On June 18, 2026, Blizzard Entertainment unveiled the next major content update for World of Warcraft: Midnight, titled "Curse of Ula’tek", which will be dropping on July 7, 2026.

This update will take players to the Coiled Isles to help the Troll Zul’jarra retrieve her kin (including her Zul'jan) while battling hordes of giant snake-like monsters in a collection of new Raids, Dungeons, and Delves, and other forms of battle content.

Here's what you can expect from the Curse of Ula'Tek update.

First off, the update will feature a new zone called The Coiled Isle, where players will explore ancient ruins and partake in several outdoor activities.

These include exploring the Vaults of Atal'Ulek, mastering a new custom talent tree to help you survive this land's venomous traps, and killing Elite Enemies spawned at Curse Surges to unlock Cursed fishing locations to earn with a tortollan sea captain, named Tokka.

The main course of this update will be its new Eight-Boss Raid called "The Venomous Abyss", where you fight eight poison-themed snake bosses culminating in a final battle with the five-headed snake monster, Ula'tek.

In addition, this update will feature a new three-boss dungeon called the Altar of Fangs, a new Lairs system where 15-25-players can challenge World Bosses that scale up to Mythic difficulty, and several new Delve Dungeons with a new Venomfalls Deep Nemesis Delve boss to fight.

The Curse of Ula'tek update will also bring a new rotation of Mythic+ dungeons, Prey targets to slay, new Arcantina Quests, and a new Players Vs. Bots feature in its Arena PvP mode.

This content patch doesn't just include new battle and outdoor content. It's also bringing user interface improvements for the Cooldown Manager and Ping System, updates for Player Housing that will allow players to save, export, and import their house Blueprints, new Neighbourhood Endeavours, and finally giving players the ability to welcome pets into their homes.

Of course, the update will introduce a slew of balance changes for all the game's classes, and a metric ton of new gear, mounts, and cosmetic rewards up for grabs.

🗨️ Over to you

What do you think of this content update for World of Warcraft: Midnight? Does it sound cool enough to make you want to come back for another season of raids, or are you holding off on playing World of Warcraft for a while?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll below, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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In a recent podcast, our Executive Editor at Windows Central and my colleague Jez Corden spoke about the rumored StarCraft shooter currently in development.

According to Jez, the project may already be assembling a strong team. This includes former The Initiative design director Drew Murray, who is now working at Blizzard as of January 2026, according to his own LinkedIn.

With that in mind, let’s go over what was said and add some context around Murray’s background.

For those not in the know, Drew Murray has a rather lengthy portfolio behind him, from serving as a design director at The Initiative, Xbox’s now closed studio that was working on Perfect Dark, to later moving to Insomniac Games, where he became a design director on Spider-Man 2 and an unannounced project.

He has since taken on a new role as an associate design director at Blizzard Entertainment, and thanks to comments from Jez, we now know a little bit more about what his role there might entail.

In a recent episode of Jez and Rand’s XB2 podcast, Jez detailed that Drew Murray had joined Blizzard Entertainment back in January of this year, and may be working on the elusive StarCraft shooter currently in development. During the podcast, Jez states:

Jez further elaborates, saying:

“Since January 2026, he’s been an associate design director at Blizzard Entertainment, and I’ve heard that he’s working on the StarCraft shooter. Don’t know if it’s true or if he’s working on something else, but he is at Blizzard and I have heard he’s working on that.”

Well, there you have it, that’s all we know for now. While the project has reportedly been in development for at least over two years, we don't really know much else and we’ll likely still be waiting a while before Blizzard is ready to show anything.

Let me know your thoughts on Drew Murray potentially working on the StarCraft shooter, and whether you even care about a StarCraft shooter at all. And as always, make sure to take part in our poll!

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Storied game developer Blizzard Entertainment hasn't officially announced the next game it's working on after 2023's action RPG Diablo 4, but it's been long-rumored to be a new entry in its dormant dark sci-fi series StarCraft. Thus far, every installment of the franchise has been a real-time strategy (RTS) title, but this new game has been said to be a shooter — something a new job listing at the studio supports.

Indeed, Blizzard is hiring a lead designer for "an upcoming AAA open-world shooter," which sounds like it could very well be the StarCraft FPS we've occasionally heard about in recent years. The listing reveals little else about the game, though it does say the developer is seeking someone with "Proven experience working with the Unreal Engine," suggesting the game will utilize it.

Rumors of a new StarCraft entry in the shooter genre first came in 2024, with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reporting that following layoffs at Blizzard that came after it was acquired by Microsoft for Xbox, remaining devs that had worked on the studio's canceled survival game were "incubating" a StarCraft FPS under the leadership of Far Cry developer Dan Hay.

Blizzard then put out a job listing for an engineer with a specialization in vehicle simulation earlier this year, leading many to speculate that there are plans for gameplay with vehicles like Siege Tanks in this unannounced StarCraft FPS. At the same time, it was also reported Blizzard is partnering with Nexon of The First Descendent and ARC Raiders fame to make the game.

While Blizzard hasn't yet confirmed there's a new StarCraft FPS on the way, this new job listing is a pretty huge piece of evidence that there is, and does confirm that the studio is, at the very least, working on a new shooter game. And while an FPS may disappoint some who are particularly passionate about the franchise's RTS roots, the prospect of a new entry in the series is nevertheless exciting for many.

The 2017 remaster of the original game aside, there hasn't been a new StarCraft installment since 2010's StarCraft 2, released 16 years ago. Therefore, any new game in the series is likely to please its fans, many of which have worried that Blizzard will never return to it.

With that said, though, there's valid reason to be concerned about this new FPS, and whether or not it will actually end up seeing the light of day. Over the years, Blizzard has canceled several planned or work-in-progress StarCraft projects, including the shooter games Ghost and Ares. Because of this, there are fears the developer will end up axing this one, too.

For now, all we can do is wait and see what time brings, though the fact Blizzard is hiring for this new open-world shooter has given fans hope that the rumored StarCraft FPS is still alive and well. And hey, BlizzCon 2026 marketing features StarCraft pretty prominently...

If and when it does eventually come out, it will likely be available to play on Xbox and PC, and potentially on PlayStation as well. As a first-party Xbox title, it would also be accessible through Xbox Game Pass.

🗨️ Would you play a StarCraft FPS?

Blizzard bringing back its dormant sci-fi RTS franchise StarCraft with an FPS game would be quite an event, and would no doubt revitalize the property after years and years of nothing new for its fans to enjoy.

If we do end up getting a StarCraft shooter game, will you play it? Let me know how you feel about the concept in the comments, and vote in our poll.

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Overwatch is going through something of a renaissance right now. After dropping the “2” and reverting back to just Overwatch, players have returned in huge numbers, thanks in no small part to the arrival of Jetpack Cat.

The game has already beaten its all-time Steam player record, and it is climbing the charts again on both Xbox and PlayStation.

Now Blizzard is turning its attention to mobile. It has announced Overwatch Rush and even shared an early gameplay preview, so here is a quick breakdown of what to expect.

What is Overwatch Rush?

Overwatch Rush is a brand new game set in the same universe, designed specifically for mobile. It is a top-down hero shooter, which makes it very different from its first-person PC and console counterparts.

It is being developed by a separate team within Blizzard to avoid disrupting work on the main game. Overwatch Rush is aimed squarely at mobile players, and from what we have seen so far, it does not look bad at all.

Based on the preview, the game features heroes such as Soldier 76 (my favorite), Reinhardt, Pharah, Reaper, Lúcio, Mercy, and Tracer. The full roster has not yet been confirmed.

Ultimate abilities are present, and the gameplay appears to revolve around objectives, much like the main game.

The preview does a solid job of showing what players can expect. There is no release date yet, but Blizzard is encouraging players to join the official Discord for updates.

The minimum requirement is 3GB of RAM. Blizzard provides examples for supported devices, including the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G and Google Pixel 4a on Android, as well as the iPhone XS and iPhone SE 2nd Gen on iOS, which are decently old phones by today's standards.

Controller support is not available in the current version, though Blizzard says it is exploring the option as development continues.

Unfortunately, that is all we know for now. Even so, it looks promising, and while I am not heavily into Overwatch myself, I can see myself giving this one a try.

Personally I'd like to see it make its way past mobile, the game looks perfect for the Nintendo Switch, and I mean why not Xbox and PlayStation too?

Passing it over to you!

What do you think about Overwatch heading to mobile with a top down spin off? Let us know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

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Diablo 2: Resurrected's new Reign of the Warlock expansion, complete with a new class, a host of quality-of-life changes, and a ton of new items, has officially arrived not only on Battle.net, but also on Xbox Game Pass (with an additional expansion purchase) and Steam.

I must commend Blizzard and its partners; they did a great job of keeping the lid on this thing right up until the official reveal yesterday, and it made the presentation that much more special.

When the Diablo 2: Resurrected logo appeared between Diablo Immortal and Diablo 4 badges in the Warlock reveal trailer? Goosebumps.

To say it's great to see the ARPG that defined the genre receive the biggest content update about 25 years after the Lord of Destruction expansion in 2001 is a massive understatement.

I'm shocked. I still cannot believe it's true. I still feel like this is a global prank played on me alone. It's a feeling akin to the one I had when seeing Diablo 2's Resurrected remaster for the first time about five years ago.

I spent last night running through Diablo 2's Normal difficulty with the new Warlock class. I took my time reading the new class skills, studying how they interact with each other through synergies. I fretted about where I should spend my skill points. I pondered the viability of a dual-tree build. I picked up everything, hoping it was something new.

As I played the new Reign of the Warlock expansion, I had a strange feeling wash over me. For the first time in probably a decade (or more), I was running through Sanctuary without knowing everything about it. Friends in my demon-slaying party were suddenly dismayed that I didn't have an answer for every question.

👉 Why Diablo II is still my favorite action RPG 20 years later

Diablo 2 and its faithful Resurrected remaster are my favorite games. That's no secret; I've written about them many times over the years here at Windows Central. Just last month, I shared a retrospective piece about D2R's past, present, and future, coming to the conclusion that the game was unlikely to receive a content update anywhere near as big as Reign of the Warlock.

Sometimes it's great to be wrong.

Blizzard can still wow us with Diablo 2 more than 25 years later

Yesterday's reveal was felt deeply by a lot of people. Diablo 2 is a legendary game that's attracted countless players over the years, and for many of us, it's still the best ARPG on the market.

A lot of players would have been happy with some extra stash tabs and some stackable currency slots. A lot of players would have likely paid a small sum to get them.

But an entirely new class? New items and runewords? New endgame content? A built-in grail mechanic with rewards for finding every item in the game? New ways to fight Terror Zones? A built-in LOOT FILTER?! This is far more content than most of us were expecting, and the reactions online say it all.

"I just cried. Already bought," said one Reddit user. "What a day to be a D2 fan," said another. Tears over a video game? It's certainly possible, and it goes to show how beloved the game really is.

Comment from r/diablo2

Comment from r/Diablo

The same discourse is going on over at X (formerly Twitter), with players expressing their disbelief at the Reign of the Warlock expansion.

Of course, any modern video game news comes with its share of detractors. Some people seem upset that Blizzard is charging $25 for the expansion, while others bemoan the fact that Reign of the Warlock can't be played with legacy graphics.

I think Blizzard's decision to make Reign of the Warlock a "fork" of Diablo 2: Resurrected is smart. Players can decide if they want to port their existing characters into the new universe, leaving core D2R separately playable for purists.

Let's not forget the fact that it's now available on Steam with Deck Verification, a huge revelation for all handheld gamers who didn't want to install the Battle.net launcher.

With a new online ladder season kicking off on February 20, it feels like Diablo 2: Resurrected was just re-resurrected. What a time to be alive.

Excited for the new Reign of the Warlock expansion for Diablo 2: Resurrected? Have you already jumped in to try it out? Let me know in the comments section!

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Diablo 2 fans just got a bombshell: Reign of the Warlock is the first DLC for the game in 25 years and has just shadow-dropped to play TODAY. Happy 30th Anniversary, Diablo fans!

Before the big announcement, a bunch of other media and I had the chance to sit down with the Diablo 2 dev team, namely Matthew Cederquist (Lead Producer) and Tim Vasconcellos (Designer), to discuss the first new class in Diablo 2 in over 25 years.

"We saw the 30th Anniversary as a chance to surprise and delight, right? I don't think anyone expected a new class and all these features in Diablo 2. I sure hope it's as epic to the players as we find it. Is it a declaration of something new? We're going to have to see what the players say, you know."

Let's dive into how and why behind the most unexpected DLC in aRPG history!

The challenge of modifying a masterpiece

Diablo 2, despite its Resurrected remaster, is effectively a 25-year-old game with its last really meaningful content added with Lord of Destruction in 2001. So, how has the dev team navigated designing new content for an old game without ruining what made it a classic?

Matthew Cederquist compared the game to the "Mona Lisa," stating, "We’re not going to give her some sunglasses and a new hairdo." The team relied on specific design pillars, which they call their "North Star," when designing for Diablo 2. It must be multiplayer-focused but possible for single players, it must prioritize player choice over approachability, and ultimately, it needs to respect the "long chase," which is Diablo 2's signature difficulty and item rarity.

Tim Vasconcellos added that the Warlock was built to feel as if it had launched with the original game. To achieve this, the team has even integrated subtle nods like Diablo I icons into the skill tree to maintain a sense of legacy familiarity. "we know we're going to have new players, but our focus and our target target audience is really these people that have stuck around for this long, we still have this very visible audience of, like, millions of people playing."

The only difference is that the toggle graphics button, which switches the game to its OG visuals, does not work with the newly added Warlock. The button will still work for the environment, but the Warlock will remain 3D.

The "Pokemon" mechanics of Warlock gameplay

The binding mechanic the Warlock wields, where he can bind demons to his will, is a pretty complex system for Diablo 2. The devs told us how much the team agonized over this behind the scenes.

Tim revealed that they went through nearly every demon in the game and gave them specific data rows. There are over 180 combinations of demons you can Bind or Devour.

Unlike the Necromancer’s "Revive" (which just brings a monster back to fight), the Warlock’s Bind/Consume loop allows you to keep a demon, "supercharge" it with elite affixes, and then eat it to gain "flavorful benefits that could potentially break the game."

Tim also noted that the Diablo 2 Warlock has a "Hexblade" tree (melee/magic hybrid) that is unique to Diablo 2 Resurrected and isn't present in the Diablo 4 or Immortal versions of the class.

The Lore implications of it all

For the followers of Diablo lore (yes, there are many of us!), you may be wondering how the Warlock controls these demons? Can he control Mephisto?

The explanation for this will develop over the course of the Warlock's journey in the 3 games (2, Immortal, and 4), but for Diablo 2 at least, the developers told us the Warlock uses "iron willpower" and dominance to control demons, not technology like the Soul Stones. He'll be an idealist scholar who studied the ancient Vizjerei (which ultimately failed to control demons) and believes his will is strong enough to succeed where the Vizjerei failed. Overall, though, there is a physical cost to using this power, so don't expect to mind-control Diablo himself.

The main point made here, however, is that the Warlocks are outcasts as a class because of their chosen power, but they view demons as objects and tools to an end, not as their partners.

Rahul Kohli as the voice of the Occult

The narrative core of the Warlock is defined by a descent from a life of luxury into the grim reality of a self-imposed outcast. In Diablo 2: Resurrected, acclaimed actor Rahul Kohli provides the voice for the Warlock, lending a disciplined yet ominous tone to the character’s introduction. Brits will know Kohli from various BBC shows, but he's most recently been in Netflix's House on Bly Manor and Midnight Mass. You'll also have heard his voice work in Gears 5, Fallout 76, and soon, Saros.

Kohli recorded 72 distinct voice lines to establish the character's persona as he steps out of the shadows for the first time. The development team noted that working with Kohli was an "epic experience," as he brought a specific "texture" and "foibles" to the character that helped define him as more than just a generic summoner.

"There's 72 [lines], but there are like 48 that are associated with quests, and the rest of them are like 'DIE' 'IT'S TIME TO DIE'"

How the Diablo audience moves around the franchise

While it's interesting, but not exactly shocking, that Diablo 2: Resurrected still has millions of players, and will appreciate this content. We all wondered if Diablo 3 was still receiving as much love.

"There are actually millions of people who still play Diablo 3! We started on Diablo 3, actually creating seasons. Seasonal content started off really slow, and then we grew into something like Altar of Rites. Even when Diablo 4 came out, some players were cannibalized and brought over, but there's still a massive Diablo 3 player base that we love to serve and talk to.

Every single Ladder season that comes out, you will see people transition from Diablo 4 back to Diablo 3 and play, you know, for that opening weekend or that week or so, and then they'll transition right back to Diablo 4 and vice versa and even into Diablo 2. I think that's the cool thing about our community: it's less like World of Warcraft Classic, where that's your home. You don't leave. There's so much inter-cannibalization."

"It's not the case where you would have, say, a consistent Diablo 2 Resurrected audience that is bigger than Diablo 3's, for instance. Our games fluctuate wildly because of those seasonal contents. Everyone comes back for a ladder race, and we separate them for that to happen. So we're never going to have a D3 ladder stepping over a D2 ladder that's stepping over a D4 ladder. We want players to be able to say, ok let me jump into this flavour of Diablo today."

Here's to hoping for a smooth launch for the Diablo 2 Resurrected team

Huge thanks to the team at Blizzard for inviting me out to get this early look at the Warlock and chat with the creators behind Sanctuary’s legacy. It is rare to see a developer show this much love to a 25-year-old masterpiece, and after seeing it in action, I can safely say the "long chase" has never felt better.

Reign of the Warlock is available right now for $24.99 on Battle.net, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.

This DLC pack includes the full Warlock class for Diablo 2: Resurrected, along with a suite of cross-game celebration items: a Horadric Cube housing item for World of Warcraft, and a dedicated set of wings and a new pet for Diablo 4. Whether you’re a veteran of the original or a newcomer joining via Game Pass, there has never been a better time to descend back into the Cathedral.

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Xbox has had a tough time lately, just as Microsoft has broadly struggled with public perception, facing criticism over its heavy AI push and what many see as half-baked updates to Windows.

Since acquiring Activision Blizzard and King in 2023, many have wondered how that shift has affected studios like Blizzard. Now, thanks to an exclusive interview by our own Jennifer Young with Blizzard president Johanna Faries, we have a clearer picture of how things are working behind the scenes.

How Blizzard works with Xbox behind the scenes

As many will be relieved to hear, Xbox has not become some all-seeing overlord of Blizzard. Instead, Johanna Faries makes it clear that Xbox’s day-to-day approach is framed around support, often asking, “How can we help?”

Xbox has often been praised, and sometimes criticized, for its hands-off approach with studios. Some believe it needs greater involvement, especially after several game cancellations last year and a perceived lack of updates for certain titles.

Here, though, the situation feels different. Blizzard appears to be firmly in control, and it is a long-standing studio that understands how to manage its own direction.

