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| Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra delivering his opening remarks on the BlizzCon 2023 stage during its opening ceremony held last November 3, 2023 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, USA (Image Source: Yahoo! Finance/Business Wire/Blizzard Entertainment) |
BlizzCon® 2023 recently fired steam last November 3-4, 2023 in Anaheim, California, USA where Blizzard Entertainment celebrated player communities live and in person for the first time in four years at the industry-staple event. Blizzard Entertainment's President Mike Ybarra opened the event on its first day by expressing appreciation for the studio’s millions of players around the world during his opening remarks on the convention's opening ceremony, saying, “BlizzCon isn’t just about the latest updates from Blizzard - it’s about all of you. Players are at the forefront of everything we do, and we’re devoted to supporting these incredible communities. All of us — gamers, developers, and fans — we are all united in our shared love for gaming.”
Then developers from all of Blizzard’s major titles made announcements during the said occasion. Some of these highlights include the following:
• The teams kicked off a bold new chapter in the near-30-year-old franchise Warcraft universe with new stories and experiences across multiple games set in the legendary world of Azeroth. World of Warcraft®: The War Within™ is the first installment of The Worldsoul Saga™, an ambitious creative endeavor for the Warcraft universe. In this expansion slated for release in 2024, players will travel to the new continent of Khaz Algar as an ancient civilization rises to power deep beneath the surface of the planet. The vision for The Worldsoul Saga was also announced to players around the world live on stage including two expansions following The War Within — World of Warcraft®: Midnight™ and World of Warcraft®: The Last Titan™.
• Warcraft Rumble™, the first Warcraft game designed from the ground up for mobile, is now available on iOS and Android via the Apple App Store and Google Play. An action-packed strategy game set in the Warcraft universe, Rumble invites players to assemble armies with their favorite Warcraft characters and battle it out to test their tactical wits. With over 70 unique missions as well as weekly and monthly challenges in the form of multipart dungeons, PvP, and more, Warcraft Rumble is full of authentic Warcraft vibes, created by a team with deep roots in the game universe.
• World of Warcraft Classic invites players to return to Azeroth once again and begin a new journey — with a twist! In Season of Discovery, players will start a fresh adventure where exploration and experimentation will be key to unlocking new abilities for their characters. Then, in 2024, Classic players will witness the breaking of the world (again) in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic™. Blizzard Entertainment's third World of Warcraft expansion, originally released in December 2010, returns with faster content cadence, improvements to leveling, expanded Collections UI, a new difficulty level for Dungeon Group Finder after launch, and more.
• Two heads are better than one in Hearthstone® Battlegrounds Duos, an exciting and truly collaborative way to play coming to the popular game mode in 2024. Two players can partner up and strategize together, sharing cards, health, and resources as they work with special Duos cards and synergies to take the crown together.
• With a campaign that continues the dark tale that began in Diablo® IV, Vessel of Hatred™ brings players back to learn the fate of the prime evil Mephisto and his demonic plans for Sanctuary. Travel to the lush jungles known by the locals as Nahantu and explore fresh ways to play, with a completely new Class never seen before in the Diablo universe. Vessel of Hatred will be released in late 2024 with more details will be shared next summer..Players have a lot more to look forward to this year in Season of Blood with more end-game experiences and the Midwinter Blight holiday event announced to come before the season concludes.
• Mauga is coming to Overwatch® 2 as the game’s newest tank hero. Several players have experienced this new hero during a limited-time trial at the two-day convention before his release in Season 8. The Overwatch team also revealed there’s much more to come including the brand-new Clash PvP game mode where players will visit the new Hanaoka map, inspired by an original fan favorite, Hanamura.
The two-day BlizzCon 2023 was held physically inside the Anaheim Convention Center and broadcasted live on both YouTube and Twitch with in-person activations and activities that have brought developers and players together to celebrate gaming communities across all of Blizzard’s major franchises including Warcraft, Diablo, Hearthstone and Overwatch. For more information about these and other BlizzCon 2023 announcements, visit the Blizzard Press Center at blizzard.gamespress.com.
