BlizzCon 2023 Opening Ceremony Live Recap

BlizzCon 2023, Blizzard Entertainment's yearly gaming convention is starting in ten minutes! You can watch the event here and we'll be updating this article live as more exciting things are announced, so refresh this page often!

BlizzCon 2023 Live Recap

• The event is starting soon!
• Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard, enters the stage.
• Mike Ybarra introduces Phil Spencer, head of Xbox Gaming, to the stage!
• After a tearful speech, it's time for the reveals!

Overwatch 2

• Aaron Keller, Overwatch Game Director, enters the stage.
• Dion Rogers, Overwatch Art Director, enters the stage to present OW2's first big announcement.
• New Hero: Mauga! Dual-chaingun wielding hero.
• Seems to have healing abilities.
• Trap ability!
• Infinite ammunition!
• "Mauga" means 'mountain' in Samoan.
• An easy-to-learn, hard-to-master hero.
• The Mauga deep-dive panel will take place later today. He will be joining Overwatch 2 in Season 8.

• A video of the upcoming Overwatch Cup Finals is playing now, hyping up the event taking place during BlizzCon.
• Soe Gschwind, Overwatch E-sports host, enters the stage.
• She is describing how the Overwatch Cup Finals will unfold, including Twitch drops over the weekend.
• Aaron Keller returns to the stage.
• Le Sserafim band in-game skins collaboration reminder.
• He's about to show us what's coming next year!
• New PvP Mode: Clash
• 5 pts positioned in a row.
• The center point starts at the first objective, and team battle over the map to gain points. Sounds like tug-of-war.
• One of the original Overwatch maps is returning to Overwatch 2: Hanaoka, the 'new' Hanamura map, for the Clash game mode.
• Competitive system receiving a rework next year, with new rewards.
• Next year season themes: eldritch horror, Egyptian mythology, witches, and a universe where villains become heroes, and heroes become villains.
• Three more new heroes coming in 2024!
• A new damage hero is coming, followed by a new support hero.
• Mauga is available to play this whole weekend after the opening ceremony concludes, before officially releasing in Season 8!

Diablo IV

• Rod Fergusson, General Manager of Diablo, takes the stage.
• Diablo IV has been played a cumulative 1.5 billion hours so far.
• Diablo IV's two Production Directors join the stage: Tiffany Wat and Chris Wilson (NOT Path of Exile's Chris Wilson).
• They are recapping what new content was added in Season of Blood (season 2).
• Abbatoir of Zir, season event coming up. Starts difficult, only gets harder.
• Diablo IV, Vessel of Hatred, D4's first expansion is coming in late 2024!
• Will take place in the Torajan Jungles, which were featured in Act 3 of Diablo 2. Expect to see Travincal!
• Vessel of Hatred will launch with a new class.

Hearthstone

• John Hight, General Manager of Warcraft, takes the stage!
• He's presented all three games being discussed here: Hearthstone, World of Warcraft and Warcraft Rumble.
• Cora Georgiou, Hearthstone's Lead Designer, takes the stage.
• Hearthstone is nearing its tenth anniversary.
• Showdown in the Badlands' trailer is playing!
• Reno Jackson is narrating the trailer.
• Heists, explosions, shootouts - every Western trope is here!
• We saw a glimpse of Reno Jackson, a Neutral Hero card!
• Reno, Lone Ranger is the name of the Hero card.
• Catch-up Packs, a new type of pack.
• They will contain FIFTY cards, EACH pack.
• All cards will be from within the last 2 years of card sets.
• Everyone is getting one of those! More can be found in the expansion pre-purchase and in the BlizzCon Collection.
• A NEW Hearthstone game mode is coming: BATTLEGROUNDS DUOS!
• Shared health pool, team combat, and sending cards back and worth between teammates. 2v2v2v2.
• Battlegrounds Duos will be available to demo at BlizzCon.
• Will launch for everyone early next year. More information in a later Hearthstone panel (What's Next), including co-op exclusive minions.

Warcraft Rumble

• A new trailer for Warcraft Rumble plays.
• Lots of your typical mobile character animations, fighting sequences etc.
• Vik Saraf, Executive Producer, joins the stage.
• Another Rumble trailer, this one a gameplay showcase.
• Warcraft Rumble is live NOW!
• Raids (co-op content) will be discussed at a later panel.