Recently, Overwatch, one of its flagship IPs, saw a major resurgence. It even surpassed 150,000 concurrent players on Steam alone, highlighting that Blizzard still knows how to drive engagement when it matters. You can read the full interview with juicy details, and I highly recommend you do.

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In an exclusive interview here on Windows Central, Blizzard president Johanna Faries spoke with our own Jennifer Young about a wide range of topics as the company approaches its 35th anniversary.

One of the most interesting questions focused on whether Blizzard’s iconic IP could receive the same kind of adaptation treatment as the hugely successful Fallout TV show.

It wasn’t a "no". So, let’s take a closer look at exactly what was said.

During the interview, Jen boldly asked the president of Blizzard whether the company’s IP could receive the TV treatment following the huge success of the Fallout TV show.

The series recently concluded its second season, holds a 96% score from both viewers and critics on Rotten Tomatoes, boosted player counts for the games, and the third season is currently being written, according to Todd Howard.

When asked, Faries responded:

Faries also confirmed that “exciting conversations” are happening, but Blizzard is not willing to move forward unless it meets its own high standards. It leaves the door open for a Blizzard IP to be adapted.

This also would not be the first time Blizzard has stepped outside of video games. The 2016 live-action Warcraft movie came and went, and while I remember finding it quite enjoyable, it never received a sequel.

Blizzard has also told shorter animated stories within its universe, but nothing on the scale of a full TV show. Still, the fact that it is not impossible is exciting. And if you want to know more about what was discussed, I highly recommend reading the full interview.

Would you want to see a Blizzard IP adapted for TV or film? Let us know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

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It's a big day for Overwatch, Blizzard's ten-year old free-to-play PvP hero shooter that was once one of the most popular FPS titles in the world. In fact, it's the biggest day it's had in years, and the biggest day it's ever had on Valve's PC gaming platform Steam.

Today saw the release of Overwatch's new Season 1 update and its Reign of Talon revamp that dropped the "2" from the title, added five new hero characters, began a new live-service structure with year-long story arcs and faster hero releases, and implemented a suite of additions, tweaks, and improvements to the shooter's systems. The patch notes are a mile long; it's the biggest update Overwatch has had in ages.

As a result, the game is absolutely blowing up right now, and is flying far higher than it ever has on Steam in particular (we don't have public console metrics, sadly). At the time of writing, it's managed a peak concurrent player count of 165,651 on the Steam charts according to SteamDB — over double the previous record of 75,608 it set when the game got its release on the platform in Spring 2023.

Notably, that makes it the fourth most-played game on Steam right now, under Counter-Strike 2, DOTA 2, and ARC Raiders, and just above the surging Helldivers 2 that's in the thick of its new Cyberstan update. Its direct competitor Marvel Rivals is in 11th place in comparison, with 83,316 in-game at the moment.

Those are some huge results for the launch of Reign of Talon, especially since a huge chunk of Overwatch's PC player base uses Battle.net. They were also somewhat expected, admittedly, with how Overwatch was surging past Call of Duty and Battlefield on Steam before the update even released, but they're no less impressive.

It's also worth noting that Overwatch's new Season 1 update is bringing in some extremely strong stream viewership as well. Right now, roughly 165K people are watching Overwatch on Twitch, per the Twitch directory; that's enough to make it the most-watched game on the platform currently, a full 40K viewers above the second place League of Legends.

Clearly, the steps that Blizzard is taking to make Overwatch better — the story having a stronger and more consistent presence, a speedier cadence of live-service content delivery, and a host of quality-of-life improvements — are resonating with players, and inspiring them to either come back to give the game another chance or give it a fair shake for the first time.

That's been reflected in the game's recent user reviews on Steam, which were "Mostly Negative" like the total reviews were until Blizzard announced its big overhaul last week. Soon after, it got enough blue thumbs up to rise it up to "Mixed." Blizzard is taking Overwatch in the right direction, and players are letting it know.

Ultimately, I do have my doubts that we'll see Overwatch maintain these kinds of numbers for long, and I expect some fans will gradually fall off of the game after they've experienced everything new in Season 1. But with Blizzard promising richer, denser seasonal updates moving forward, Overwatch has strong potential to attract and hold onto a much healthier community of players than it's had in the past few years.

As they say, only time will tell. But what's been made abundantly clear is that Blizzard is committing to Overwatch's future, and is eager to shed the era of Overwatch 2 and its controversies like the canceled PvE mode for brighter times.

Are you excited about Overwatch and its future? Will you come back to the game to check out everything new in Season 1, or give it a try if you've never played before? Let me know how you're feeling in the comments.

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The dawn of a new era for Blizzard Entertainment's free-to-play, decade-old PvP hero shooter Overwatch has now officially risen, with the studio dropping the "2" from its title, releasing five new hero characters at once, and kicking off a relaunch today that revamps several different aspects of the game.

First revealed last week, the Overwatch Season 1 update is now live, and kicks off the game's next chapter. With Season 1 — dubbed "Conquest" — the Reign of Talon begins, which is the first of the franchise's new year-long story arcs that develop over the course of six seasons. Vendetta defeating Doomfist and taking control of Talon serves as its starting point.

Season 1 also brings the start of a five-week long meta faction war of sorts, with players able to declare allegiance to either Overwatch or Talon and then complete weekly missions for rewards, with the side that finishes more netting themselves a bigger prize. At the end of the event, you can swap factions to complete the other side's objectives as well as a Double Agent, or remain loyal and progress through a Prestige Pass for loot boxes.

Of course, the big highlight is the fact that Overwatch has dropped five new heroes, expanding its roster to 50 playable characters. These include Domina, a ranged poke tank with beam weaponry, a shield with individual segments, and knockback to keep foes away; Emre, a former Overwatch soldier with a burst-fire rifle and bouncy grenades; Mizuki, a Japanese support hero with a healing aura, ranged blades, and a kasa hat that bounces between allies and heals them when thrown; Anran, Wuyang's sister and a damage character that hurls fire and can even revive herself phoenix-style if killed in her ult; and Jetpack Cat (yes, Jetpack Cat), a friendly feline with the ability to tether allies to fly them around (or enemies, with its ult).

Additionally, five more heroes are coming later in 2026, with Blizzard committing to releasing one new character with the launch of each new season. It's unclear if that cadence will continue in 2027 and beyond, but at least for the rest of this year, that's the plan.

Some other noteworthy changes and additions to Overwatch now live with this revamp include sub-roles for heroes and sub-role specific passives, an overhauled UI, Post-Match Accolades (an evolution of the game's original voting cards), new "Praise" voice lines for complimenting teammates, Vendetta's arrival in the MOBA-style Stadium mode, and a set of Overwatch x Hello Kitty & Friends collab skins, along with plenty of other cosmetics. Each season's Battle Pass will now feature two Mythic skins, as well.

All in all, this is a colossal update for Overwatch, and represents the biggest shot in the arm it's gotten since the game became Overwatch 2 in late 2022. The "sequel" was infamously poorly received due to the lack of planned PvE story content that was later canceled and a transition to a free-to-play, microtransaction shop-driven model that was decidedly less player-friendly than the original loot box system.

The move to 5v5 and the removal of one tank from each team was controversial as well (in the end, I do believe it was the right call), as many felt Overwatch was at its best played in its original 6v6 format. Blizzard did go on to offer permanent 6v6 modes, though.

The hero shooter has been struggling for years in Overwatch 2's fallout (competition from Marvel Rivals hasn't helped), but by shedding the "2," introducing a new live-service structure, and ramping up content additions significantly, Blizzard is fighting to bring it back into mainstream popularity — and so far, it's kind of working. Even before the Reign of Talon, Overwatch has surged on Steam, surpassing Call of Duty and Battlefield 6's concurrent player counts, and it's rising on Xbox's most-played list too.

Personally, I'm not coming back, as I've gotten my fill of Overwatch over the years and have moved on from the FPS entirely. If you feel differently, though, there are certainly plenty of reasons to come back right now. Give it a shot if you're interested.

What do you think about this new era of Overwatch, and everything added in its new Season 1? Are you excited to jump in, or are you not that interested? Let me know in the comments.

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Overwatch 2 is currently going through a bit of a renaissance after dropping the "2" and returning to simply Overwatch. It's still a team-based shooter built around distinct heroes with defined roles, with success coming from balancing those roles, coordinating as a team, and completing objectives to secure the win.

After surpassing Call of Duty and Battlefield 6 on Steam in player count, Overwatch seems to be gaining momentum. It appears to be recommitting to what players originally loved about the franchise.

Amid that resurgence, the voice actor for newly announced hero Anran, Fareeha Anderson, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to publicly campaign for changes to the character's design.

It follows fan criticism that Anran's in-game appearance looks almost identical to other female heroes, rather than standing out as her own distinct character.

Blizzard commits to Anran redesign after voice actor criticism

Amid Overwatch 2’s shift back to Overwatch, the game is also introducing five new characters overall, including a cat with a jet pack, though that isn't necessarily important to this story — I just wanted to mention it because it’s cool as hell.

Instead, the focus is on Anran, a new hero described by the game’s director as a tough older sister. The character has faced criticism, including from her own voice actor, who took to X to publicly campaign for changes to her appearance.

Fareeha (Anran’s voice actor) stated:

As is often the case on X, some fans were supportive, while others were less so. As someone who personally has no stake in Overwatch, I do not think it ultimately matters whether the design changes.

Blizzard, however, has agreed to revisit the character’s appearance and committed to adjustments that better align with its original vision. Game director Aaron Keller stated, "I wanted to take a moment to address one thing in particular. The team is currently discussing what it would take to make Anran look and feel like the fierce older sister that we all envision her to be."

He also went on to state it was something they wanted to share last week, but first wanted to make sure of the changes they wanted to make before making a public announcement.

It's also worth mentioning that Xbox Game Pass subscribers do get six hero skins, 30 Mythic Prisms, access to select shop cosmetics, and a 10 percent XP boost, so if you're a fan of Overwatch, it could be worth subscribing, at least to claim the benefits.

What do you think about Blizzard revisiting Anran’s design? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Blizzard Entertainment's long-running, free-to-play PvP hero shooter Overwatch 2 has had a rough few years since it relaunched across Xbox, PC, and PlayStation in late 2022, but that may change with the gigantic overhaul the studio just announced for the once globally dominant FPS.

In the developer's new Overwatch Spotlight showcase (you can watch the full presentation here or with the embed below), Blizzard announced that it's officially dropping the 2 from Overwatch 2, meaning it will once again be called Overwatch. Accompanying that change is the introduction of major annual story arcs that drive the universe forward, with numbered seasons resetting every year; essentially, think of every year as a story, and its seasons as its chapters.

2026's arc is the Reign of Talon — a narrative that's kicked off with Vendetta overthrowing Doomfist to become the Talon faction's leader — and its Season 1, named Conquest, is scheduled to go live next week on February 10. When it does, it's introducing five (yes, five) new heroes to the game, raising its roster to 50 playable characters.

These heroes include Domina, a specialized "poke" tank that fights from afar with a long-range beam and creates protective barriers that have individually destroyable segments; Emre, a "fast-paced run and gun" hero with a burst-fire rifle and bouncy grenades; Mizuki, an aggressive support with a healing aura fueled by damage and a kasa hat that can be thrown at allies to heal them; Anran, a phoenix-themed character that wields deadly, fiery fans; and Jetpack Cat. Yes, the meme is now reality, with the flying feline able to lift allies into the air for creative playmaking and carry enemies into hazards with its ult.

Notably, Anran is getting a hero trial ahead of Season 1's launch that runs from February 5 until the season drops, giving players the opportunity to enjoy her early. Blizzard also says that five more heroes are coming out in 2026's five future seasons, with one releasing as each one begins.

When Season 1 launches, Blizzard is also introducing new subroles that each damage, tank, and support character will fall into, with each one getting distinct subrole passives that provide some intrinsic benefits. The studio is adjusting and reworking several heroes over the course of 2026, too.

Additionally, Season 1 is bringing the first of Overwatch's new meta events where players have to pick allegiance to Overwatch or Talon and complete missions over the course of several weeks to earn rewards. Whichever faction completes more missions in total will earn some additional goodies.

Skins are a massive part of the Overwatch experience, and plenty of those are coming too. A wild Overwatch x Hello Kitty collab is launching alongside Season 1 and bringing themed skins to D.Va, Widowmaker, Juno, Mercy, Kiriko, and Lucio, and faction-themed skins are coming as well, along with new Mythic-tier cosmetics. Skins from the last six seasons that were previously microtransaction shop exclusives are being added to loot boxes, also.

Some other noteworthy additions on the way include two new maps in Season 1, a completely revamped UI, a reset for competitive play, the return of end-of-match player commendations, and engine upgrades that improve the visuals. Overwatch is also coming to Switch 2 at the start of Season 2.

Ultimately, Blizzard is kicking off an entirely new era for Overwatch after controversially reworking it into Overwatch 2 and scrapping its long-awaited PvE content. Only time will tell if the game's new structure and live-service cadence will bring players back, but one thing is clear: the studio is all-in on Overwatch moving forward.

How do you feel about Blizzard's new direction for Overwatch? Are you a fan of how they're reshaping its live-service structure? Let me know how you're feeling in the comments.

Diablo 4 Season 11 is in the strongest state the game has ever been — I know, guys, we’ve been here before, but this is genuinely the best version of the game Blizzard has given us to date — but, instead of being satisfied with the status quo, I find myself nervous about what’s coming in 2026. Will the upcoming expansion upset the balance again?

Season 11 has brought back a massive wave of players and, more importantly, is actually keeping them there. With the addition of the Paladin and a newfound variety in endgame activities (new bosses, the upcoming Tower, to name a few), Diablo 4 has seemingly found its footing.

After over two years of reworks and course corrections, and an identity crisis over whether it wanted to be Diablo 2 or Diablo 3, the game has landed in a place where it feels like it has its own identity. Systems reinforce one another, progression feels satisfying, and loot is actually exciting again. I’m not just saying this because I had two Mythics drop for me as early as Torment 2 this season, honest. Blizzard is finally conveying what kind of ARPG Diablo 4 wants to be.

Naturally, this makes me wary of the looming Lord of Hatred expansion, set for April 28, 2026. With another massive shake-up on the horizon, could we go from “D4 is good” back to — well, you know.

Everything I’ve loved about Season 11

The Paladin is the obvious headline, and it’s fun as hell because it is overtuned as hell. The "Castle" paragon node scaling off armor is clearly out of whack and will likely be nerfed to oblivion in future patches, but it’s making the class the undisputed top of the current meta.

Regardless, this isn't a Spiritborn-at-launch situation where bugs shattered the game and made it positively unfun for other classes. The Paladin’s power feels more intentional rather than accidental. A few numerical tweaks could bring it in line without gutting its identity entirely next season.

Beyond the obvious power fantasy, the Paladin has brought back the lapsed players. Those who mentally wrote the game off months ago. It finally delivers the sword-and-board archetype fans have begged for since the beginning. Between its strong visual identity and flexible buildcraft (there are many viable builds), it doesn't force you into a single playstyle. I’ve found myself really enjoying the class despite initial expectations.

I didn’t care for the Paladin in Diablo 2, and I can count on one hand how many times I picked up Crusader in Diablo 3, but I love the Diablo 4 Paladin. Spiritborn felt like a fun novelty I wouldn’t likely return to. But right now, I’m making Hammer Tornados my personality, and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.

Zooming out, the Paladin is just one piece of a much more satisfying puzzle. Crafting is finally fun. ‘Sanctification’ turned what could have been another forgettable seasonal gimmick into a compelling endgame thrill loop that I hope becomes a permanent fixture. Now that RNG has been removed from Tempering (along with the frustration), a perfect Sanctification is the new ultimate goal.

The journey of an item from its drop to tweaking its stats, tempering, socketing, and such before that final Sanctification stamp makes crafting our items more interactive. Any frustration I’ve felt during the process has been directed at my own stupidity. Sanctifying something before I’d finished tinkering with it. "I haven’t put a socket on my shield yet… I forgot to temper this… d’oh!"

But I love the finality of it. You aren’t just incrementally upgrading stats anymore. Sanctification is rolling for a miracle that might warrant a screenshot. Seeing people roll Shakos onto Shakos (even if it's only the 0.01%) adds a level of "what if" excitement that the game needed. I may never see that luck myself, but I love knowing it’s possible.

Similarly, Divine Gifts has fixed a long-standing issue: funneling players into a single correct activity. Instead of slamming the same dungeon endlessly, you’re rewarded for engaging with everything in the game. Pits, lair bosses, Helltides, and Undercity runs all feel meaningful.

Even when the loot you want doesn't drop, you’re still progressing your Divine Gifts. Though my one criticism is that they progress insanely slowly, I guess that keeps us playing longer. Blizzard even snuck in a secret Uber-style mega fight without telling us. Giving the community something to discover on their own.

The secret Uber fight is reminiscent of the hunt for the Cow Level and is exactly what the game needed. There was no dev blog explaining it into the ground; players had to stumble onto rare materials and piece together the ritual themselves. I’m currently sitting on one of the four materials needed, and that chase is what keeps me playing.

It’s genuinely aspirational content that doesn’t feel like a slog. It proves that Diablo works best when it realizes that not everything needs to be accessible to everyone immediately.

Vessel of Hatred played it a little too safe

This brings us back to my concern regarding expansions. Vessel of Hatred played it a little too safe. It barely moved the needle, really. Runes and Mercenaries are fine, but they don't reshape the endgame. You can engage with them, or as I often do until a Season Journey chapter forces my hand — forget they even exist.

In hindsight, that restraint was likely intentional. Narratively, Blizzard wanted to drag out Mephisto’s arc, which led to a lackluster finale in Vessel, but should lead to a much more impactful confrontation in Lord of Hatred this coming April. Historically, Diablo expansions like Lord of Destruction or Reaper of Souls have radically redefined the game.

We didn't get that wild shake-up with Vessel of Hatred because Blizzard was still busy rebuilding trust and stabilizing core systems. Lord of Hatred, however, isn't shaping up to be so conservative. And when the game is finally this good, a wild shake-up is pretty damn frightening! Lord of Hatred will change everything, for better or worse.

Based on what we already know, Lord of Hatred isn’t just tacking on a new map and calling it a day. We’re looking at a total reconstruction of the skill trees for all classes and major overhauls to the endgame. We’re getting War Plans, Echoing Hatred gauntlets, and finally loot filters (YAY!).

The Horadric Cube is returning as a core crafting pillar, the level cap is rising again, and we’re getting a second new class. Even the underlying philosophy behind progression appears to be shifting. That’s exciting for sure, but I’m not counting my chickens just yet.

Diablo 4 finally feels cohesive right now. Systems complement each other rather than compete for our attention. Seasonal mechanics enhance the base game instead of distracting from it — so much so that we want to keep Sanctifying forever (Blizz, if you’re reading this, please please please keep Sanctification).

The loot chase is compelling without being an exhausting chore, and progression finally respects the player's time (unless you are trying to reach paragon 300, which I've given up on for now). When a game finally reaches this kind of equilibrium, sweeping changes become a massive gamble.

