Mentioned in this article
- Overwatch 2 will add new maps and heroes alongside a fresh game mode.
- Hearthstone’s Battlegrounds mode is Blizzard’s take on the auto-battler genre popularized by Auto Chess.
- New expansions for Hearthstone and World of Warcraft are also coming, alongside action role-playing game Diablo 4.
Blizzard Entertainment began its annual BlizzCon convention today with an opening ceremony that featured new games, game mode, and expansion pack announcements.
Overwatch 2 is a successor to Blizzard’s squad-based shooter, featuring new maps, hero characters, and a game mode called Push. The sequel will also add new story-based missions. No release date was announced, which is likely to replace the original Overwatch as the basis of the Overwatch League when it is released.
Hearthstone will add an eight-player auto-battler mode this month called Battlegrounds. The auto-battler genre began earlier this year with Dota Auto Chess, which was then spun off into its own standalone Auto Chess game and now competes against similar titles such as Riot Games’ Teamfight Tactics and Valve’s Dota Underlords.
Additionally, Hearthstone will receive a new Descent of Dragons expansion on Dec. 10, and the next World of Warcraft expansion, Shadowlands, will release in 2020. Blizzard also announced Diablo 4, the long-awaited next entry in the isometric action role-playing franchise. Unlike most of Blizzard’s other games, Diablo does not have an esports element to it.
Blizzard president J. Allen Brack also addressed the recent controversy surrounding the company’s suspension of a professional Hearthstone player for comments in favor of Hong Kong’s liberation from China. The fallout has included condemnation from politicians and Blizzard’s own commentators, and various reactions from other game publishers.
“We moved too quickly in our decision, and then, to make matters worse, we were too slow to talk with all of you. We didn’t live up to the high standards we set for ourselves. We failed in our purpose,” he said. “I am sorry and I accept accountability. What exactly is our purpose? BlizzCon is demonstrating it as we speak. We aspire to bring the world together in epic entertainment. I truly believe in the positive power of video games.”
Upcoming Event
Esports Rising – Nov. 14 | Who Is Attending?
Esports organizations in the likes of Team Liquid, 100 Thieves, Gen G. Game developers, including Riot Games and Blizzard. Non-endemic sponsors such as adidas, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and Jack in the Box and more. Sponsored by Lagardère Sports, and presented by Sports Business Journal / Daily, with support of The Esports Observer.
