This yr marks the thirty fifth anniversary of Blizzard Leisure, and to have fun, the corporate plans to make main bulletins for key franchises corresponding to World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Diablo. Much like Microsoft’s annual Developer Direct livestreams, these “developer-led spotlights” will kick off quickly and may also function a celebration of Blizzard and its historical past.
Every livestream might be broadcast by way of YouTube and Twitch channels, with the primary one being a World of Warcraft State of Azeroth presentation on January 29. Here is the complete record of livestreams on the way in which:
World of Warcraft: State of Azeroth
January 29 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET
Overwatch Highlight
February 4 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
Hearthstone Highlight
February 9 at 09:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET
Diablo thirtieth Anniversary Highlight
February 11 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET
To kick issues off, Blizzard additionally uploaded a brief video that is stuffed with nods to its previous. It is solely 90 seconds lengthy, however it reveals a protracted desk adorned with roughly 400 artifacts from Blizzard’s bodily archives, showcasing the corporate’s 35-year historical past.
Later this yr,BlizzCon makes its grand in-person return. Tickets went on sale final yr, and the corporate has teased some huge reveals for the opening ceremony in September. One rumor is {that a} third-person shooter set in Blizzard’s sci-fi franchise StarCraft might be the primary occasion at BlizzCon, alongside anticipated reveals for one more Diablo 4 enlargement and new particulars on World of Warcraft’s The Final Titan enlargement.
In adjoining anniversary information, 2026 additionally marks the twenty fifth anniversary of Xbox and the fortieth anniversary of Bethesda.