Lord of Hatred could elevate Diablo 4 even further, and I sincerely hope it does, but it could also shatter the current loop. There’s a real risk of introducing too many overlapping systems that lead to choice paralysis or overcorrecting too far toward complexity.

Where exactly will the Horadric Cube fit into the current meta? How will the new set bonuses affect the current gear chase? I’m worried because Season 11 has finally nailed these clean, satisfying gameplay loops, and it’s anyone’s guess how all these new moving parts will fit together.

Excited? Absolutely — Confident? Not quite.

None of this is to say I’m dreading Lord of Hatred. I’m just more cautiously optimistic compared to the complete hype train I was on prior to Vessel of Hatred’s launch.

Diablo 4 has earned some real goodwill back with Season 11, and I don’t want to see that go to waste in 2026. I am loving most of all that Blizzard is trusting the community to discover content organically without spoon-feeding us every secret in a patch note.

I want them to take this momentum and run with it. But Lord of Hatred has a massive mountain to climb. It will be judged against Season 11, the best version of the game we’ve ever had. We are past the point of needing to tear Diablo 4 down just to rebuild it again. We’ve had Loot Reborn, then Crafting Reborn.

Whatever comes next needs to expand on this without being a total wrecking ball. If Blizzard gets this right, Lord of Hatred could cement Diablo 4’s identity for years, serving as its Reaper of Souls style renaissance.

What about you? How are you finding Season 11 so far? Are you a lapsed player who came back for the Paladin, or have you been grinding since launch? And looking ahead to April, are you hyped for the Skill Tree reworks and the return of the Cube, or are you worried the game is going to get too complex?

Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear if I'm the only one feeling this nervous excitement.

Blizzard Entertainment president Johanna Faries wants the game developer to put out a couple of big launches every year, while focusing on its existing roster of franchises.

That's according to an interview with Bloomberg, where Faries discussed the studio's work under Xbox and how planning is happening for the next few years. Faries stepped into her role in January 2024, joining from the Activision side of Activision Blizzard King, where she formerly managed the Call of Duty franchise.

Faries notes that she is thinking in "five-year terms," and that she wants Blizzard to continue expanding its lineup of games across established worlds.

"We have iconic IP and in many ways it still has a lot of room to scale, so let’s focus in on the cards we have to play. It doesn’t mean we won’t go into new places and territories, but for right now, let’s home in on all the iconic stature that we have in the tank for Blizzard," she says. "That’s number one."

Faries also wants the teams to have a "reliable cadences of launches" that can see Blizzard putting out a big launch or two every year.

"Our fans are hungry. They want to get involved. They want to feel reliability as well. They want us have a sense of what’s right around the corner. Let’s look at it as a portfolio, and let’s make sure that every — let’s say calendar year — there are at least one to two really big things that Blizzard is pumping out."

When asked about the 30% margin that is reportedly being imposed on Xbox by Microsoft, Faries doesn't give specific details, but notes that while Blizzard is being held to high standards, she considers it a credit to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and president of game content and studios Matt Booty.

"They want to see Blizzard thrive, and I think they trust in the talent that we have here to be able to write our future," she says. "I think we have our house very in order. I feel very confident about what’s coming up."

Blizzard already has two big launches set for the first half of 2026

Looking ahead, Blizzard already seems set with two big launches coming fairly early next year. World of Warcraft: Midnight is set to arrive on March 2, 2026.

Meanwhile, Diablo 4 is getting its second expansion with the launch of Lord of Hatred on April 28, 2026, bringing new story and two new classes, including the Paladin, which is available now for anyone that preorders the expansion.

I'm curious what the teams have further down the line, as it seems unlikely that new expansions will be ready for Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft in 2027. Might we see Blizzard launch some entirely new games?

Do you think Blizzard can actually hit that pace without sacrificing quality, or is this just corporate optimism talking? Drop your thoughts below and hit our poll — what do you want Blizzard’s new release era to look like?

During The Game Awards 2025, Blizzard Entertainment dropped a reveal trailer for Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred, the next big DLC expansion of Diablo IV that will bring back the classic Paladin class (which has been missing in action since Diablo 2), a new mystery Class, gameplay balance changes, the return of the Horadric Cube, the culmination of the "Age of Hatred Saga", and more.

To celebrate the occasion, Blizzard has announced a line-up of Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred merchandise at its Blizzard Gear Store, including apparel, accessories, and figures of the expansion's central villain, Mephisto.

As a bonus, buying these collectibles in the Blizzard Gear Store will net you a weapon code for the Diablo Death's Head Cudgel to use in Diablo IV.

Here is a selection of the new collectibles Blizzard is offering for Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred.

Prepare to face the Lord of Hatred, Mephisto

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is the 2nd major expansion of Diablo IV, following the Vessel of Hatred Expansion (which is included with all editions of Lord of Hatred). It is set in a new region called Skovos, and it will take players on a dark journey to save Sanctuary from one of Diablo's most iconic villains, Mephisto.

The Expansion will feature two character classes, a wealthof new enemies and bosses to slay, overhauled endgame content, a dramatic storyline, an increased level cap, fishing, and much more.

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is set to release on April 28, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and Battle.net. Do note that you will need to buy the base game of Diablo IV first in order to play the Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Expansion.

Pre-purchasing Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred will net players early access to the Paladin Class, which is available right now with Diablo IV's 11th Season, which went live yesterday, December 11, 2025, at 8:30 p.m. PT.

Standard, Deluxe, or Ultimate Editions of Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred are available to purchase, with varying levels of cosmetic DLC content in each edition.

As an added bonus, purchasing any version of Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred will net you bonus decor items you can use for World of Warcraft's Player Housing feature.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but Blizzard Entertainment's Gear Store discount sale is still live to provide its fans more chances to grab cool video-game collectibles like clothing, jewellery, figures, and more based on their favorite franchises.

So we have rounded up the coolest, cutest, and funniest merchandise currently on sale from Blizzard's Gear Store to provide your fellow World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, and Overwatch fans with the perfect Christmas gifts.

What's more is that buying these items from the Blizzard Gear Store will grant you access to download exclusive in-game items for World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, and Overwatch, and show them off to your friends.

World of Warcraft

Diablo IV

Overwatch

FAQ / Buying Advice

If you love all the cool World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, and Overwatch 2 we've highlighted here, head on over to the Blizzard Gear store to see what else they have to offer for their Black Friday sale.

Here are some additional details you may find useful for Blizzard Entertainment's Collectible sale.

More Cyber Monday 2025 - quick links

• All our TOP recommended Cyber Monday deals: Just the best
• Mini PC deals: up to 47% off tiny PCs
• GPU deals: early price drops on NVIDIA RTX before they go up
• Microsoft Surface deals: save up to $500 on premium PCs
• Xbox accessories: best deals on gadgets for your Xbox Series X|S and PC
• Gaming laptop deals: the best laptops for the best price
• Xbox controllers: our top picks for best controller deals
• ANC headphones: great Cyber Monday deals on the best ANC headphones
  
  Even more Cyber Monday deals:
• Dell deals: 13 deals from Dell.com that you shouldn't miss
• Best Buy: 34 hottest discounts on laptops, monitors, gaming, and more
• Walmart: 7 top laptop deals you shouldn't miss
• Samsung monitors: the best Samsung display deals we've found
• Retro gaming: handhelds, arcade machines, old school consoles, and more
• Gamer merch: Blizzard’s Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo IV collectibles
• Game keys: 10 PC game codes are even cheaper at Loaded (formerly CDKeys)
• Accessories: Even more PC accessories starting at $17

The Overwatch 2 development team at Blizzard Entertainment has unionized, as shared by the Communication Workers of America (CWA) on Friday.

This "wall-to-wall" union includes almost 200 developers, including artists, engineers, and other non-management roles. It's also the second union formed at Blizzard Entertainment, with the World of Warcraft team unionizing back in July 2024.

“Game developers behind Activision Blizzard’s hit franchise Overwatch have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA), becoming the latest group of video game workers at Microsoft-owned studios to form a wall-to-wall union,” the CWA announced in a press release.

Outside of Blizzard Entertainment, several other unions have formed across game development studios under Microsoft, including at Activision User Research and ZeniMax Online Studios.

It also comes as the CWA has formed an industry-wide union for game developers to join, including any workers that were recently laid off.

Over 20,000 workers in the gaming industry were laid off in 2024, including over 2,000 at Microsoft, with many being laid off from Activision Blizzard King.

According to some workers speaking with Kotaku, the primary motivation was protection, with a serious effort for unionization starting after seeing coworkers laid off from Blizzard Entertainment. Other issues include solving pay disparity and lifting work from home restrictions.

In April, ZeniMax quality assurance workers voted to authorize a strike if necessary, with the union pushing for better pay and the right to work from home.

Overwatch 2 is on a hot streak for Season 16, adding a new Stadium game mode, a hero damage hero called Freja, and a collab with the classic mecha anime Gundam Wing.

However, Blizzard has decided to make dreams come true for Overwatch and fighting game fans alike as it has announced that Overwatch 2's next collab will be Street Fighter 6, the latest entry in Capcom's Street Fighter franchise.

According to the announcement trailer, the collab event will begin on May 20, 2025. The event will include Street Fighter-themed costumes for several Overwatch 2 heroes and emotes inspired by special moves characters use in Street Fighter.

The characters to receive Street Fighter costumes in the Street Fighter 6 collab event, as confirmed in the trailer so far, include:

• Juno as Chun-Li
• Hanzo as Ryu
• Widowmaker as Cammy
• Kiriko as Juri
• Soldier 76 as Guile
• Zenyatta as Dhalsim
• Winston as Blanka
• Sigma as M. Bison

The Overwatch x Street Fighter dream crossover has finally come true

Back when I played the original Overwatch in the late 2010s, I often thought that Overwatch was the Street Fighter of PvP shooters due to its anime-esque, over-the-top character designs and how the gameplay revolves around using "special moves" to beat your opponents.

I would have never thought in a million years that Overwatch would get an actual crossover event with Street Fighter, but then again, I never expected Diablo 4 to get a crossover with Berserk, so anything's possible these days.

Either way, I'm glad this Collab is happening as both Overwatch and Street Fighter are awesome, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the Street Fighter 6 skins will look in-game as Hanzo's Ryu skin already looks amazing.

On a side note, when the crossover goes live on May 20, 2025, I hope there will be a special arcade mode where we get to beat up cars like in Street Fighter's mini-games that happen in between fights!

Overwatch 2's Stadium Mode is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC.

Blizzard always pushes out the boat for its bizarre Diablo promotions. In the run-up to the launch of Diablo 4, we had KFC collaborations, a painted cathedral ceiling, and suspicious meat milkshakes, with the launch of Vessel of Hatred being celebrated by the gifting of poisonous flowers to your worst enemies.

Not content with letting Mother's Day go by without some dedication to the Mother of Sanctuary, this next event, named "Mothers Judgement" [sic], celebrates all the gaming Moms being driven to Hell and back by their demon spawn, with the gift of candles.

Mother's Judgement from Lilith

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Diablo has teamed up with Cantrip Candles to bring the essence of Sanctuary straight to your senses with Mother's Judgement.

This limited-time collaboration pays homage to Lilith, the Mother of Sanctuary herself, with candles that evoke either her ominous blood petals or her even more... wrathful side.

Basically, you’ll either get a lovely rose-scented candle or one that smells as putrid as my teenage boy's bedroom.

• Mother's Blessing: A heavenly blend of rose, ash and floral notes.
• Mother's Wrath: A triple threat (triune if you will) of wet trash, pungency and putridity.

The twist to the promo is that it's a kind of candle roulette, as you don't know which you'll receive. Your candle fragrance will be determined by Lilith herself (or rather, one of her demon-loving Blizzard representatives).

Diablo fans will have a chance to claim one of 666 limited-edition candles by opting into the promotion starting May 8, 2025.

Once you’ve signed up, fate (not how much you've spent on the Diablo 4 battle pass) will decide whether you receive a blessing or a curse.

Deliveries will roll out through the following week, bringing a bit of Sanctuary right to your doorstep. Who doesn't want the smell of goatmen-riddled countryside in their home?

If you’re not among the lucky 666 to receive a candle, there’s still something for you: a digital Mother’s Judgement card, so you can feel like a part of the festivities.

For your chance to get one of these candles, whether it be the delicious or the diabolical for your Mother, head over to the website Blizzard has set up for the promotion at MothersJudgement.com

Diablo 4 Season 8 is here, and reactions have been a bit mixed. Players seem to be enjoying the new lair bosses, but the new reliquary battle pass, approach to seasonal rewards, and overall structure of seasons seem to be under intense scrutiny.

Diablo 4 has also seen increased competition from competing ARPGs like Last Epoch and Path of Exile 2, leaving Blizzard with strategic decisions to make over whether to emulate what's popular in other games, or try out a different direction.

Before Season 8 dropped, I caught up with Blizzard's Deric Nunez and Colin Finer to learn about how Diablo 4's seasonal model has evolved, and the philosophies that will take Blizzard towards Diablo 4's next big expansion.

On Season 8, lair bosses, and the seasonal model

Season 8's big bad is Belial, returning from Diablo 3. The Lord of Lies was a major enemy in the previous title, and is a protégé of Diablo 4's primary evil, Mephisto. His return marks an escalation of the calamity Mephisto is unleashing, after re-emerging into Sanctuary during the events of Vessel of Hatred.

"So, we see this as the continuation of the Age of Hatred, that accelerated at the end of the events of Vessel of Hatred," Lead Seasons Designer Deric Nunez explains, "Mephisto is walking Sanctuary in human form. He created the perfect distraction for Belial, who has been waiting in the shadows."

Belial emerges as part of open world activities, but also as a major new lair boss as part of a revamped boss ladder. I asked Blizzard how the approach to lair bosses has evolved since their introduction in the base game.

"We see Season 8 as an opportunity to put focus and refine the foundation of major end game features," says Nunez. "The Lair Boss system is getting a pretty massive overhaul, not just the new bosses like Belial, the Harbinger of Hatred, or Urivar, but the general quality of life improvements to the feature as a whole. We wanted to set it up to sit more confidently in the wider pantheon of other end game activities, owing to the pivot on materials. We want to boost the frequency that players are engaging with bosses."

Some players have complained that Diablo 4's season journey and boss battles are too easy, while others have complained that obtaining rewards like the seasonal pet have become too grindy. I asked how Blizzard maintains a balance between difficulty and accessibility, given that games like Path of Exile 2 have begun exploring boosting difficulty to excite players.

"We're trying to return to the heart of the Diablo experience, where you level up to fight this big bad, and get all the rewards, to then fight bigger bads. When we first introduced lair bosses, there was a journey to climb up the ladder fighting harder and harder bosses," says Colin Finer, Lead Systems Designer. "In a lot of ways, we feel we've lost that by Season 7. Players have gotten stronger, there's been some power creep, and economic creep on the boss materials side. Season 8 aims to bring the lair bosses back into focus. By eliminating the economic costs, we can raise the difficulty a bit, you can test yourself whenever you want."

"Hopefully we can take it back to that feeling you got from Season 2, where maybe you can get a cheeky kill early in your Torment difficulty journey. We're okay with people being able to one shot bosses eventually, as long as the journey to get there is satisfying. We think of Diablo as a power fantasy game, that's why we have the ultimate form of power fantasies in Season 8 — taking powers directly from bosses, and becoming 'the boss,' right? You can ascend to becoming a God. What we don't like is that, if you're entering a boss battle like Duriel at the start of Torment, and you slap him easily, and you get his loot practically for free — that's what we don't want."

Colin Finer and Deric Nunez acknowledge the challenge of balancing risk and reward, and finding that specific sweet spot. The team also wants to explore ways to make obsolete gear useful, either via resources or additional stat rolls.

"Ultimately, we want Diablo to feel like it's a rewarding experience. We want everyone to hop in and feel rewarded. If everything dies in one second, then it doesn't feel like you've earned the reward. We also don't want it to be so difficult that it feels like a slog. It's a difficult line for us to walk to hit that sweet spot where it's just challenging enough to feel like the rewards are sweet, but not so challenging where the rewards become an afterthought."

"We want to streamline the experience in Diablo 4 to make it clearer when items are upgrades. We don't want you to have to spend tons of mental energy sifting through loot to try and figure out what is or isn't good for you. So, we do phase out certain rarities, because we think it's part of the progression journey. You become so powerful that certain loot just becomes beneath you, right?"

"One thing we do miss the mark on is, what happens to those rarities when they do get phased out? In the future, we do want items that, once they become useless to you, they automatically turn into salvage that you can then pour into more powerful loot, or potentially more pulls on stat rolls."

On meta progression, seasonal rewards, and the future

One thing many Diablo content creators are calling for is better rewards for Diablo 4, either via account-wide season-over-season meta progression, or via things like the Battle Pass. The new reliquary system was designed to give players more control over what rewards they pursue, but others have noted that it seems to have fewer items than the previous linear battle pass track. I asked the team how their philosophy is evolving with regard to the game's battle pass model, as well as get hints about the future of more permanent progression systems.

"We are open to the idea of having more meta progression to give more meaning to playing a season," Finer explains. "We made a change in Vessel of Hatred to allow all Paragon levels, for example, to carry over into Eternal. You could argue that's a sort of meta progression tracker, right?

"On the seasonal model, I do think it's actually helpful to casual players who haven't played in a while, because it lets everyone start fresh. You don't need to remember anything about your previous character, sift through gear, and so on."

One thing that concerns me about Diablo 4's direction is the volume of rewards-as-microtransactions, rather than obtained via play. Blizzard focused on making the higher ranks of Torment more tough, and put some of the most compelling rewards up in there, until fan feedback led them to change tac. The team emphasized that player feedback shapes their decisions, although there are limits.

"We have added a lot of great stuff to the season journeys. Last season we had our first flying pet, Dorian, as part of the season journey. We think it's cool to have aspirational rewards in the game, like Dorian, and this season's is Iris the cat. The aspirational stuff is tricky — we know it's important to have things to aspire to, but we also want it to be a rewarding experience, regardless of how hard you play. It's tricky to balance. Some feel that there's a disservice if it's not hard enough, but it then makes it inaccessible for a lot of players. We look to fan feedback to find out where sentiment is landing on things like that. We're happy to revisit things, like moving Iris from Chapter VII of the season journey to Chapter VI."

As a World of Warcraft player, I had to ask about Vessel of Hatred's new raid layer, and whether it could see improvements, with a reminder about Diablo 4's enigmatic roadmap.

"We're happy that we tried something new for Vessel of Hatred, we haven't seen it before in the mainline series. We're still parsing player feedback to help validate our investments in raids and other types of content. In our roadmap, we have nightmare dungeon improvements, infernal horde improvements — focusing on the core systems players love and enjoy."

I tried to tease some hints about a Paladin class or new features coming to the expansion for Diablo 4 next year, but the Blizzard team were proving tough to crack on that one. Although, they acknowledged how much potential still exists in Diablo 4, especially as competition from other ARPGs gradually ramps up.

