Blizzard has kicked off its yearly convention with a number of important announcements concerning each of their biggest titles currently active in the market. World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone…they all have new features coming up, and some of them could completely reinvigorate the popularity of their respective game. We have already told you about the celebrated World of Warcraft Classic, and here we have compiled the other main announcements from this year’s BlizzCon.
StarCraft II Becomes Free to Play
In a shocking move by Blizzard, StarCraft II is going to transition into a semi-free to play game on November 14, with users given access to the first single player campaign, Wings of Liberty, and the ranked and unranked multiplayer modes with no purchase required. Players who already own Wings of Liberty will receive the expansion Heart of the Swarm for free. However, the final chapter Legacy of the Void remains only available through a purchase.
Blizzard will still charge for some multiplayer items like skins and the war chest, and for commanders leveling past level five on co-op mode.
Overwatch Introduces New Character Moira
The company’s uber popular shooter is receiving a new slick female character who seems powerful and capable to move quickly to avoid her enemies’ attacks. Her powers are based on the combination of use of energy rays of darkness and light, and she has been described as a geneticist with ties to the Reaper’s past life.
New Blizzard World Map for Overwatch
Blizzard is going all meta for its upcoming new map for Overwatch, which consists on a theme park about each of the franchises including Warcraft, StarCraft, or Heroes of the Storm. When fighting in this place, players will need to either attack or protect the payload. The park offers a huge amount of fan service details and attractions including arcades and areas based on each franchise.
Hanzo To Appear on Heroes of the Storm
Overwatch’s Hanzo is adding an entire new game to its battlegrounds, with the character set to join the roster of Heroes of the Storm in the coming weeks. Not only that, but he will be joined by World of Warcraft’s Alexstrasza as the two new additions to the free to play multiplayer game. The impressive trailer showcases Alextrasza’s ability to transform into a dragon when she has suffered some damage.
New ‘Kobolds & Catacombs’ Expansion for Hearthstone
Blizzard’s card-playing and trading game is getting a new expansion called Kobolds & Catacombs, which has been presented as a return to the fantasy roots of the game. Players will be able to get some new valuable loot exploring dungeons. The expansion is also adding a new single player mode called Dungeon Run, 135 new cards including new legendary Marin the Fox,and a new key word called Recruit.
Battle for Azeroth Expansion Announced for World of Warcraft
In addition of offering players a return to the beloved vanilla version of World of Warcraft, Blizzard is also giving the finishing touches to a brand new expansion of the game called Battle for Azeroth, focused on the conflict between the Alliance and the Horde. Among the huge amount of new content, players will enjoy access to new regions: three new areas that form the islands of Zandalar for the Horde players, and other three located in the nation of Kul Tiras, for those who belong with the Alliance. Watch the stunning cinematic trailer below.
