon 2019 looks extremely good. There are so many games to discuss as there haven’t been for a long time. The number of (presumed) new announcements is a new record for Blizzard, and therefore every player group should at least have one title that sparks interest.
What are you looking forward to the most at BlizzCon?