"I do agree that Diablo 4 still has a lot of untapped potential. I think Season 8 is jammed with cool stuff, with new lair bosses, new move sets for lair bosses, and quality of life improvements. We're very excited for the next expansion in 2026. I think players are going to love it. I do agree that there's so much more we can offer players. There's more to come."

A huge thanks to Colin Finer and Deric Nunez for fielding our questions — I'll see you guys in Sanctuary!

Diablo 4 Season 8, Belial's Return just kicked off a couple of hours ago, and Diablo fans are already raging. Though they may have pretty good reason for it in this regard.

Right now we're seeing reports of the new Battle Pass system, Reliquaries, causing an error which deducts the players Platinum from the balance but doesn't reward you with the pass. So buyer beware, do not grab it until a fix arrives!

Do not buy the reliquary! Massive bug! from r/diablo4

Diablo 4 Reliquary is bugged

Blizzard has updated the official Diablo 4 forums to say that they are investigating the issue.

"Hey folks thanks a ton for sharing. We’re investigating this issue with Reliquaries not showing/functioning properly at this time. Apologies for the inconvenience, we’ll keep you all informed asap on any updates."

One user on Reddit says they bought the Deluxe Battle Pass and nothing unlocked for them despite the game telling them the pass is active, all Reliquaries remain locked. Others have reported having 1000 Platinum deducted from their balance but no cosmetics unlocking on the pass.

Others are reporting other hiccups with previously purchased cosmetics from previous passes are missing in their character wardrobes.

Can't redeem pass from a previous season on the Reliquary in Diablo 4?

The transition from the traditional Battle Pass system to the new Reliquaries in Diablo 4 has introduced another complication. Previously, players who purchased a Battle Pass, such as those with the Ultimate version of Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, could choose to delay redeeming it for a future season. For instance, if someone opted not to redeem their Battle Pass in Season 6, it would remain on their account, ready to be activated in a later season.

However, with the introduction of the Reliquaries system, many players are now reporting that they can no longer redeem their unused Battle Passes from previous seasons. This change has understandably caused some outrage.

Here’s hoping Blizzard fixes this issue quickly, as it may just be another hiccup in the madness that comes with a new season launch.

We’ll continue monitoring the situation for updates.

Overwatch 2 has launched a brand new game mode called Stadium, and it is unlike any mode that's come before in the long-running hero shooter. In this mode, two teams of five players compete in seven rounds to see who can complete the most objectives.

Between each, players can upgrade their hero with a variety of new abilities and stat-boosting items that can completely alter their play style and potentially help their team win the match.

Each hero has tons of abilities and items to choose from, so it can be intimidating to decide which ones are right for you (especially since you have a time limit to choose them between rounds).

So we have rounded up all the abilities and items available for each hero in Overwatch 2's Stadium Mode, so you can plan ahead to beat the competition in one of Blizzard's best Xbox games and best PC games.

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Reinhardt

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Reaper

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Soldier 76

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Mercy

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Moira

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - D.va

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Genji

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Orisa

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Kiriko

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Ana

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Cassidy

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Ashe

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Juno

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Zarya

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Junker Queen

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Lucio

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - Mei

Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode - General Items (usable with any Hero)

Which heroes will you choose for Stadium Mode?

There you have every Hero available in Stadium Mode, along with all the abilities and items they can equip in battle. You may have noticed that not every Hero from the main roster is available to play in Stadium Mode.

Don't fret about that because Blizzard will be adding the rest of the Heroes to this mode in the future, and we will update this accordingly when they arrive.

Additionally, we will update this list when any balance changes occur and when new abilities and items are added to Stadium Mode, so be sure to bookmark this list for future updates.

Overwatch 2's Stadium Mode is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC.

Overwatch 2 has a new mode called Stadium, and I'm mildly addicted to it.

In a match that lasts up to 7 rounds, players battle across a variety of modes with a subset of the main Overwatch roster. The kicker? Each round earns you cash, which you can spend on items, almost like a MOBA.

The variety of items, powers, and other passives intersect and compliment each other, transforming Overwatch 2 into an almost unrecognizable game. It helps that the mode also features third-person gameplay for good measure.

If you're just getting to grips with Stadium mode, you might not have time to read through the massive list of Overwatch 2 Stadium perks and abilities, though? I've been reading some of the "best build guides" for Moira online and decided most of them suck. Here's my build for Moira, and tips on how to use it. It's much better.

Best Overwatch 2 Stadium Moira Powers

Moira is an evil support hero who sports a degree of notoriety for practically being a damage dealing class. Her orbs and Biotic Grasp abilities are great for those who don't have super pro aiming skills (like me) due to their area-of-effect capabilities. Especially on console, this means you can increase the turn speed of your joystick for faster movements, without necessarily sacrificing accuracy like you would with a hitscan-style hero.

But yeah, she is supposed to be a support class at the end of the day, so this build gives you the best of both worlds.

The idea here is to spam Biotic Orbs all over the place. The first rank lets you add pressure to damage dealers and other healers by letting you heal while also dealing damage. The subsequent ranks simply add more orbs to your repertoire, which can be used both for healing or dealing huge amounts of damage. This build shines in certain maps with corridors and choke points in particular, although you can still just blast most squishy DPS and support heroes by firing off 4 balls into their face all at once, and then fading out for an extra one.

The items also make this build even more deadly, stacking ability power, while adding additional range to your balls on top.

Best Overwatch 2 Stadium Moira Items

All of the items here revolve around boosting Moira's ability power, which is where all of your damage and healing is going to come from. The four items above are key to the build, but I've left some room to add additional abilities you might think fits your playstyle here.

Once you've started grabbing some of Moira's multiball capabilities, the idea is to just identify weaker targets and spam them straight into their faces. Once you've picked up Smart Orbs, the orbs will travel slower when hitting targets or healing allies, which is absolutely great for picking Mercy or Juno out of the sky. The healing orbs will also travel with you, while travelling alongside the DPS you're murdering. It's a great way to shut down flankers and attackers who may otherwise be expecting an easy kill. If you get enough cash, you can also throw Liquid Nitrogen on top of Smart Orbs, this will add a movement speed slowing effect to heroes like Genji and Cassidy, ruining their day. Or well, ruining anyone's day really. It's probably going to get nerfed eventually.

Stacking as many Ability +% items as possible will help carry both your damage and healing throughout the match, and has the added bonus of making Moira's ultimate absolutely deadly too. Fade up a death ball, throw out 4 more death balls, pop your ultimate on top — you'll evaporate entire teams doing this.

Overwatch 2 Stadium is surprisingly awesome

Overwatch 2's new Stadium Mode is probably the most fun I've had in the game for a long time. It builds on the successes of the perk systems introduced into the base modes, and delivers some of the promised customization from the deceased Overwatch 2 "Story Mode."

It may be a while before they can truly nail the balance here. I've felt obscenely overpowered playing Moira and Mei, and some heroes like Ashe clearly need some help as of writing. However, the promise is clear. Overwatch 2 is still delivering for its fans, even almost a decade after the fact.

Overwatch 2's Stadium Mode is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC.

On April 17, 2025, Blizzard unveiled a gameplay trailer for Overwatch 2's now live Season 16. The major news highlights from it included the new Stadium Mode, the Damage Hero Freja, and an upcoming collaboration with the classic anime series Gundam Wing.

Fast-forward eleven days later and Blizzard has unveiled another Overwatch 2 trailer, this time showing off gameplay footage of the Gundam Wing collaboration in full, which is expected to launch on April 29, 2025.

The Overwatch 2 x Gundam Wing collaboration is a limited-time event that will last from April 29, 2025 until May 13, 2025. During this event, players can earn special cosmetic skins for several Overwatch Heroes inspired by Gundam mechs seen in the anime.

These skins include:

• Mercy as Wing Gundam Zero.
• Ramattra as Epyon.
• Soldier: 76 as Tallgeese.
• Reaper as Deathscythe.

In addition to the cosmetic skins, players can also net themselves Gundam Wing-themed items like Shinigami title and the Zero System spray by complete special event challenges during this event.

Gundam Evolution lives on in Overwatch 2.

For those unfamiliar, Gundam Wing is the sixth major installment of Mobile Suit Gundam, a long-running anime mecha franchise that's been around since 1979.

The anime follows the tales of five Gundam pilots as they fight in the name of the Space Colonies to liberate the Earth from the tyrannical grip of the United Earth Sphere Alliance.

Like most Gundam anime, it is a war story filled with political intrigue, coming-of-age themes, and explosive action scenes involving giant mecha.

It feels surreal seeing Gundam partnering with Overwatch, as a few years ago, Bandai Namco attempted to create their own Overwatch competitor in 2022 called Gundam Evolution. It didn't last long, unfortunately, as servers for the game shut down on November 29, 2023, after over a year of service.

So some fragments of Gundam Evolution will at least get to live in the game that inspired its creation.

Blizzard is going crazy with these crossovers

Overwatch 2 is no stranger to crossovers as it had collaborations with Cowboy Bebop, One Punch Man, and Transformers, to name a few. Yet between this Gundam Wing collaboration and Diablo 4's Berserk collab running back-to-back, Blizzard has been going nuts with crossovers lately.

It makes me wonder if World of Warcraft will have a big collab with another franchise as well. Does this mean we could potentially see a dream crossover event between World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14, the two biggest MMOs in gaming, finally become a reality?

It is very unlikely to happen, but nobody expected a crossover between Diablo 4 and Berserk to happen either, so who knows what the future holds? We'll have to wait and see to find out.

Overwatch 2's Stadium Mode is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC.

It's that time again, a new Diablo 4 season is about to begin and today's campfire went through everything learned from the Public Test Realm (PTR) and what to expect from Season 8.

Starting on April 29, 2025, Season 8 of Diablo 4 introduces a new storyline and gameplay mechanics centered around Belial, the Lord of Lies. Players will face unique challenges and unlock powerful 'boss abilities' in this seasonal update. Lets dive in.

Belial’s Return and the Seasonal questline

Belial’s comeback brings a new storyline for seasonal players, with help from two new allies: Sayeena, a former Vizjerei mage, and Jarius, a knight from the Cathedral of Light.

To begin the Lord of Lies questline, visit the Stranger in Kyovashad’s city center near the Waypoint. You’ll need to have completed Diablo 4’s base campaign and created a new character on the Seasonal Realm.

Boss Powers will be the Seasonal theme

This new mechanic allows players to absorb special abilities from defeated bosses, including World and Lair Bosses.

Each Boss Power has a Main effect and additional Modifiers, letting players experiment with different builds. Players can equip one Main Power and up to three Modifiers.

Apparition Incursions will pit you against Belial's manifestations

These are world events tied to Belial’s presence, where players battle his manifestations. Completing these incursions offers valuable loot and opportunities to gain new Boss Powers.

Any character playing on any Difficulty Level can participate in this event. The event occurs in a different part of Sanctuary every few minutes, so keep an eye on your map for its current location.

Everything you need to know about the Lair Boss rework

Season 8 introduces a reworked approach to Endgame Bosses, replacing the previous boss ladder system with Lair Bosses, now divided into three tiers based on difficulty and rewards:

Initiate Lair Bosses - cost 12 keys to summon

• Beast in the Ice
• Grigoire
• Lord Zir
• Varshan
• Urivar (Vessel of Hatred required).

Greater Lair Bosses - cost 3 keys to summon

• Andariel
• Duriel
• Harbinger of Hatred (Vessel of Hatred required).

Exalted Lair Bosses - cost 2 keys to summon

• Belial, Lord of Lies

All Lair Bosses are available starting at Torment Difficulty 1. Bosses no longer require summoning materials. Instead, they drop a Hoard chest upon defeat, which each player in a party must unlock individually using Lair Boss Keys.

There are guaranteed unique drops for first-time kills, and higher difficulties and larger parties increase the chance and quantity of unique rewards. This should help dramatically with bloat in the stash from previous boss farming.

More Boss Keys drop from activities like Helltide Chests, Nightmare Dungeons, and World Bosses. Lairs now have unique map icons and a direct teleport feature.

Supreme Belial is the ultimate challenge, requiring specific items like the Betrayer’s Husk to unlock. Defeating him yields rare rewards, including Ancestral Uniques.

The devs stated that the idea of all of this is that "the bosses will be more rewarding" and even more so after the feedback received since the PTR for Season 8.

Season Journey and Battle Pass simplified

Smoldering Ashes will now be earned directly through the Season Journey, rather than through the Battle Pass. These are what you use to power up your Seasonal Blessings such as XP boosts, increased reputation towards seasonal rewards etc.

The process should be simpler than in previous seasons.

Reliquaries, the new Battle Pass system

Season 8 introduces new Legendary Aspects, Unique Items, and cosmetics. A Battle Pass titled 'Reliquaries' provides additional rewards, while the in-game shop expands with more customization options.

In the shots above you can see that the Reliquaries are broken up into categories. Belials Return, Weapons, Beasts and Armor.

Belial’s Return is a non-premium Battle Pass Reliquary, which means it doesn't require Platinum to access, and you can even unlock a little platinum within it. The other 3 Reliquaries can be purchased with Platinum individually for 200/500/800 respectively, or as part of the whole Battle Pass bundle for 1000 platinum.

To unlock rewards, you'll need to earn favor, which can generally be done by simply playing the game, as you did for previous Battle Passes. You can hold up to 99 favor tokens and will need to spend these before earning more, however, they do roll over to future season battle passes if you do not spend them (up to the 99 limit).

This is all in addition to the Diablo x Berserk collaboration coming to the game on May 6, this will appear in the Event Reliquaries tab.

The Diablo 4 Roadmap

The Diablo 4 roadmap that was revealed weeks ago was met with a mixed response. The devs did want to emphasize that this roadmap is intentionally vague and will have other things added to it over the next 12 months.

"It's a starting point to be fleshed out." So we should expect more to come than what's been slated.

Additional updates

Summarized points from the question and answer portion of the developer chat below:

• Conduit Shrines removed.
• Obol Gambler buffed.
• Leveling Glyphs made easier.
• Lair Boss Keys remain tradeable.
• Balance changes to roll out faster.
• The levelling will not be as slow as it was in PTR.
• Mythic Unique drop rates increase as players progress through the difficulty levels.

How to start Season 8

Seasonal characters are required to participate in much of the new content, so ensure your campaign is complete and jump into the Seasonal Realm on April 29. Will you be playing?

Overwatch 2 has a new mode called Stadium, and so far, it seems to be a hit.

The round-based mode sees teams of five compete for points, unlocking a huge variety of powers and items that can be equipped between each round. The items and powers really alter expectations of each of the Overwatch's iconic heroes included in that mode.

What if you don't fancy reading through the exhaustive list of perks and abilities, though? We're going to be rounding up some of the best builds that have percolated throughout the Overwatch 2 community, starting with the spacefaring support hero Juno.

Best Overwatch 2 Stadium Juno Powers

Juno is an incredibly mobile support hero that can layer both pressure and healing simultaneously. This build augments her primary tool, Pulsar Torpedoes, with bonus damage and healing, alongside additional splash damage to help support your squad.

With a variety of cooldown-lowering abilities, you'll be able to use Pulsar Torpedoes far more frequently than you would in regular Quick Play or Competitive. This helps offset the increase in damage everybody gets, although burst remains a dangerous threat in the early stages of play. If your Stadium bout lasts through to round 7, Juno will end up with maximum rechargeability for Pulsar Torpedoes, which also has knock on effect of building up Ultimate more rapidly as well.

Maximizing Juno's playstyle in Overwatch 2 Stadium Mode revolves around staying mobile using both Glide Boost and Hyper Ring carefully to avoid hunter killers like Reaper, while keeping Pulsar Torpedoes and Juno's primary fire up as much as possible to keep allies topped off. Medicinal Missiles from Round 5 generates an Ana-like biotic grenade healing buff on the team too, which can really boost your own and your healing partner's throughput.

Best Overwatch 2 Stadium Juno Items

The items here are all about boosting Juno's ability power ultimately. Boosting your ability power augments your healing and damage on Pulsar Torpedoes, as well as the passive healing on Hyper Ring once you've picked up Solar Shielding.

While Juno isn't ever going to one-shot anyone with Pulsar Torpedoes, its ability to lock on from above makes it a really potent tool for finishing off retreating DPS and support heroes. The splash damage on Pulsar Destroyers also helps increase the overall pressure on the enemy team, particularly in choke points and bottlenecks. It pairs incredibly nicely with death ball ults like Zarya's Gravitation Surge, or Orisa's Terra Surge.

Juno's primary fire suffers a bit with this build, but can still produce strong healing throughput when paired with Medicinal Missiles, which boosts the amount of healing players receive by a significant amount.

Are you heading into the Overwatch 2 Stadium?

Overwatch 2's new Stadium Mode breaths fresh air into the maturing game, which has seen increased competition from the skill-oriented Valorant and Marvel Rivals on the casual end. Rather than take the competition lying down, Overwatch 2 has unveiled a range of initiatives aimed at refreshing the game. In regular play, new perks grand new abilities to players in Quick Play and Competitive modes as the match evolves, and Stadium brings a new layer of strategic complexity for those seeking to really test themselves.

Overwatch 2's Stadium Mode is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC.

On April 17, 2025, Blizzard announced a shocking surprise that Diablo 4 will be hosting a limited-time collaboration event with 'Berserk', a long-running dark fantasy manga franchise that's considered one of the greatest manga of all time.

Today, Blizzard has released more details on this crossover event, including its launch date, how long it will last, and what kind of rewards and gameplay players can expect to see from it.

Here are all the details for Diablo 4's 'Berserk' collaboration.

First off is that the Diablo 4 'Berserk' collaboration will begin on May 6, 2025, and it will last until the end of Season 8. While this event is active, Elite enemies will have a chance to drop a special currency called 'Behelits', which can be exchanged for Berserk-themed cosmetic items.

These cosmetics include:

• Hawks Destiny Back Trophy.
• Skull Knight’s Heraldry Mount Armor.
• Brand of Sacrifice Marking.

Once you have collected all these cosmetics in the Reliquary, you will earn an extra cosmetic item called the Od of the Berserker Emblem.

Next up is that Diablo 4's in-game Shop will be offering Berserk-themed cosmetic skins, a Pet bundle, and a Mount bundle:

• The Berserker Armor set for the Barbarian.
• The Skull Knight Armor set for the Necromancer.
• 'The Struggler' and The Hawk of Light Armor sets for the Rogue.
• The Chimimoryo Schnoz Pet Bundle which includes a Mask Rakshas Mount Trophy, and Chimimoryo’s Resemblance.
• The Warhorse of the Hawk Bundle which includes a Fantasia Mount, a Fantasia’s Bridle, a Reborn Band of the Hawk Mount Trophy, and a God Hand’s Gift Mount Trophy.

These items will only be available for purchase from the in-game Shop from May 6, 2025, until the end of Season 8.

Lastly, for Diablo 4's Berserk crossover, players can earn a Skull Behelit Mount Trophy via Twitch Drops by supporting streamers.