World of Warcraft: Classic

• Holly Longdale, Executive Producer for World of Warcraft, takes the stage!
• She is reminiscing about having to install Classic disc by disc.
• Talking about Classic Hardcore, which released in August this year.
• A new way to play Hardcore early next year!
• Cataclysm Classic is coming!
• It's coming with some changes!
• A new Cataclysm trailer is playing!
• Cataclysm Classic is coming out in the first half of 2024.
• Classic+! Season of Discovery is coming!
• Warlock tank?! Mage healer?! Season of Discovery is shaking things up!
• Initial level cap is 25. Level 25 will have its own endgame.
• Blackfathom Deeps 10-man raid, with re-imagined bosses and rewards.
• After a couple months, the level cap will be raised, with more new content.
• To keep things secret, there will be no PTR.
• Season of Discovery launches on November 30th!

World of Warcraft: Retail

• Guardians of the Dream, WoW's next patch, coming out in 5 days.
• Amirdrassil will be the last raid of the expansion.
• There will be more non-raid content coming to Dragonflight.
• CHRIS METZEN JOINS THE STAGE.
• He's saying weird things about the void and the titans!
• World of Warcraft: The Worldsoul Saga
• The Worldsoul Saga cannot be contained within a single expansion. It will play out over multiple expansions over the next few years.
• Content will come faster, but they won't get into it at this BlizzCon. Expansion model might be changing.
• We're getting a glimpse at the next THREE expansions!
• Tenth expansion name: World of Warcraft: The War Within.
• You will be descending into the Heart of Azeroth itself, exploring new subterranean kingdoms and engaging with ancient cultures like the earthen and the terrifying nerubians of Aj'kahet.
• You will be called to do what you always do: Dispense indiscriminate action on all those who have it coming!
• Part two of the Worldsoul Saga: World of Warcraft: Midnight.
• We will be returning to the Old World, to the fabled lands of Quel'thalas!!!
• Forces will be intent on snuffing out the light of the Sunwell and plunging the world into a sunless hell!
• Make you stand with the forces of the Light and banish the Shadow forever!
• Part three of the Worldsoul Saga: World of Warcraft: The Last Titan!
• Returning again to the old world, to the wintry lands of Northrend.
• At Ulduar, you will bear witness to the RETURN OF THE TITANS to Azeroth.
• There, you will uncover a vast conspiracy, one that stretches throughout the history of the world, one that will challenge everything you need to know about the Titans, their intentions, and the true nature of Azeroth.
• "Sometimes, very epic things can begin with small heartfelt moments. What you're about to see, is one of those moments."
• Trailer!
• Manduin has aged! He's chilling in a desert.
• Thrall has teleported! "You needed time, we stayed away. But time, by itself, heals nothing."
• "You didn't just come here for me. It's the visions."
• "Someone is calling out from the heart of the world, like a voice from a tree."
• "Something dark is coming, Anduin. The world needs your light again."
• "I'm not that person anymore! I have no light! Not after what I've seen, not after what I've done."
• The planet speaks! "Hear me."
• "But that sword, was aimed at someone." bruhhhh.

• Xal'atath, Harbinger of the Void, is leading the underground Nerubians!
• While Anduin, Thrall and others share the same visions, some are seeing something quite different.
• New trailer! Alleria flying to Dalaran, seeing a different set of visions, because she's on the Void's side.
• New Zone: Azj-Kahet. Huge nerubian place.
• New zone: Isle of Dorn.
• New zone: The Ringing Deeps.
• New zone: Hallowfall.
• Delves: New system.
• Forge your Warband.
• Master Hero Talents.
• Uncover the Earthen Allied Race.
• Dragonriding becomes Dynamic Flying.
• Xal'atath gets a unique model!
• Delves: 1-5 players, containing endgame rewards.
• Warbands: Treat all your characters like family. Share banks, reputations, transmogs!!!!!!!!!!
• New layer of customization for class specs: Hero talents! Dark Ranger, Far Seer and more!
• The War Within releases next year, Fall 2024.