Blizzard Entertainment unveiled a wide set of franchise plans during the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony in California on Sept. 13, including a new StarCraft game built as a story-driven open-world shooter, a spring 2029 target for Diablo V, and a Nov. 4 launch date for World of Warcraft: Eternity.
The company also confirmed a Netflix animated series set in the Diablo universe and detailed updates tied to Diablo IV, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, and Warcraft III: Reforged.
StarCraft shifts from RTS to an open-world shooter
Blizzard said the StarCraft franchise will return with a new title, StarCraft: Dominion Alliance, and abandon the series’ traditional real-time strategy format in favor of a story-driven open-world shooter. The game is targeting a spring 2030 release.
Producer Dan Hay, known for work on the Far Cry series, took the stage to announce the project. Blizzard’s official blog attached only a brief line to the change in direction: 「早该如此」. The company did not provide additional gameplay details.
Diablo V mapped for spring 2029
For Diablo, Blizzard said the next phase of the series will be led by Diablo V. The game is set after Sanctuary has fully fallen and Diablo has taken control, leaving players to answer where they stand in a ruined world.
The development team said the Demon Hunter and Monk from Diablo III will return, while a new class, the Plague Knight, will debut in the game. Blizzard is targeting spring 2029 for release.
Blizzard also outlined what is next for Diablo IV. Its new season, Legacy of Hell’s Embers, will go live on Sept. 15 and will bring back the Three Prime Evils and Deckard Cain. The gear and reward design will draw from 30 years of series history. The game’s first class pack is planned for the first half of 2027 and will add the Amazon warrior.
On the same day, Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection will arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 with cross-platform multiplayer support and shared progression.
World of Warcraft: Eternity launches Nov. 4
Blizzard also introduced World of Warcraft: Eternity, described as a third massively multiplayer online game in the World of Warcraft lineup alongside the current live version and Classic.
The beta is scheduled to open on Sept. 17, with the full launch set for Nov. 4. Players who pre-ordered the Warcraft Eternity Collection are expected to receive early server access.
Blizzard said the new game will include three never-before-seen regions, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new playable race called the Celestial Elf.
For the current World of Warcraft story arc, The Worldsoul Saga will continue through the Void Etched update, which keeps Xal’atath moving toward the Worldsoul. Blizzard also previewed a new combat mode, Legend Bonds, where players can choose the role of Slayer, Inquisitor, or Wizard and use mechanics such as blocking, dodging, and multi-stage jumping for a more action-oriented feel.
Details for the next expansion, The Last Titan, will be disclosed early next year, according to Blizzard.
Separately, Warcraft III: Reforged will receive a new campaign, The Forgotten Kingdom, more than 23 years after release. Blizzard said the campaign will revisit the fall of Lordaeron and Sylvanas’ creation of the Undercity, while unlocking a new hero, the Forsaken Paladin. Update 3.0 will also deliver a major visual overhaul and changes to the World Editor.
Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone also get new content
Heroes of the Storm is set to receive a new hero as well. Xal’atath, identified as a harbinger from World of Warcraft’s Void faction, is scheduled to go live on Sept. 28. Players will be able to try the character first on the public test server starting Sept. 14. Blizzard did not spell out the longer-term roadmap, but said the game will resume its development cadence after a long period of minimal updates.
Hearthstone will add a new expansion, Empire of the Dark, set in an early Azeroth era before the Old Gods were sealed away. The expansion introduces a new mechanic called Assemble, which lets players combine two cards into a stronger one.
Blizzard also said Monk, the first new Hearthstone class in six years, is due to arrive in 2027 and will focus on fluidity and mobility.
Netflix adaptation expands Diablo beyond games
Johanna Faries said during the ceremony that Blizzard has spent years building rich fictional worlds and now plans to work with more creative teams to bring those settings into storytelling formats outside games.
The only confirmed project so far is a new animated series with Netflix set in the Diablo universe. Blizzard said the series is only the start and that more works based on Blizzard worlds are expected to follow.
Long timelines and franchise shifts draw attention
Blizzard’s release schedule stretches well into the future. Diablo V is not expected until spring 2029, while StarCraft: Dominion Alliance is targeting spring 2030.
The company’s biggest franchise change may be StarCraft’s move away from the gameplay style that defined the brand for decades. The series is returning, but in a different genre.
Heroes of the Storm’s return to the BlizzCon stage also puts attention on whether Blizzard can maintain the update pace it now says will resume.