Diablo 4 isn't the only Diablo game getting on this crossover as Diablo Immortal will also have its own 'Berserk' collaboration event, which will start on May 1, 2025, and end on May 30, 2025.

Diablo Immortal's crossover event titled 'Diablo Immortal: Struggler’s Path' will feature a special boss with Nosferatu Zodd from Berserk and a special, harder version that can be unlocked by using the Crimson Behelit Gem.

This event will also include a horde-mode event called 'Survivor's Bane' which includes the infamous 'Eclipse' event from Berserk and new loot to collect like Crimson Behelit Gem, the Broken Band’s Armament, Berserk-themed weapon skins, and Golem Familiars.

There will also be free cosmetics, crests, and class-specific weapons available as login rewards.

As a non-Diablo 4 player, this collab with my favorite of all time is making it tempting for me to finally start playing

Unlike my colleague and Diablo expert, Jennifer Young, I don't really play Diablo 4 (I'm currently more invested in World of Warcraft at the time of this writing), but I am more than familiar with Berserk as it's one of my favorite manga/anime series ever.

For those who don't know, 'Berserk' is a dark fantasy manga series created in 1989 by the late great Kentaro Miura that would go on to have multiple anime TV shows, movies, and videogame adaptations.

The story follows the tragic life of Guts, a wandering warrior fighting to survive in a cruel world filled with war and demons on a quest to seek vengeance against his former best friend turned bitter enemy, Griffith.

Berserk is a tragic and brutal tale with themes of revenge, finding purpose in life, camaraderie, betrayal, dreams, and sacrifice, to name a few. It also features some of the most compelling characters and violent action scenes I've ever read in a manga.

Not to mention, the Berserk manga has some of the detailed and gorgeous artwork I've seen in any medium.

Berserk has captured the hearts of fans for nearly 4 decades and inspired countless manga, anime, and videogames, most notably FromSoftware titles like Demon Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring.

Diablo 4 having a crossover with Berserk is such a natural fit as both franchises feature similar dark settings with godlike demons and devils as the main antagonists.

So, seeing Berserk being faithfully celebrated in Diablo 4 makes me happy as a long-time fan, and hopeful it will attract new audiences to check out this amazing franchise for themselves. Though be forewarned, Berserk is not for the faint of heart, as it makes Game of Thrones look like a kids' show by comparison.

However, will this crossover with my favorite manga finally get me to play Diablo 4 (I was more invested in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak at the time)? Especially since Blizzard has announced that Diablo 4 will have a 10-year-long roadmap of content heading its way?

Well, I've recently had a falling out with Monster Hunter Wilds and completed the Undermine Raid in World of Warcraft. With plenty of time on my hands, perhaps the time has come to delve into Sanctuary and see why my colleague, Jez Corden, gave Diablo 4 a 5/5 star review.

Blizzard Entertainment has just released a new gameplay trailer for Overwatch 2's upcoming Season 16. This season will add a ton of new content to this iconic hero shooter, like the new Stadium Mode, a new damage hero called Freja, a ton of cosmetic skins to grab, and more.

Here are all the details you need to know about Overwatch 2: Season 16 (which is scheduled to go live on April 22, 2025) from this gameplay trailer.

First up is more gameplay footage and details regarding Overwatch 2's new Stadium Mode. Stadium Mode is a best-of-7-rounds contest where two teams compete in a variety of match types while earning Stadium Cash in combat, which can be used to unlock mighty abilities and Perks that completely change how a Hero plays.

This can be first-person or third-person, ala Marvel Rivals, to give players a brand new perspective on playing Overwatch.

The next major news shown off in the trailer is Freja, Overwatch 2's newest Damage Hero.

Freja is a bounty hunter who tracks her prey with a Revdraw Crossbow that can fire rapid arrows and an Ultimate ability called Bola Shot, which pulls in multiple enemies in one spot so her teammates can take them out.

The third major news announcement is DokiWatch!. This is a collection of new Magical-Girl cosmetic skins that will be available for Juno, D.Va, Freja, Brigette, Widowmaker, and Kiriko later this season.

DokiWatch! will also introduce a new Mythic Weapon Skin for Mercy called the Merciful Magitech in Season 16.

Other new features coming in Season 16 include a Hero Ban system for Competitive Mode to forbid certain Heroes from being chosen during matches, new Battle Pass and Shop skins to collect, and the return of Overwatch Classic (specifically the October 2020 Patch).

The end of the trailer shows a teaser for Overwatch 2's next collaboration event, which Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed will be with Gundam Wing.

Gundam Wing is one of the most iconic entries in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, and this collaboration is made to celebrate the anime's 30th anniversary.

Overwatch 2: Season 16 will go live on April 22, 2025, while the Gundam Wing collaboration will go live on April 29, 2025.

Overwatch 2 is going all out to retain its crown as the king of competitive Hero shooters

Ever since Marvel Rivals jumped on the gaming scene in December 2024 and rapidly accumulated over 40 million players, Overwatch 2 has really stepped up its game to compete with the competition.

From introducing the game-changing Perk system, the crossover skins, the crazy best-of-7-rounds Stadium Mode, and the new third-person camera, Overwatch 2 finally feels like a proper sequel to the original Overwatch instead of a reboot, and I love it.

However, will this be enough to help Overwatch 2 contend with Marvel Rivals and secure its place as the top Hero Shooter on Xbox and PC?

Let's find out together when Overwatch 2: Season 16 drops on April 22, 2025.

Diablo 4 recently published a road map, letting us in on the fact there are two IP collabs coming up in 2025. Today Blizzard revealed that the first collaboration will be with none other than Berserk, the extremely dark Japanese manga series by by Kentaro Miura.

The short teaser doesn't tell us much, but I can say I'm relieved that the IP is somewhat in line with the dark themes of Diablo, ever since Blizzard let Lilith into Call of Duty I've been cautious about what they think a well tailored collaboration looks like, but thankfully, we aren't getting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Diablo (yet).

The Berserk collab will be a crossover event with Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal

The trailer above has been posted and teased by both the Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal social feeds, so we can assume this crossover will be happening in both games. They have simply teased "Trace the path of the Black Swordsman" and "You have been branded" with little else to go on on what this will contain.

The trailer itself shows a character fighting demons in the Berserker armor, so all I can ask now is, how am I going to financially recover from this? Is this going to be a collaboration similar to the World of Warcraft skins?

There's no official word yet on when the Berserk collaboration will land in Diablo 4, but the previously published Diablo 4 roadmap teased the first of these IP drops for April to July, which would coincide with the start of Season 8 Belial's Return, which starts Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

I'm not overly familiar with the Berserk series myself but I do know its impact on many games such as the Dark Souls series, which is another franchise I absolutely love, so perhaps this is the closest to Diablo x Dark Souls I will get!

Watch this space for more news!

Another big Xbox first-party game is headed to Battle.net, with Rare's Sea of Thieves the next game confirmed to arrive on Blizzard Entertainment's PC launcher.

There are three different versions of the pirate adventure now available for preorder on Battle.net, with the $60 Premium Edition bundling in some themed cosmetics, letting players deck out their ships with sails representing Blizzard franchises such as Diablo, Overwatch, Warcraft, and more.

Like with other Xbox games that are being added to Battle.net, Sea of Thieves supports Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning players that already own the game on Xbox consoles (or are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass) can play the standard edition of Sea of Thieves through Battle.net at no extra cost.

Sea of Thieves is slated to launch on Battle.net on May 22, 2025. The game has seen numerous updates in the last couple of years, with the latest seasons adding new Megalodons, additional weapons, and more.

As of a year ago, Sea of Thieves had reached 40 million players on Xbox and PC just ahead of the arrival of the PlayStation 5 version.

Battle.net is rapidly becoming standard for Xbox games on PC

While Battle.net has historically been used as Windows PC launcher solely for Activision Blizzard games, that's been changing over the last few months, with Microsoft exploring putting first-party games from across Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks into the launcher.

Things kicked off with Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed, which launched into Battle.net alongside Xbox Series X|S consoles, the Xbox PC app, and Steam.

That experiment seems to have proven successful, as more Xbox titles have been announced for the launcher since, with id Software's DOOM: The Dark Ages and Obsidian's The Outer Worlds 2 both slated for Battle.net at launch.

I'm a big fan of giving players these additional options and expanding Xbox Play Anywhere. I wonder what other older Xbox games we'll see added to Battle.net in the future...

Spurred by increased competition, Overwatch 2 is coming back strong with a new game mode: Stadium.

Revealed a little while ago, Stadium is a brand new experience for Overwatch 2, bringing a hint of Counter-Strike and League of Legends into the mix.

Complete with round-based play and third-person perspective options, Stadium mode has an economy layer where players can buy perks and equipment to boost their characters round-over-round. Microsoft and Blizzard dropped a new gameplay trailer today that showcases some of the new features, ahead of press and creator access later today.

In the trailer, we're treated to some new gameplay and hints about the new perks and features feeding Overwatch 2's Stadium mode.

For example, healing-focused Ana can now inject her Nano Boost power up into herself, boosting her own damage and healing instead of sending it out to a team mate, if none are available. Another perk allows Ana to Nano Boost all heroes in front of her in exchange for a lower output, which could combine with other multipliers to create new strategies.

Moira, who is another support hero that focuses on damage and healing, can now go fully damage-oriented, stacking perks and abilities that allow her to fire multiple dark orbs at once instead of the usual single orb. Reinhardt was also shown melting the floor with his hammer, and Genji's ult can be equipped to send shockwaves for greater range.

Stadium mode will also feature competitive ranked play, exclusive Stadium mode only skins, and more. It all drops on April 22, 2025.

Overwatch 2 is still a best-in-class shooter

Rather than let Overwatch 2 die on a vine like other publishers might've done, Microsoft and Blizzard are doubling down on the game to ensure its longevity. Marvel Rivals has undoubtedly brought fresh competition to Overwatch 2 in recent years, owing to its (suspiciously) similar formula and licensed Marvel characters.

Overwatch 2 has begun ramping up its own licensed skins as well, albeit without compromising the in-universe style Overwatch is known for. Stadium mode will also add a fresh new dimension to the tried-and-tested formula, while also giving players the ability to see their skins and heroes from a third-person perspective for the first time.

I have it on good authority that Blizzard is also exploring more trans media opportunities for Overwatch as well, as Microsoft wants to emphasize the franchise's key strengths of story, characters, and in-universe lore.

Blizzard is also reviving its industry-leading Blizzcon event for 2026, which should have some major announcements for Overwatch 2's long term future as well, as is tradition.

Stadium mode for Overwatch 2 hits Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC on April 22, 2025, alongside Season 16.

In an interview with Gamefile, Rod Fergusson, General Manager of the Diablo franchise, gave fans an exciting glimpse into the future of the series. While Blizzard recently unveiled a short-term roadmap for Diablo 4, Fergusson revealed that the team has been thinking far beyond that—with a detailed plan stretching over the next decade.

“We're here for the long haul. We've been doing long-range planning recently. And I've created a roadmap—a 10-year roadmap…it was actually a 12-year [roadmap]—I can see this, this, this and this and all these different things that we can do, [which] is really inspiring. And it's really exciting. We’re focused on what players want…I can’t tell you much more than that.”

Rod Fergusson's reply should make Diablo fans happy

This long-term vision was shared during DICE, where Fergusson participated in a creative exchange initiated by journalist Stephen Totilo. Totilo’s idea involved having one games industry figure pose a question for the next, which led Marc Merril of Riot Games to ask Fergusson:

“How are you thinking about the next big inflection point and installment for Diablo? Because that’s a storied franchise that has legs.”

Fergusson’s response should reassure fans about Blizzard’s commitment to the franchise. With a 10-year roadmap, it’s clear that Diablo’s future is being carefully plotted out, though of course many things are subject to change.

A change in pace for expansions

At the same event, Fergusson also disclosed that the next major expansion for Diablo 4 is slated for 2026, breaking from the expected yearly release cycle.

Fans were recently presented with a Diablo 4 2025 roadmap that outlined seasonal content, two new IP collaborations, and a possible teaser for a new class arriving in 2026. While some appreciated the broader look at Blizzard’s plans, others criticized the roadmap’s vague details and what looks like a repetition of seasonal mechanics like borrowed powers and reputation boards.

Slower storytelling in Sanctuary

Alluding to a 10-year long game doesn't suprise me at all, and I'm glad Blizzard will be taking a little longer to let the next expansion cook. The decision to take a slower approach with expansions may ultimately benefit the franchise.

Lest we forget, this will be the first Diablo game that actually receives a second expansion as further plans for Diablo 3 were canceled before Reaper of Souls even hit the shelves.

Many fans, including myself, were left underwhelmed by the direction of the story in the Vessel of Hatred expansion, despite its introduction of the Spiritborn class and new content. The narrative’s focus on Mephisto, who is a fascinating and complex villain, has still left many wanting for closure that never came. Also we will be heading into a third year of Diablo 4 without an appearance by the titular Prime Evil himself.

While Blizzard seems to be deliberately extending Mephisto’s arc across multiple expansions, this could pave the way for a more cohesive and impactful story in the long term. Hopefully, future expansions will bring more satisfying resolutions as well as interesting new directions for the lore in Sanctuary.

Blizzard’s ambitions of a decade of Diablo content give me hope, and it’s clear the team is prioritizing both player feedback and long-term planning. While some may grow impatient with the slower rollout of expansions and updates, this deliberate approach could result in a better game overall, and I for one hope we look back fondly of these years arguing over what color the Helltides are each season.

Blizzard Entertainment's PvP multiplayer hero shooter Overwatch 2 has remained, at its core, a 5v5 experience ever since the studio made the controversial transition from the original game to the sequel in 2022. However, starting last summer, the developer has been experimenting with modes that return the game to its original 6v6 format — and it's now been confirmed that its most popular iteration is sticking around (at least for now).

That mode is 6v6 Open Queue, which pits two teams of six players against each other and allows them to pick any mix of Tank, Damage, and Support characters, albeit with a limit of two Tanks per team for balancing reasons. Specifically, Blizzard says Competitive 6v6 Open Queue has been the third most popular Overwatch 2 mode since testing for it began in Season 15, so it's keeping it available for the duration of the new Season 16 that's scheduled to begin on April 22 and end come June 24. Additionally, the Quick Play variant of the playlist will also be accessible.

"Competitive 6v6 Open Queue was the third most popular mode in Overwatch 2 during Season 15 according to time played ... On average, there’s a 3:1 ratio of players choosing Competitive 5v5 over Competitive 6v6, respectively, but the 6v6 population has remained steady," wrote Overwatch 2 associate game director Alec Dawson in a new Director's Take blog post. "Queue times across the game have remained healthy and data from Season 16 should give us a better sense of how 5v5 Role Queue and 6v6 Open Queue can coexist in the long term."

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Notably, there's been no hard confirmation that 6v6 Open Queue will remain an available Overwatch 2 mode indefinitely. With that said, Dawson's comments suggest that Blizzard is hoping to give it a permanent place in the game's list of playlists, so there's plenty of reason to be hopeful if you're a 6v6 enthusiast. Unless there's a significant 6v6 player drop-off in the coming months, I strongly doubt we'll see it go away.

Season 16 of Overwatch 2 is also bringing the new Damage hero Freja, a Nordic woman that wields a high-tech explosive crossbow, is capable of strong repositioning mobility, and can shoot a bola to constrict her foes as she picks them off with sharpshooting. There's also the Stadium mode coming — a wild new RPGified Overwatch experience with upgradable skills and abilities, a best-of-seven-rounds format, and a third-person view — as well as Hero Bans for competitive play.

While I personally still prefer Overwatch 2's 5v5 offerings, I'm glad to see that Blizzard is continuing to offer 6v6 fans a pair of well thought-out and polished playlists to enjoy. Many folks still miss the format of the original Overwatch, after all, and offering both 5v5 and 6v6 means that most players should be happy somewhere on the servers.

Overwatch 2 overall is enjoying a solid resurgence lately, with the hero shooter going neck-and-neck with its fierce Marvel Rivals competition as of data from late last month. Though it hasn't surpassed the player count of NetEase Games' title since the newer game's release, it's certainly held its own.

If you've never checked out Overwatch 2, you can do so with no barrier to entry whatsoever thanks to the fact it's free-to-play. Something worth noting, though, is that it got Xbox Game Pass perks last year; Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers get access to six exclusive hero skins, a permanent 10% XP Boost for Battle Pass progress, and the ability to access Battle Passes from the three most recent seasons (before the current one) after they're gone for everyone else.

Recently, Blizzard unveiled its Diablo 4 roadmap, and responses have been a bit mixed.

Diablo 4 is a wildly successful ARPG sequel to the legendary franchise that created the genre. At launch, it was an incredibly promising platform upon which to build something special, but arguably, a lot of that early promise has petered out.

I myself have stopped playing Diablo 4, because the seasonal content model didn't really grab me. Every season feels practically the same, and it's difficult for me not to compare it to the absolute deluge of content I get playing World of Warcraft season over season. Even WoW's upcoming "mini" mid-season patch feels beefier than what Diablo 4 has been offering in some of its seasons — and part of the problem is that Diablo, for some reason, hasn't learned from World of Warcraft's previous mistakes.

World of Warcraft underwent a historic decline over the past few seasons, but has begun turning things around based on recent API data. One of the things I attribute to this turn around is the change of the Warcraft team's philosophy towards borrowed power.

"Borrowed power" refers to progression systems that are removed or reset the following season. For example, in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, we had a powerful necklace that we could power up over time, and would ultimately lose at the end of the expansion. In Shadowlands, we had Covenants with the factions of the afterlife, and we'd lose their powers once we left.

It was incredibly irritating and began feeling utterly formulaic, when you knew that by the end of the expansion, all that progression was going to ultimately be meaningless. That's always been true of games like this at the end of the day — but borrowed power mechanics put that reality firmly up front and center.

Recently, Diablo 4 content creator Rhykker landed an interview with Diablo 4's game director Brent Gibson, which went into further detail about Blizzard's recently revealed Diablo 4 roadmap.

The roadmap is very similar to World of Warcraft's roadmap layout, which is a very admirable attempt at greater transparency on Blizzard's part. It's incredibly useful too for them, hopefully, as a feedback gathering tool. And if you look at the comments on Rhykker's video and across the Diablo 4 subreddit, people are lining up to give feedback.

A lot of the discourse revolves around those pesky borrowed power mechanics, which we've seen Blizzard leverage ad nauseum in Diablo 4 since it launched.

One of the reasons Blizzard killed borrowed power in World of Warcraft wasn't just because it felt bad to lose all of that progression at the end of the expansion, but because at some point they realized "couldn't the development time be used on things that add permanent upgrades to the game?" And to be fair, the Diablo 4 team has spent development hours improving existing systems, but it's all too often backwards-facing.

It is a bit different season over season versus expansion over expansion, but the formulaic nature of Diablo 4's approach has fans creating memes around how the seasonal model basically just shifting previous mechanics across with a new color theme. New, permanent additions to the game, such as the revamped boss ladder with Belial, don't seem to hit the game at the cadence players would potentially like.

