BlizzCon 2019 Announcements: Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, WoW Shadowlands, Hearthstone Descent of Dragons

Plenty of announcements have already been made at BlizzCon 2019, with Blizzard confirming both Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4, detailing World of Warcraft’s upcoming Shadowlands expansion and Hearthstone’s upcoming Descent of Dragons expansion, and responding to the controversy that brought a protest to BlizzCon's doors. In the following article, we've compiled all the major announcements made at BlizzCon 2019 so far. We'll continue to update this as more news is shared throughout the weekend--Diablo and Overwatch panels have already delivered more details on the forthcoming sequels.

For those unfamiliar, BlizzCon is an annual convention hosted by Blizzard, giving the company a platform to entertain attendees with announcements and trailers for upcoming games while also providing a space for fans to interact with the people behind Blizzard at numerous panels. This year, Blizzard has revealed plans to talk about World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and Diablo.

Responding To Controversy

Blizzard president J. Allen Brack opened the BlizzCon 2019 keynote with a statement in response to the recent Hearthstone controversy. "Blizzard had the opportunity to bring the world together in a Hearthstone tournament," Brack said. "We did not. We moved too quickly in our decision making, and to make matters worse we were too slow to talk with you. We didn't live up to the high standards we really set for ourselves, and second, we failed in our purpose. I'm sorry, and I accept accountability."

Overwatch 2

Blizzard vice president Jeff Kaplan took the stage during the BlizzCon 2019 keynote to announce Overwatch 2--confirming everything that had been leaked about the game. Kaplan emphasized that, like its predecessor, Overwatch 2 would be a six-on-six team-based competitive shooter. The major difference between the two games is that Overwatch 2 will feature both PvP and PvE content at launch, not just PvP. Kaplan also confirmed Sojourn, a new playable hero. We also learned that skins will transfer to the sequel, among other things, along with some other details about what's happening to the first Overwatch. Support for that game will continue, although it won't get a new Archives event.

Diablo IV

The BlizzCon 2019 keynote also saw the announcement of Diablo IV, which was accompanied by the release of two trailers. The first, which is cinematic, introduced Diablo and Diablo II enemy Lilith as the main antagonist of Diablo IV. The second, a gameplay trailer, introduced the first three of the five playable classes: Barbarian, Sorceress, and Druid. Among the new features you can expect are mounts, which will help you get around the larger game world, which is comprised of five distinct (but contiguous) regions.

World Of Warcraft: Shadowlands

A new trailer for World of Warcraft's next expansion, Shadowlands, was also released during the BlizzCon 2019 keynote. The trailer focuses on Sylvanas as she takes on Highlord Bolvar Fordragon, the Lich King. In the Shadowlands expansion, you'll journey to the afterlife of the Warcraft universe and visit four new zones: Revendreth, Ardenweald, Maldraxxus, and Bastion

Hearthstone

Next month, Hearthstone is getting a new expansion, Descent of Dragons, and a new mode, Hearthstone Battlegrounds. In Battlegrounds, you and seven other players fight against AI enemies. You can also expect a ton of new Descent of Dragons cards.

BlizzCon Opening Ceremony Start Times (Friday, November 1)

• 11 AM PT
• 2 PM ET
• 6 PM GMT
• 5 AM AEST (Saturday, November 2)