Blizzard used the opening of BlizzCon 2026 to bring StarCraft back as an open-world shooter, confirm Diablo V and unveil World of Warcraft: Forever as part of a packed look at its next generation of games.
Blizzard opened BlizzCon 2026 with a barrage of announcements, but one reveal cut through everything else: StarCraft is finally returning — and it is leaving traditional real-time strategy behind.
The new game, simply titled STARCRAFT, is being developed as an open-world shooter and is currently targeting a Spring 2030 release.
That alone would have been enough to define the show. Instead, Blizzard also confirmed Diablo V, unveiled World of Warcraft: Forever, revealed new Warcraft III content and pushed several of its other long-running games into their next phase.
This was not just a list of updates. Blizzard used Day One to show where some of its biggest franchises are heading — and, in StarCraft’s case, how radically it is prepared to change the formula.
StarCraft returns — but as an open-world shooter
StarCraft’s comeback has been talked about for years. Blizzard has now made it official, but not in the form many players will have expected.
The new STARCRAFT takes the series into open-world shooter territory, a huge shift for a franchise built around real-time strategy.
In its BlizzCon 2026 opening-ceremony recap, Blizzard confirms that players will return to the Koprulu Sector, with the game currently targeting Spring 2030.
That release window is a long way off, and there is still plenty we do not know. Blizzard has not yet detailed the core gameplay loop, the structure of the open world or confirmed platforms in the material released alongside the announcement.
Crucially, Blizzard has only shown a cinematic reveal so far — no gameplay was shown at BlizzCon. The official video, STARCRAFT | Announce Cinematic | Dominion, is available through the official StarCraft YouTube channel.
What we do know is that this is not a cautious revival. Blizzard is taking one of its most recognisable strategy franchises and rebuilding it around a completely different style of play.
That makes the next proper gameplay reveal critical. The setting can carry plenty of StarCraft identity, but players will want to see how much of the series’ character survives the jump from commanding armies to playing from ground level.
Diablo V is coming in Spring 2029
StarCraft was not Blizzard’s only long-range reveal.
Diablo V is officially in development and is targeting Spring 2029.
The setup is immediately darker: Sanctuary has fallen and Diablo has won.
That gives Blizzard a very different starting point for the next mainline entry, although detailed gameplay information is still some way off.
Diablo IV is not being left behind in the meantime. Season of Hell’s Legacy launches on 15 September, bringing back the Prime Evils alongside anniversary content, while the Amazon is planned as a new playable class during the first half of 2027.
Diablo IV will also arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 on 15 September.
World of Warcraft: Forever launches in November
The most immediate major reveal was World of Warcraft: Forever, a third version of WoW that will sit alongside Modern and Classic.
Forever returns players to the original era of Azeroth, but this is not simply another preservation project.
Blizzard says it will add three new zones, more than 1,000 new quests, nine new dungeons, two new raids and the new Skyborne playable race.
The interesting part is the freedom that gives Blizzard. Rather than endlessly replaying the same historical version of Azeroth, Forever can take that familiar world somewhere new.
World of Warcraft: Forever launches on 4 November 2026. The base experience is included with an active World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, while Blizzard’s optional upgrade packs are required for benefits including access to the Skyborne race and Zephras Isle starting experience. Beta access begins on 17 September for the eligible upgrade editions.
That distinction matters: Forever itself is part of the normal WoW subscription, but not every announced extra is automatically included. Blizzard has outlined the available packs and access details in its official World of Warcraft: Forever upgrade announcement.
That makes Forever the announcement players will get their hands on first, even if StarCraft delivered the bigger surprise.
Warcraft III gets a new story after more than two decades
Blizzard also had something ready to play immediately for Warcraft fans.
Warcraft III: Reforged — Forsaken Kingdom introduces a new campaign centred on the fall of Lordaeron and its transformation into the Undercity.
It is the first new Warcraft III story campaign in more than 20 years and arrives alongside the game’s 3.0 update, including a graphical overhaul and improvements to the World Editor.
Unlike Blizzard’s long-range StarCraft and Diablo announcements, Forsaken Kingdom is available now.
Overwatch, Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm also move forward
Overwatch’s tenth anniversary brought confirmation of Doctrine, a new vampire-inspired Support Hero, alongside major Sombra and Roadhog reworks and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map.
Blizzard also confirmed another Overwatch Spotlight presentation for February 2027.
Hearthstone will receive the Reign of the Black Empire expansion on 20 October, while the Monk becomes its first new playable class in six years in March 2027.
Heroes of the Storm is getting fresh content too. Xal’atath joins the game on 28 September, with PTR access beginning on 14 September.
Blizzard also revealed that a Diablo animated series is in development with Netflix, although further details remain under wraps.
Tech Torque Verdict
BlizzCon 2026 did more than extend Blizzard’s release calendar. It showed how willing the publisher is to rethink some of its biggest franchises.
STARCRAFT is the standout. Bringing the series back after such a long absence would have been significant on its own, but returning as an open-world shooter is a far bigger gamble. Blizzard now has to prove it can capture what makes StarCraft distinctive without simply borrowing its setting for a completely different kind of game.
Diablo V and World of Warcraft: Forever make the wider picture just as interesting. One pushes Sanctuary towards its next major chapter, while the other gives Blizzard an opportunity to take classic Azeroth somewhere genuinely new rather than endlessly recreating its past.
Several of these projects are years away, so excitement needs to be kept in perspective. But as a statement of intent, this was a powerful BlizzCon opening.
StarCraft is finally coming back. The bigger question now is whether Blizzard can make its bold new direction feel unmistakably like StarCraft.