Comment from r/diablo4

Rhykker argues that Diablo 4 would be better off with a "meta-progression" layer, by which players would unlock actual content like bosses and new dungeons as they progress their power. I couldn't agree more on that point. World of Warcraft's new boss Delves accentuate that to some degree, giving players who have progressed their gear score a major challenge and permanent reward to unlock for that particular season.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if Blizzard's Diablo spent a little longer making seasons bigger and more meaningful than rushing together temporary systems that will be lost and forgotten forever when the seasons end. And yes, some "borrowed power" features do make their way into the game permanently as affixes and the like, but it's not quite as inspiring as all-new systems and dungeons that now typically only come with full expansions.

There's simply a lot in Diablo 4's design that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The only permanent rewards are transmog (gear styles), and all the best ones come from paid store DLC and tired battle passes, and rarely from actually completing dungeons or downing bosses. Features like World Bosses and strongholds are underwhelming or forgotten entirely in endgame play. Unlike games like World of Warcraft, Elden Ring, Monster Hunter, or even Diablo 2, Diablo 4 bosses rarely feel like epic climactic battles as they should, but instead simply reflect annoying road bumps with minimalistic rewards.

I accept how tough it can be hard for developers to thread the needle on games like this. The entire player base is comprised of communities that want different things ultimately. Path of Exile 2 is seeing some contention with its attempts to create a slower, more difficult ARPG experience over the Diablo 3-style hyper-power fantasy with millions of exploding numbers. I also realize that World of Warcraft has a monthly subscription model that funds its ongoing development, likely giving that team a far bigger budget with which to play.

But, in my humble view, I don't think the resources the Diablo 4 team has are being used as effectively as they could be, from a design philosophy stand point.

Blizzard Entertainment has just released the launch date for World of Warcraft's 11.1.5 content update, which is confirmed to be April 22, 2025.

This content update will introduce various gameplay activities like the Nightfall Scenario, The Winds of Mysterious Fortune Event, The Dastardly Duos boss rush gauntlet, the return of Horrific Visions, and a new Cooldown Manager added to the UI to help players see their abilities' cooldown much easier.

Here's all the juicy gameplay details you can expect to see in this upcoming update.

According to the roadmap above ^, the first pieces of content players can expect to experience are the Nightfall Scenario, the Cooldown Manger, and The Winds of Mysterious Fortune on April 22, 2025.

Nightfall Scenario

The Nightfall Scenario is a new questline/gameplay activity where players will ally with the Flame's Radiance faction to help defend the Arathi from the Sureki forces who seek to avenge their queen Ansurek.

As you aid the Flame's Radiance and to get know their leaders Thaed Pyremaker and Mylton Wyldbraun, you will earn ten levels of Renown with them and unlock special rewards.

Gameplay-wise, the Nightfall Scenario will have players fight the Sureki forces across Hallow and Azj-Kahet while being assigned to various task forces of the Flame's Radiance. You will also be able to take in various activities and quests to earn additional Renown and rewards in between scenarios.

The rewards you get for taking part in the Nightfall Scenario will include new armor sets, new weapons, a tabard that visually changes as you gain Renown levels with the Flame's Radiance, a new color variation for your Delver's Dirigible mount, and more.

As your Flame's Radiance rank increases, you will gain buffs that will grant you extra strength while exploring Hallowfall and Azj-Kahet.

The Winds of Mysterious Fortune

The Winds of Mysterious Fortune is a special passive event that will last from April 22, 2025, until May 20, 2025. While this event is active, players will gain a 20% experience buff to speed up levelling their new or alternate characters so long as their level is between 10 and 79.

The Winds of Mysterious Fortune will also grant a +200% buff for renown level gains for major factions in Dragonflight zones and a +100% buff for renown level gains for major factions in The War Within zones.

The affected factions include:

Dragonflight Factions

• Dragonscale Expedition
• Maruuk Centaur
• Iskaara Tuskarr
• Valdrakken Accord
• Loamm Niffen
• Dream Wardens
• Sabellian
• Wrathion
• Cobalt Assembly

The War Within Factions

• Council of Dornogal
• Hallowfall Arathi
• The Assembly of the Deeps
• The General
• The Vizier
• The Weaver

Undermine factions are excluded from benefitting from the Winds of Mysterious Fortune renown gain buff.

While the Winds of Mysterious Fortune event is active, players below Lv.80 will have a random chance to obtain Mysterious Satchels found while looting monsters or from quest rewards while exploring Dragonflight and The War Within Zones.

These satchels contain various items that grant temporary stat boosts or change your appearance. The satchels also have a rare chance of dropping bonus gear appropriate to your current level and class' specialization, and potions that grant two hours of 10% experience bonus gains that stack on top of the passive 20% exp boost buff from the Winds of Mysterious Fortune event.

The Experience potions are Warbound-bound items so they can transferred between your Warband account's characters that are between Lv.10 to Lv. 79. The best part is that these potions can be saved and used after the event is over, so you can stockpile them for future characters.

Do note that the Winds of Mysterious Fortune-related potions will not work in Mythic+ dungeons, Raids, or rated PvP content.

Cooldown Manager

Perhaps one of the biggest yet most subtle additions of this patch is the new Cooldown Manager. This is a new UI element that will show the cooldown timers of a player's cooldown abilities in the middle of the screen so they can more easily know when to use them again.

Players can activate the Cooldown Manager by opening up the Game Menu via hitting Escape, selecting Options, then opening up Advanced Options to see the 'Enable Cooldown Manager' option.

By toggling on this option, you can see important timers on your abilities' cooldowns and buffs in separate customizable HUD elements for your selected specialization.

You can also customize the Cooldown Manager by opening the Game Manue via hitting Escape, selecting Edit Mode to access the HUD Edit Mode, then selecting Advanced Options.

From there, you can select 'Cooldown Manager from the options and then select the Utility Cooldown Options bar, Essential Cooldowns bar, Tracked Buffs bar, and Tracked Bars by clicking on them and adjusting their visual appearances to suit your preferred UI set-up.

Horrific Visions Revisited

On May 20, the Horrific Visions event will be making its return in 'Horrific Visions Revisited'. In this event, players will be forced to fight for their lives and sanity in distorted, nightmarish versions of Stormwind and Orgrimmar, as dreamt up by the Old God N'Zoth.

This event can tackled solo or with a party of players. Solo players can also recruit a follower NPC called the Construct of Soridormi to help them out. This follower can take up Tank, DPS, or Healer roles and will not be affected by sanity.

The Horrific Visions Revisited event will also feature higher difficulty levels that will reward players with Heroic-tier items and gear should they overcome the odds.

The Horrific Vision Marks will also return for this event and they include Mask of Pain, Mask of Dark Imagination, Mask of the Long Night, Mask of the Burned Bridge, and Mask of the Daredevil.

There will also be three new masks to collect and conquer with called the Mask of Vengeance, Mask of Multitudes, and the Mask of the Nemesis.

Horrific Visions Revisited will feature a new currency to collect called Displaced Corrupted Mememtos. These Mementoes can be spent at vendors to purchase rewards from the previous Horrific Visions event and new rewards which include mounts, toys, transmogs, weapon enchantments, and more.

Dastardly Duos

Lastly, this content update will introduce a six-week event that will begin on June 3, 2025, called Dastardly Duos. This event will last from June 3, 2025 until July 15, 2025

Dastardly Duos is a combat show hosted by Vinnie Sweets and it will task players to fight 'animatronic' versions of bosses from World of Warcraft's past.

This event will involve full-player parties going up against two (or more) bosses at once to rack up points on a leaderboard. Claming victory in these battles will net players bonus power-ups they can use to help the even odds, and a variety of rewards including cosmetics, toys and dungeon items based on the bosses you slay.

Dastardly Duos can be accessed by visiting special hubs for it located in Stormwind, Orgrimmar, and Dornogal and speaking with Xyggie Marou to queue for fights. The hubs will also have a Troll-Servant vendor called Wodin where you can buy the aforementioned power-ups to help you in the upcoming fights.

The first week of Dastardly Duos will only have four bosses to fight, and each week afterward will add new ones up to a total of ten bosses to fight. New power-ups will also become available to purchase as the weeks go by.

Additionally, specific achievements can grant additional game effects from them while competing in the Dastardly Duo.

I can't wait to face the new challenges and snag new loot when World of Warcraft's 11.1.5 update drops this April.

World of Warcraft has been experiencing a renaissance lately thanks to the The War Within expansion's improved gameplay elements, story direction, and art design.

Not to mention every patch introduced since The War Within's launch has been nothing short of excellent like the chaotic, Goblin-themed Undermine patch. While this 11.1.5 content update is much smaller in scale, it nonetheless features tons of fun activities that will keep us busy long after we finish liberating Undermine.

Not to mention the Cooldown Manager, a feature that was only possible through third-party add-ons like WeakAuras is a huge deal. This feature will help new/rookie players manage their abilities more easily without having to scour the internet for mods that are difficult to set up without guides.

With player-housing on the horizon for World of Warcraft's upcoming 'Midnight' expansion later this year, the future of one of Blizzard's best PC games is looking bright.

Developer Blizzard Entertainment shared a Diablo 4 roadmap on Tuesday, giving some insights into what players can expect from the action-RPG this year and heading into 2026.

As outlined via Xbox Wire, new permanent additions to the game in 2025 will include new lair bosses, keyboard and mouse support on consoles, new Nightmare Dungeon activities, and more.

That's in addition to various seasonal activities, which will bring new quests to complete and pets to earn. The developer is also celebrating the upcoming two-year anniversary of Diablo 4 in June, while two new "IP collabs" are on the way.

We don't have many details right now, but the press release indicates these collabs are both meant to suit the dark themes and art of Diablo. You can check out the full Diablo 4 2025 roadmap below:

While the final segment showing what's coming in 2026 reiterates that another expansion is on the way, the text at the bottom is partially covered by flames. To myself and fellow contributor Jennifer Young, that sure looks like "New Class."

Of course, it would really be shocking if the next expansion didn't include an additional class, as 2024's Vessel of Hatred brought the Spiritborn class to the roster. Will this be the widely-requested Paladin that the playerbase desperately hopes to see, or does Blizzard have something else in mind? Only time will tell.

I'm also extremely curious to see what crossovers are on the way. Will these be with other Xbox first-party franchises, or are there external partners at play here?

Diablo 4 was originally meant to get another expansion later this year, but franchise boss Rod Fergusson explained that it was pushed back as Blizzard had been adjusting its live service plans in order to better react to player feedback.

In our review of Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, executive editor Jez Corden was joined by Jennifer Young in writing that "It's undeniable that the team has built a powerful stage upon which to further flesh out the Mephisto arc, I just hope that the team will continue to listen to feedback. So far, they've done a decent job on that front."

Diablo 4 is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC (via Steam and Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. It's also included in Xbox Game Pass.

There's another wave of games headed to Xbox Game Pass, as shared via Xbox Wire on Wednesday.

Players using various tiers of Microsoft's gaming subscription service can look forward to several titles, including another first-party game in the form of Compulsion Games' South of Midnight. This third-person Southern Gothic adventure brings a new take on creatures from folklore as players obtain magical "weaving" powers.

Elsewhere, another title from Blizzard Entertainment's back catalog is joining the lineup, and players will be able to embark on Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition.

Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition is also being added, meaning players will get access to all of the DLC packs ahead of the fourth game's launch in September 2025.

Here are all the games headed to different tiers of Xbox Game Pass in the coming weeks:

April 3

• All You Need is Help (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) - Standard
• Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC) - Ultimate, Standard, PC
• Still Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) - Standard
• Wargroove 2 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) - Standard

April 8

• Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC) - Ultimate, Standard, PC
• South of Midnight (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC) - Ultimate, PC

April 9

• Commandos: Origins (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC) - Ultimate, PC

April 10

• Blue Prince (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC) - Ultimate, PC

April 15

• Hunt: Showdown 1896 (Windows PC) - Ultimate, PC

What's leaving Xbox Game Pass on April 15?

Like always, some games are rotating out of the Xbox Game Pass library. If you want to keep playing these titles past April 15, then you'll need to buy them. You get a discount for buying games while they're still in Xbox Game Pass, so act fast and you'll save a bit of money.

• Botany Manor
• Coral Island
• Harold Halibut
• Homestead Arcana
• Kona
• Orcs Must Die! 3
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
• Turbo Golf Racing

A great month with plenty of variety

This is an extremely strong start to the month, with a new first-party game launching and Blizzard Entertainment's games continuing to drip-feed into the Xbox Game Pass library.

It's also interesting to see that the Ultimate Edition of Borderlands 3 is being added, as that means players can explore all the side stories added through the DLCs.

I'm also hearing a lot of great chatter around Blue Prince, so even if it's not your usual kind of game, I'd encourage you to give it a try.

This also comes as Xbox is expanding free-to-play game benefits for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, including in games like StarCraft 2 and The Finals.

World of Warcraft has entered its 21st year in operation, which makes it a true rarity within its genre, and potentially within the industry in general. It remains the world's most popular subscription-based MMORPG, with millions of players funding large ongoing story and PvE content drops every few months, with large world-growing expansions every 1.5 years or so.

WoW has enjoyed something of a renaissance recently. The "current" retail version of the game has received what may end up being remembered as one of its best expansions ever, with The War Within.

The latest content patch delivered an entire new city, new raid, new quest hub, ambitious new story beats, and more. Beyond that, Blizzard has thrown the rulebook out of the window, aggressively pursuing what players say they want, rather than what Blizzard thinks they want — WoW: Classic delivers the nostalgic experience people of a certain age yearn for.

WoW: Hardcore's new perma-death mode has become social media fodder, creating emergent and shareable hijinks ideal for the streaming era. Blizzard has also been experimenting with "remixed" events, retelling previous storylines with new gameplay elements. Despite it all, World of Warcraft has remained relevant, 20 years after the fact.

As a long-time player, I feel like World of Warcraft is enjoying something of a quiet renaissance right now. Emphasis on quiet, because part of me wonders how ready World of Warcraft is to go truly loud right now.

World of Warcraft 'The War Within' Season 2 patch is absolutely phenomenal

I need to preface this with an admission of bias. I am a goblin, and have been since Cataclysm 15 years ago. But let's put that to one side for a moment, and speak purely analytically: WoW's Undermine update is absolutely peak.

Undermine was fairly long in development, but the results speak for themselves. Undermine has been long established in lore as the goblin home city, and it's pretty clear that Blizzard wanted to deliver on those expectations.

For those who don't know, World of Warcraft goblins are a bit steampunky thematically, wielding their engineering prowess (or lack thereof) in the construction of various mechs, tanks, robots — many of which are prone to spontaneously explode.

The goblin's iconic penchant for chaos and their hyper-capitalistic society makes for a uniquely poignant setting given the current state of, well, everything, but Blizzard adeptly satirizes its themes with grace and good humor, but it's not all light-hearted neon-washed fun.

Undermine is run by a heartless kingpin known as Gallywix, who has a long history of general villainy. Players join other goblin mainstays like Gazlowe to lead something of a revolution in the city, uniting the disparate cartels against Gallywix — who seems to have aligned himself with saga antagonist Xal'atath.

While Undermine is full of crazy inventions and wacky hijinks, Blizzard also confidently injects genuinely heartfelt moments into proceedings, while also pushing forward the overarching saga

I won't spoil for those who haven't experienced the story yet, but it was, for me, the best mid-expansion storyline in years, and beefy, with plenty of high-quality cutscenes, voice acting, and juicy lore. I also have to give a big shout out to the music and soundtrack here — absolutely sublime filthy jazz and blues is a breath of fresh air.

On top of it all, Blizzard baked Undermine with new dynamic driving mechanics, a mountain of reward tracks to grind out, a new raid, a new dungeon, new delves — so much stuff, I find myself discovering new things almost daily. But, is it too good?

Hear me out.

But WoW continues to be difficult to recommend to new or long-lapsed players

Can a patch be too good? As Blizzard seems to want to raise the bar in every way for World of Warcraft, I find myself worrying about how poor the "new player" experience continues to be for the game.

I've written about it before, but years later, nothing major has really been done to improve things.

New players in WoW get dumped into a very dull, generic zone called Exile's Reach, which tutorializes the basics of the game in a patronizingly easy and poorly paced island of banal linearity. The original WoW starting experience put players into a huge world, immersing them in a racial starting zone steeped in player fantasy-building lore.

The non-linear levelling experience of the original World of Warcraft is simply unmatched, and not really available to experience in the modern game in an intuitive way.

Players can opt in to it, but the content is painfully outdated, creating story continuity issues, replete with pacing problems born of WoW's updated levelling speed.

The reason I worry that Undermine might be too good and the upcoming Midnight expansion with its player housing might be too good is that the quality bar Blizzard has reached lately seems like it must be very expensive.

And it's all content geared almost entirely to veteran, end-game players. There's been little to no investment in actually improving the experience for completely new players, besides the bare minimum.

I feel like without a solid starting zone experience, players won't as easily get invested in their characters, or in the over-arching story of the game. I also feel like they won't learn the ins and outs of the game in a well-paced way, instead being sped through the bare basics and then thrown into the deep end with a rapid delivery of new systems and mechanics.

Selfishly, if WoW is to maintain the quality bar that I am thoroughly enjoying right now, I'm concerned that not enough investment is being made to find those shiny new players.

Although my concerns might be totally unfounded. WoW Classic Hardcore has been popping off on socials after all, and maybe players don't mind the starting experience as much as I presume.

My current conspiracy theory is that, with zones like Undermine for goblins, the revamp to the Eastern Kingdoms in World of Warcraft: Midnight, and previous recent new zones like Bel'ameth for night elves, might be part of a gradual effort by Blizzard to create new starting zone experiences for different races. But there's no real evidence that'll happen.

I sincerely hope the new World of Warcraft development cycle is sustainable, either way, because it's absolutely fantastic. Is there a universe where World of Warcraft can return to the numbers seen during the Wrath of the Lich King days? I want to believe the answer is yes, but perhaps the landscape has simply changed too much.

NetEase Games' Marvel Rivals and Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch 2 are continuing to trade blows, with the latter recently gaining ground but unable to overtake the former.

That's according to the latest insights from analytics firm Newzoo, which outlined the most-played games across different platforms in the U.S, U.K, and several other countries for the month of February 2025.

Per Newzoo, Marvel Rivals slipped a bit, falling two spots to the sixth most-played game overall. Meanwhile, Overwatch 2 gained in players, rising three ranks to the 17th most-played game across platforms, but still notably behind Marvel Rivals.

That's backed up by data from Circana executive director Mat Piscatella, who noted that Marvel Rivals took the first-place, fifth place, and seventh place spots for the most-played games on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox respectively for the month of February.

This shake-up comes as Blizzard Entertainment recently announced a cavalcade of updates for Overwatch 2, including a new Nordic hero named Freja, a new Perk system, and wild mode called Stadium.

Perks have already rolled out in Overwatch 2, while Freja and the Stadium mode are slated to arrive as part of Season 16 later in the year.

Marvel Rivals first launched back in December 2024 to an explosive start, recently crossing 40 million players as the developers added the remaining members of the Fantastic Four to the playable roster.

Healthy competition is great

As someone that's enjoyed playing both games, it's good to see some healthy competition between the two. Having another game with a large overlap in its audience means both teams should be pushed to make their offering more attractive.

I'm extremely curious to see if this trend continues and Overwatch 2 gains even more ground in the coming months, or if we'll instead see things stabilize for a bit.

Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 are currently free-to-play on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. Overwatch 2 is also available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

Age of Empires 2 is one of my all-time favorite games, and I know I'm not the only one who loves getting a look behind the scenes of its development at Microsoft's defunct Ensemble Studios.

The original title, Age of Kings, launched in 1999 and was followed quickly by the Age of Conquerors expansion in 2000.

Sandy Petersen was a lead designer and developer at Ensemble from 1997 until it closed shop in 2009, and he played a key role in designing Age of Empires.

More than 25 years later, Petersen shared some interesting tidbits on X regarding the Conquerors expansion and the massive influence Korea, at the time, had on the gaming world due to the popularity of StarCraft.

Peterson says he chose the "conquerors" theme, which made it easier to select four civilizations to add to the base game: the Spanish, Aztecs, Huns, and Mayans.

Ahead of schedule by about five weeks in January 2000 — roughly eight months before the official Conquerors expansion launch — Petersen received a call from Microsoft.

The four civilizations planned for Age of Conquerors were about to get an addition at the behest of Microsoft.

StarCraft, developed by Blizzard Entertainment and launched in 1998, was at that time seeing massive success in Korea.

It'd sold 3 million copies in Korea alone, and Microsoft wanted to get in on the action.

As Petersen puts it, he told Microsoft:

"Koreans, greatly to their credit, were not conquerors. They stayed in their lane. While they're cool, they don't fit the Conquerors theme. Starcraft doesn't have any Koreans in it, so those sales had zero to do with a Korean civ."

Petersen's arguments against the addition of a Korean civ for a game focusing on conquerors were valid. But Microsoft wouldn't budge.

This last-minute addition, of course, sent the Ensemble team into a scramble to add an entire civ in about five weeks.

I give Petersen's team credit for creating a Korean civ for Age of Empires II that is still fun to play to this day.

👉 Related: Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition review

However, Petersen points out three mistakes that Ensemble made during the rushed development of a Korean civ.

The unique Turtle Ship unit had artwork that wasn't appreciated by Koreans despite Ensemble's use of a "legitimate source."

The Sea of Japan, which isn't called the Sea of Japan in Korea, understandably ruffled some feathers, and the mention of a Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 16th century allegedly caused a Microsoft rep in Korea to be "arrested and detained for awhile."

Petersen wraps up the X thread by pointing out that Age of Empires 2 never ended up selling three million copies in Korea, no doubt because StarCraft still hadn't gone anywhere.

Where is StarCraft today?

Age of Empires and its Definitive Edition remaster are still going strong, pulling in more than 21,000 players on Steam alone in the last 24 hours.

The indirect sequel, Age of Empires 4, launched in 2021 and is still receiving updates and new content.

Heck, even Age of Mythology recently received a quality remake at the hands of Microsoft and its studios.

So what's happening with StarCraft? I played the first game quite a bit when I was younger (when I wasn't playing AoE 2) but never touched StarCraft 2.

While both StarCraft games have a dedicated fan base, it's been too long since we've had anything new from the IP.

Blizzard is now owned by Microsoft, and it makes sense that the company would want to continue to produce games under the StarCraft banner.

There are rumors that a StarCraft shooter is planned, but so far nothing concrete has come out.

I have no idea if we'll ever see some sort of StarCraft 3 in the future, but I'm sure the idea hasn't been dismissed.

Real-time strategy (RTS) games haven't seen the same level of popularity in recent years as they once did, but there are still a lot of us out there searching for the next big title.

On March 12, 2025, World of Warcraft received more gameplay information regarding its long-awaited Player Housing feature that will be implemented in the upcoming expansion, World of Warcraft: Midnight.

Last time Blizzard delved into Player Housing, it described its general overall premise while teasing a Neighbourhood system. This time, Blizzard is showing us work-in-progress, in-game footage of how Player Housing will look while demonstrating its furniture customization options.

Here's everything I know so far, and I have to say, it's already looking mighty impressive.

World of Warcraft Player Housing — Basic Mode

According to World of Warcraft's official website, players can decorate their home in two ways: Basic Mode or Advanced Mode (both of which can be switched anytime at the press of a keybind).

Basic Mode allows players to quickly and easily place furniture in a hurry, albeit with restrictions. Meanwhile, Advanced Mode gives players total freedom in how they want to insert furniture and even alter their size and color scheme.

Let's start with Basic Mode. In this mode, players can place or remove objects and move them around the house in a quick and easy-to-use manner.

Decorations can be placed and moved on the ground. Decorations will move on top of other objects as they bump into them or down to the ground before they reach the edge.

You can also rotate Decorations around their "up" axis with rotation snapping to 15-degree increments so they don't unintentionally unalign with other objects in a room.

Decorations have collisions with other pieces of furniture, floorboards, walls, and ceilings, so they won't move through them.

Decorations will align to the floor, ceiling, or wells depending on what sort of decor they're being placed on (e.g., rugs will automatically align to floors, and paintings will stick to walls).

Additionally, Decorations will align automatically if you move them around a corner or snap to the ground if you move them off an object.

There are special smaller types of decorations that will stick to certain larger types of decorations when arranged on them. This means that the smaller object will stay attached when you move the larger object.

This will allow you to do things like moving an entire bookshelf with all the books placed inside at once, saving you time in rearranging each object.

The game will also allow players to open a grid that will aid them in "snapping" decorations to specific locations and keep their house neatly organized.

The grid can also be shrunken down when placing objects on small surfaces like tables so you can arrange them more accurately.

World of Warcraft Player Housing — Advanced Mode

Advanced Mode is where the real fun begins in Player Housing. It effectively removes all the restrictions of Basic Mode while giving players more customization tools to rearrange their home's furniture however they desire.

For starters, there's no collision in Advanced Mode, so you can intentionally "clip" objects into walls like chairs or tables if you so choose.

You can also activate gimbals (3D controls on objects) so you can move a Decoration on all three axes and even position them in the air as if they're floating aloft via magic.

A second gimbal can be used to rotate an object on any axis freely, and a third gimbal can shrink or grow an object's size at will.

Advanced Mode can also allow players to interact and design objects with specific controls in mind to create entirely new Decorations. For example, employees at Blizzard have created fireplace garlands out of bushes, a boat's prow from a bed, and even spice racks out of paint buckets.

This mode will also let players dye the color of any piece of furniture with a variety of colors to suit their home's theme.

On top of all that, Player Housing will allow you to freely customize the design of your home's wallpaper, ceiling, and flooring in both modes. For example, you can build a home with Blood Elf-themed wallpaper, have the roof made of stone, and have a wooden floor installed.

You can even use "partition" objects to erect walls when none existed before, so you can create rooms with extra interior spaces.

Blizzard Entertainment has also stated the outside size of your home has no bearing on the size of your home inside.

This means you can potentially create a massive mansion or a home inspired by the "TARDIS" from the legendary show Dr. Who that's small on the outside but contains a massive labyrinth of rooms on the inside.

World of Warcraft's player housing system already beats Final Fantasy 14's by a country mile

I was already interested in World of Warcraft's Player Housing after seeing it looking to fulfill 6 of my most-wanted Player Housing features, but this gameplay demonstration exceeded all my expectations.

The ways you can freely arrange, resize, and change the color of furniture in World of Warcraft's Player Housing is insane.

I've never seen a housing system that intentionally lets players "clip" objects into walls or have them suspended in the air before, and that's without getting into the ability to create extra rooms for your home.

It makes the Player Housing system in Final Fantasy XIV look so archaic and restrictive by comparison, as you can't do any of this stuff in that game. It's this kind of player freedom that proves again why World of Warcraft is still one of the best PC games in the MMO genre.

I can already foresee all kinds of 'mage-style' interiors players will make where all the decor is floating in mid-air while floors and walls have arcane energy flowing through them.

Of course, we can't get too excited as we don't know how we'll be able to fit our transmog collection, how the Neighborhood system will work, and where we even get the furniture for our homes.

Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed that these burning questions and more will be addressed at a later date.

Fortunately, we will have plenty of activities to keep us busy before then, as World of Warcraft: The War Within's Undermine Patch is now live and ready to provide players with chaotic Goblin-themed challenges and hijinks.

If you're familiar with my work over here at Windows Central or my notoriety on social media, you may be aware that I have over 10,000 hours inside World of Warcraft.

I've spent a staggering amount of time in the land of Azeroth, Blizzard's pioneering MMORPG that changed gaming forever. For a time, it felt like the game was truly unstoppable and without equal, but with its 20th anniversary recently behind it, the gaming landscape looks very different.

World of Warcraft continues to hold its own, but there's more competition than ever for "service" type games that are the cornerstone of Blizzard's entire operation.

Whether it's Fortnite, Minecraft, or more recent upstarts like Marvel's Rivals or Path of Exile, there are more credible alternatives to Blizzard's classic franchises than ever before. That's even before you begin considering the rise of new, addictive forms of entertainment like streaming and algorithmic social media.

It's against this backdrop of incredible challenge and change that I recently spoke to Blizzard President Johanna Faries, who just completed her first year stewarding some of the industry's most beloved games.

From the NFL, to Call of Duty, to Blizzard

Coming out of Harvard, Johanna Faries started her career in the U.S. National Football League (NFL). For 12 years Faries worked across a variety of roles within the NFL, gaining a broad set of skills in marketing, strategy, and business development.

Although the NFL is "sports" in essence, the parallels to the gaming industry are stark, particularly given Activision's interest in developing esports. Indeed, Faries would eventually go on to become general manager for Call of Duty, the largest video game franchise in the world, and later, Blizzard Entertainment.

"My 12 years at the NFL offered me some of the skills I'd argue Activision-Blizzard found valuable at the time, back in 2017. Activision was really looking for sports and entertainment industry leaders to come in and help build a framework for esports," Faries explains, although she did have some reservations about moving across from sports to gaming, and not because gaming was unfamiliar to her as a hobby.

Faries herself has been actively gaming since she was five years old, she tells me, a self-described "Nintendo kid," growing up in an environment where gaming was simply commonplace.

The hyper-technological, fast-paced, community-oriented, globalized operation of Call of Duty forced Faries to really sit and consider the career move — with concerns she might be considered an "outsider" on top.

Ultimately, Faries did make the leap, and rose through the ranks of Activision-Blizzard to become one of its high flyers, described by Variety500 as one of 2022 and 2023's top business leaders.

Johanna Faries took over from Mike Ybarra last year, following the final acquisition of Activision-Blizzard under Microsoft. I asked Johanna Faries about the challenges Blizzard and, indeed, other gaming companies face in today's times.

As she described herself, the hyper-dynamic nature of the industry has seen many of the biggest players struggle to find their footing in modern times. Blizzard's own games like Overwatch 2, World of Warcraft, and Diablo 4 have all had big challenges of their own to overcome in recent years too.

I asked how Johanna Faries and Blizzard are threading the needle between satisfying the existing legacy fanbase, while preparing for younger cohorts who potentially want a very different product.

"You want to retain the players who have been with you going on 20 years in some cases. They have a certain set of expectations. Taking World of Warcraft as an example, you can't have every expansion being such a 'zag' that it feels totally unfamiliar to your core fanbase."

"At the same time, there's a constant conversation — which I'm really edified by frankly — about remaining core to what we are, while also broadening the aperture."

Faries explains that World of Warcraft's recent blitz to serve all types of players, with casual solo content, catch-up content, and super hardcore content underpins this effort.

She describes how WoW's recent soloable dungeon content "Delves" are appealing to her as someone who often prefers single player games.

"There's different demographics that only have so much time in their day. Creators have a certain expectation too, even before we get to commercialization of the content. It's a never-ending chase to strike the right balance."

"We'll be spending the next several hours here at the office talking about exactly that, and I think it's happening at a creative-led, player-first way. There are always more ways we can innovate that our players continue to want to come into these worlds."

Johanna Faries' answer here reminded me of a concern I've had for World of Warcraft recently. The game has turned a corner in recent years and has begun offering a far more compelling product than it has over a few previous expansions.

Ironically, I worry that it is becoming too good, or at least, rather, too expensive. The quality bar for World of Warcraft is becoming higher and higher, with players expecting more and more for a subscription price that has barely shifted in 20 years.

Overwatch 2 has seen similar pressures from competitors like Marvel's Rivals, and Diablo 4 has seen increased competition from titles like Path of Exile 2. Faries used Blizzard's recent relaunch in China in partnership with NetEase as an example of how the team is tackling these new challenges.

"A tangible example of this, and I'll get back to quality shortly — but there was a quality bar that had to be met to relaunch our titles in China recently, bringing these titles back to China in a way that feels 'world class,' but also for players who have endured an 'undulating' past few years."

Faries refers, of course, to NetEase and Blizzard unceremoniously parting ways under previous CEO Bobby Kotick, which saw World of Warcraft and other titles pulled from the region.

Chinese gamers are a huge part of Blizzard's active player base, so bringing the titles back to the region was a large undertaking for the team. Faries said Blizzard wanted to raise the bar for how Blizzard games are perceived at a global level.

"It has been tremendously cool to witness how agile each of these franchise teams at Blizzard have been, and to say it's 'not good enough' to simply turn the servers back on," Faries explains.

"There isn't a day that goes by where we're not asking ourselves, is this up to our standards? Is this better than previous standards, even? How does the next WoW expansion outdo this one? How can Overwatch reinvent itself in certain ways?"

"There's a constant nudge for us for us to stay on the front foot with respect to quality, and do things that are perhaps unexpected to reinvigorate the conversation around the quality bar we want to meet."

"Lastly, I'll say it's easy to say, and harder to do. But this is the calibre of the talent, the quality of the people of Blizzard — that they're able to maintain a bar, raise a bar, or even reinvent a bar."

Reinvigorating Blizzard development

If you go back over some of my articles from yesteryear, I wrote several angsty editorials about how Activision was unravelling Blizzard since its acquisition.

The essence of Blizzard, and the quality bar the company was previously known for, was coming apart under previous CEO Bobby Kotick, with ideological decisions being made at the expense of players.

Overwatch's sequel, Overwatch 2, would end up being hardly a sequel at all, cancelling its planned PvE story content and falling back on PvP gameplay changes that haven't always been popular.

Fast forward to 2025, and the game seems to be getting back on track, with the return of persistent rewards, a new gameplay-changing perks stacking system, and an all-new economy PvP mode called Stadium slated for a bit later.

The same has proven true for World of Warcraft, which had a sprint of very poorly-received expansions, before vastly changing its design philosophy, doubling down on catering for players of all shapes and sizes without compromising the core experience.

The recent expansion, The War Within, is arguably the best expansion WoW has had in years.

"One of the things I've really focused on is getting more, let's say, honest, strategic, cross-functional conversations surfaced. It's on me and the leaders to shape the vision, and decide what bets we're going to take, but we need to make sure we're creating space for the best and brightest developers in the world to just have a tough conversation."

"Let's get the right voices in the room and not feel like we're being overly siloed in the wins or proverbial misses so we can cross-pollinate any learning, and disseminate that quickly and intentionally across multiple teams. But also, to keep a sense of safety to celebrate the tough strategic conversations, right?"

Faries explains a desire to flatten the hierarchy more so than Blizzard has previously known, as the team explores things that worked (or didn't) more frankly than perhaps was previously possible.

Indeed, one sign I've taken personally that Blizzard has changed its thinking post-Kotick is with the introduction of player housing into World of Warcraft. It might seem like an odd example, but this is a feature people asked for for literally 20 years — and a feature Blizzard always had to explain away why they weren't doing it.

Now, they're literally giving players what they asked for, even if it seems like a potentially risky bet.

"This is a nod to everybody showing up ready to continue raising the bar. To surprise ourselves, invigorate things, and unwind ourselves from what could be 'limiting' beliefs, right?"

"The whole rubric of 'what got us here' might not 'get us there.' Or, if a new entrant comes into the market place, we have to get into learning mode very quickly, or just have a good conversation about where to go next."

Faries explains that by having frequent internal Town Hall-style events, they've been able to innovate on new features for World of Warcraft's player housing from people who aren't necessarily in the WoW team itself.

Faries recognizes that the "risky" unexpected moves like WoW's player housing, or Overwatch 2's new perks feature, have resonated and resulted in more positive conversations around the games.

She credits the teams at Blizzard for their ability to stay agile and remaining in "strong concert."

"We just met as a whole company as recently as just yesterday, talking about some of our additional future bets too. We're in this hyper-learning, hyper-agile moment, right in time to throw out some curve balls. Create player surprise, reinvigorate, and re-refresh — but not just for its own sake."

As Johanna Faries referred to "future, unannounced bets," I asked if any of those announcements included classic Blizzard franchises like StarCraft or Heroes of the Storm. Coyly, Faries replied "we have nothing to share today," with a knowing smile.

Blizzard into the future

With Blizzard's current games like Overwatch 2, Diablo 4, and World of Warcraft in a pretty positive place, it's hard not to wonder what the future holds for Blizzard.

The company has flirted with transmedia properties before, with the (underrated) Warcraft movie for example. But competing mega franchises like League of Legends have seen a ton of success with the accompanying Netflix show Arcane.

Nintendo has also enjoyed strong outings with its Mario movie, and Cyberpunk 2077 was essentially revived by its award-winning Netflix anime. I asked if Blizzard is ready to set its sights beyond games again, given that the company enjoys that unique pedigree akin to Nintendo, where nostalgia for its franchises represents decades of good will.

"The short answer is, we're looking at everything, and I mean that very intentionally — and I can't share anything specific today — but we talked again as recently as yesterday, that we have a strong collective belief that we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games or Blizzard Gaming."

"Our universes, our iconic IP can vector off into many interesting dynamic directions. We have to be thoughtful, responsible stewards of those franchises, right? Not everything will fit, and execution absolutely matters. We do think about what we can do to show up for the entertainment industry, as broadly as we can describe, so Blizzard can continue to be a beacon of that sort of ... magic making, fostering joy."

"Blizzard's core foundational level is making world class games, but some people will go to BlizzCon and have their life changed. Meet their life partner. Some people will have a reunion gathering and watch that old Warcraft movie. That's part of what it means to stay in culture, and continue to shape it. So absolutely, that's the lens we're looking through here."

I want to give a huge thank you to Johanna Faries for taking the time to sit with me for this glimpse into Blizzard's future.

It's World of Warcraft's 20th year, Blizzard's 30th year, and my own 10th year covering gaming here at Windows Central. I am absolutely one of the people Johanna Faries is talking about above with regards to Blizzard fostering joy beyond the games themselves, as are many of you potentially reading this as well.

Some of my best friends to this day are people I met in Blizzard universes, with many of my fondest gaming, and non-gaming memories finding themselves at least incidentally linked to games like World of Warcraft.

People often find joy through their favorite sports teams or outdoor hobbies, but for those who grew up playing Blizzard games there's a special sense of community and belonging that these games potentially foster.

For my part, I found myself reassured that Johanna Faries emphatically seems to not only understand but also visibly appreciate that most crucial aspect of Blizzard during my call with her.

Diablo 4 March of the Goblins is currently underway with an all new set of critters to chase down for loot, and we already know that Season 8 has been delayed until April 29, but what else did we learn from today's Developer stream?

Well not only is Season 8 an ode to Bosses in Diablo 4, we're getting 3 new ones including an "old friend" from Diablo 3. Season 8 will let us wield powers of even the World Bosses and finally get our own back on Lilith with her own ground spike attack.

Here's when the Public Test Realm for Season 8 starts, and everything else we know about Season 8, the season where WE become the boss (literally).

New friends (well foes) as we get new Bosses to fight in Season 8

We've not had any new bosses since Andariel was added to the boss ladder in Season 4, but as we already reported, we're getting Mephisto's 'Harbinger of Hatred' as a new member of the Boss Ladder.

The biggest surprise is the reveal of the 'old friend' teased by Rod Fergusson recently. Belial from Diablo 3 is back!

He will be both a pinnacle boss, and there will be a chance for a form of him to ambush you after fighting other bosses. Fighting the ambush version of Belial will be the only way to access his Supreme form.

Belial appeared as 'The Lord of Lies' and a main fight in Diablo 3, revealed during the story as being in disguise as an ally, you fight his giant form on a huge platform as he tries to take you out in a swarm of stink breath.

It's a huge fight with a huge boss, and I'm excited to see it back.

We'll also get to face off with Urivar again from Vessel of Hatred, though he will only be available to those who own the DLC.

Summoning materials are being scrapped and bosses will essentially be 'free' to summon. However, players will need to create 'Lair keys.'

Materials have been taking up too much space in the bag and this is a great solution. Stygian stones will now be used to craft the next boss's lair key.

Supreme Belial?

It wasn't really clear from the stream what 'Supreme Belial' is, but I'm sure it's terrifying.

Quality of life changes to the Boss Ladder include easier to see boss lair icons, and clear descriptions of which boss is in each lair.

Not only will the lairs be easier to spot, we can now teleport to them immediately. No more going to the nearest fast travel point, yay!

Each boss has also been reworked and may have new mechanics so the fights should feel fresh in Season 8.

Season 8 is an ode to Bosses, and Belial's influence will be all across Sanctuary

Season 8 introduces Apparition Incursions, an exciting, fast-paced boss rush mode.

In this event, you'll face 10 randomized bosses back-to-back, pushing your skills and builds to the limit.

It ends with a thrilling showdown with Belial himself.

I am become (wandering) death

In Season 8, we will quite literally 'become the Boss' and be able to wield the powers of all the Bosses in the game, from Lilith to Wandering Death.

There are 24 Boss Powers to collect. Each Boss Power has 2 effects—a Main and Modifier—that can be activated depending on the Power Slot you equip it to. You can have up to 1 Main and 3 Modifier Powers active at a time.

In the stream, we saw 'Lilith's Hatred' where we can throw down her infamous one-shot kill ground spikes, Duriel's Burrow and Wandering Death's Chest Beam.

Unfortunately, the beam travels around the battlefield and doesn't actually burst from my character's bosom, but I'll be giving the developers feedback on this disappointment.

Examples of Boss powers we can get in Diablo 4

Taken from the Patch 2.2.0 notes, we can see some of the amazing powers we'll be able to wreak havoc with:

• Duriel's Burrow - When you Evade, you now burrow underground, immobilizing surrounding enemies for 5 seconds and dealing 200% on your entry and exit. You deal 200% damage every 0.25 seconds while burrowed. Evade's Cooldown is increased by 4 seconds, and Cooldown Reduction on Evade is 50% as effective.
• Belial's Eye Beams - After you drink a healing potion, gain 75% Damage Reduction for 2 seconds and summon eye beams that Corrupt enemies for 1,750% damage over 3.5 seconds. Then, your Healing Potion becomes disabled for 5 seconds. You may drink your Healing Potion at full health.
• Grigoire's Lightning Square - After you cast a Core Skill, lightning tiles outward for 1.2 seconds dealing 300% Lightning damage per strike.
• Lord Zir's Blood Pool - After you damage an enemy, spawn a pool of blood that deals 400% Bleeding damage per second over 4 seconds. You can have up to 3 active pools.

"Progression in Season 7 has been too fast"

Season 6 time to level from 0-60 was 15-17 hours on average, in Season 7 this was halved to 9 hours on average which is not the intention, but a side effect of the seasonal powers and activities.

The developers do want the process from item 1-25 to be slower and closer to the time it took in Season 6, and also not have normal and rare gear to completely lose meaning.

Players were getting a Legendary every 3-4 minutes within an hour of playing the new season, which makes items no longer 'feel' legendary. Adjustments will be made to reduce the drop rates on these early on.

Adjustments will also be made to Rare and Magic items overall so they are more beneficial in the early game.

• Magic items can have up to 2 affixes
• Rare items can have up to 3
• Legendary is still the best quality at max level

Torment progression was also too fast

The overall progression speed and number of players reaching Torment 4 has more than doubled from Season 6.

The intention is that Torment 4 is top-level content for the top 10% of players, but on average, it's only taking 15 hours from level 60 to hit it, and 50% of players are doing so.

We're adjusting:

• Torment 1 now starts at Pit Tier 10
• Torment (and Pit scaling) is increasing by 20%
• Torment 4 will be equivalent to Season 7 Pit Tier 76

Mid season updates and balance patches

No longer planning on doing mid-season balance updates, the developers want to put more effort into getting it right from day 1 of the season.

Mid-season updates can be frustrating for people who have invested heavily into gear by the time they arrive.

We can still expect reactions to egregious things that pop up early in the season, an example of which was the Eagle-Evade Spiritborn build from Season 6, and the current overtuned Necromancer Bloodwave build in Season 7.

Class changes and balancing

The team discussed further changes for each class, inclluding changes to Ultimate scaling for all classes.

Lucky Hit control effects will be toned down and new terms to describe Damage over Time for different additional damage types.

As usual, each class will receive a new Unique weapon and new Aspect, and you can check out the full list of changes and additions in the Patch notes that followed the stream.

You can read the full Patch 2.2.0 notes here.

When can I play Diablo 4 Season 8?

Season 8 is currently set to start on April 29, however the Public Test Realm (PTR) to test all of these proposed changes starts on 11 March, and runs to 18 March.

The team also shared we will be getting a roadmap before the start of Season 8.

This is something the players have been requesting since World of Warcraft and Diablo Immortal players have one.

How can I play the Diablo 4 Season 8 PTR?

You'll need to own Diablo 4 or have Xbox Game Pass and be using a PC to access the Diablo 4 PTR. It's not currently available for console users.

1. Open the Battle.net launcher.
2. Navigate to Diablo 4.
3. In the bottom left corner, select the dropdown and you'll find Public Test Realm.
4. Click Install.
5. Click Play and select a test server.
6. Create a test character (create a Seasonal one for anything related to the Seasonal themes)
7. Skip Campaign if you started anew.

If you are an Xbox Game Pass player on PC, you can access the PTR through the Xbox app and follow the same steps above, all from March 11 to March 18.

This is the first time I've been genuinely excited for a March of the Goblins event in Diablo 4. Not because there's anything wrong with them per se, but they usually come a little later in the season—when I’ve already gathered most of the gear I want. Treasure goblins have also always felt a little lackluster in Diablo 4. However, the March of the Goblins event begins on March 4 and brings some major changes that have me genuinely hyped. Many of Diablo 3's treasure goblin variants are making their return, and they aren’t just here for the event—they’re here to stay. I for one am glad to see more Diablo 3 features returning and I think we could stand to see a few more.

When does March of the Goblins start?

• March 4, 10 a.m. PST, to March 11, 10 a.m. PDT
• March 4, 1 p.m. ET to March 11, 1 p.m. ET
• March 4, 6 p.m. GMT to March 11, 5 p.m. GMT

March of the Goblins, bigger and better but pleasingly familiar for Diablo 3 fans

Starting March 4, Diablo 4 players will notice an increased rate of Treasure Goblin sightings across Sanctuary. These goblins will include six brand-new variants, each with unique loot.

• Odious Ector: Drops crafting materials, including rare Obducite in torment difficulties.
• Gilded Baron: Drops massive piles of gold.
• Glittering Prym: A gem hoarder that drops Runes, Gem Fragments, Undercity Tributes and Scattered Prisms in Torment.
• Curious Murl: Grants a bounty of Murmuring Obols, stored neatly in collectible bags so no worry for players who are at capacity.
• Gelatinous Syrus: A Goblin that splits into more goblins when attacked and gifts players with Legendary items, Gold, and Boss summoning materials.
• Fancy Old Fedric: A brand new goblin exclusive to Diablo 4, so rare you may never see him! This mythic rarity Goblin drops a guaranteed Mythic Unique and a Resplendent Spark (for crafting your own Mythic Unique)

Many of these new goblins are modern-day counterparts to some of our favorite Treasure Goblins from Diablo 3. For instance, Diablo 3’s Gem Hoarder is now Diablo 4’s Glittering Prym and Gilded Baron is err, Gilded Baron.

My personal favorite goblin from Diablo 3, the Gelatinous Sire, returns as 'Gelatinous Syrus,' However, Diablo 4 goes a step further with adding a new mythical goblin which while I'll probably never spot one, I'm psyched to know is in the game.

I've a guide to the best way to farm treasure goblins here if you want to increase your chances of finding our new pals.

As someone who has spent countless hours farming Goblins in Diablo 3 for their unique drops (including secret levels), I can't help but more excited than usual for this particular event.

With the return of the Armory in Season 7, and now these new goblin variants, I can't help but think Blizzard seems less shy to lean into the best of its history to fill some content gaps players have felt in Diablo 4, but it also raises a question for me. Why stop at Goblins?

Diablo 3 wasn’t bad—and the more Diablo 4 embraces this the better

The Diablo franchise has a complicated history. Originally planned to have MMO features these ideas were scrapped and later implemented into in what we have as Diablo 4 now.

When Diablo 3 launched, it faced criticism for its real money auction house and 'colorfulness' and split the fandom into Diablo 2 diehards, and those who embraced Diablo 3, but it has always been somewhat cool to whale on Diablo 3 as being bad.

Though it did transform post-Reaper of Souls into a title offering regular seasonal content updates and a more rewarding loot system, it was perhaps too heavy-handed in its progression system and use of ' green item sets,' which kind of killed off any loot chase outside of these items.

Many things about Diablo 3 were great, though, and it's good to see that Blizzard has not forgotten this and is slowly adding fun features back in, such as the new goblins.

When Diablo 4 launched, it was clear with the slow levelling and darker themes it was angling for the Diablo 2 audience, but Blizzard have since said they've realized that the modern audience doesn't really appreciate that grind.

Adding the armory and new loot goblins are easy quick wins to bulk out the content in Diablo 4, but it could do so even more by addressing other quality of life additions we had previously that the audience would appreciate now.

We're not getting a loot filter but could there be another solution we've already had?

In a recent Q&A, the developers addressed the community’s ongoing frustration with the lack of a loot filter. This isn’t something I thought Diablo 4 particularly needed—until Season 7, the Season of Witchcraft. The sheer volume of loot drops in Headhunt areas has made me rethink my stance.

A loot filter would allow players to customize the drops they see, focusing on gear that matches their builds or progression needs. However, Blizzard has stopped short of committing to this solution, explaining that they want all loot to feel meaningful, from the lowly white drops to Legendaries.

While I agree that lower-level loot is still necessary for salvaging into crafting materials, Blizzard could address this issue in another way: bringing back the salvaging pets from Diablo 3.

In Season 28, Diablo 3 introduced the Altar of Rites, unlocking an amazing quality of life feature—pets that automatically salvaged common, magic, and rare items. This let players focus on meaningful loot without constantly returning to town to manage their inventory.

In Diablo 4, pets already serve as cosmetic companions, and I've just earning the lovely Dorian the Raven. I say they already pick up crafting materials for us, why not salvage the items we don't need too and give us the solution we crave for the loot clutter issue?

With the casual announcement of an expansion not expected until 2026, Blizzard could keep us happy with other Diablo 3 themed additions. Lest we forget goblins also opened the gates to Whimsyshire levels and even the Cow level.

Adding these in with a Diablo 4 twist would be a great way to keep players hooked while we wait for that new expansion.

Season 8 delayed by 2 weeks

General Manager of Diablo 4, Rod Fergusson, announced last week that Season 8 will be delayed. Previously scheduled for April 15, it’s now set to begin on April 29. We’ll also hear more about the Public Test Realm (PTR) for this season in a Campfire Chat on March 7.

The most intriguing part of this announcement was the tease of an "old friend" returning, sparking plenty of speculation within the community.

Before anyone gets too excited, I highly doubt it’s Diablo himself, who hasn’t yet appeared in Diablo 4. Blizzard will almost certainly save that reveal for an expansion. But who else could it be?

Fans are already theorizing that Zoltun Kulle might make a return, though his voice was already featured in Season 3. Could it be Deckard Cain, somehow arisen from his grave of butterflies? Or perhaps Tyrael, whose whereabouts remain unknown since the end of Diablo 3?

Delays to seasons are always welcome if they lead to a better experience overall. Whatever Blizzard has planned, I can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeve.

At the DICE video game networking conference, Rod Fergusson, General Manager of Diablo 4, announced that the game's next expansion, set to follow Vessel of Hatred, will launch in 2026.

This news, not yet shared through Blizzard's official channels, was revealed by journalist Jason Schreier on BlueSky, where he is attending the event.

It's official —Diablo 4's second expansion launching in 2026

This announcement may come as a surprise to many Diablo 4 fans, who have speculated whether the rumored multiple expansions would follow an annual release schedule. Following the launch of Diablo 4 in June 2024, the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, was unveiled at BlizzCon 2023 and released in October 2024.

However, Vessel of Hatred left some players wanting more. Its story campaign, while centered on the Lord of Hatred, Mephisto, felt rather short, with many, including us in our Vessel of Hatred review, noting that it ended abruptly just as it seemed to gain momentum. Fans hoping for another expansion in 2025 to continue the story may be disappointed by the news of a 2026 release.

The extended wait also raises concerns for those eager to see new classes introduced, particularly a sword-and-shield archetype like the Paladin. If Blizzard continues to tie new classes exclusively to story expansions—as they did with the Spiritborn class—players may be waiting even longer for their desired additions.

2026 could be good news

While my initial reaction to this news was one of dismay—I'm eager to see the story continue—the decision to push the next expansion to 2026 might ultimately be a good thing. Previous communications from Blizzard seemed to hint at big annual content updates, but Vessel of Hatred faced criticism upon release, with many fans expecting more for its $40 base price.

Personally, I felt the price was justified by the addition of a whole new map region and the introduction of the Spiritborn class. However, the shorter story campaign left some players wanting more with its unresolved story. Blizzard have bigger plans for Mephisto though, and may introduce his controversial fight as a Tortured Boss. This extended timeline for the next expansion suggests Blizzard may be aiming to deliver something more substantial, potentially addressing fan expectations and delivering a better experience overall, that could satiate the community's appetite making it worth the wait. I remain optimistic!

Blizzard Entertainment's new Overwatch 2 Spotlight livestream had no shortage of major announcements for the studio's long-running PvP hero shooter, with everything from selectable hero Perks and a new 6v6 Competitive mode coming next week with Season 15's February 18 launch to the new crossbow-wielding hero Freja and a new Hero Bans feature for ranked play slated to drop later this year in Season 16. By far, though, the most interesting reveal to me was Stadium — a brand new game mode getting added in April with the rest of Season 16.

The developers describe Stadium as "the biggest game mode we’ve ever made," and after seeing and reading what it'll entail, I'm not inclined to disagree. Compared to previously added modes that simply introduced new objective types, Stadium is going to be a wacky off-the-wall experience with "Powers" you can buy with a currency earned as you play through a match. These upgrades will be "transformative Powers that players can create unique builds around, setting up more strategic encounters that enhance the hero fantasy," and sound a lot like the power-ups we were expected to get in Overwatch 2's now-cancelled PvE campaign.

To give you an idea of what you can expect from these Powers, Blizzard has provided a few examples. In Stadium, Reinhardt can shoot Firestrikes that spread lava, Soldier: 76 can give allies attack speed buffs with his Biotic Field, Kiriko can throw three kunais at once and freely teleport around, and Mercy can shield teammates as she resurrects them. With D.Va, you'll even be able to leave behind trails of lava whenever you fly around, and work-in-progress images of the mode's upgrade screens (view them below) also show a wild perk that'll give her Ana's Nano Boost for eight seconds whenever she's knocked out of her mech.

As these previews of the upgrade menu show, though, that stuff is only the tip of what appears to be a very deep iceberg. There are four different types of upgrades you can get — Weapon, Ability, Survival, and Trait — and on top of that, there will be Items and Hero Items, too (presumably consumables). Notably, Blizzard says you'll be able to "seamlessly review, buy, and sell your mods" as you play, "as well as see the builds on the opposing team to maximize your strategy round to round."

Speaking of rounds, Stadium will have a best-of-seven-rounds format, making me think that individual games of the mode will be considerably longer than regular matches. It'll also have its very own Competitive variant "featuring multiple divisions, ranks, and unique rewards," and at launch, 14 of Overwatch 2's heroes will be playable in it. Over time, Blizzard plans to add more, along with fresh maps and additional game types.

Another thing about Stadium that's quite unique is that by default, it will be played in third-person, though players will have the option to swap back to Overwatch 2's usual first-person perspective if they want to. With third-person, "you will be able to see more of the battlefield and the direct impact your upgraded abilities (and those of your teammates and enemies) have in action."

I have to admit that all these zany upgrades and unlocks sound pretty darn cool, and on the whole, Stadium sounds like Blizzard took the Perks idea from the upcoming Season 15 and decided to run absolutely wild with it. At the same time, though, I worry that trying to put together a good build for yourself while also keeping track of what your teammates and enemies are using might be incredibly overwhelming.

Indeed, trying to wrap my head around how Stadium might play is making my head spin, but that's not going to stop me from checking it out once it's released in Season 16. And if Blizzard is able to deliver this "entirely new way to experience Overwatch" without it feeling overly complex, I've got a feeling it'll give Overwatch 2 a big popularity boost.

For fans of competitive games and hero shooters, Overwatch 2 is one of the best Xbox games and best PC games out there to play. It's completely free-to-play, too, though I should note that you get free skins, 30 Mythic Prisms to spend on unlocks, and a constant 10% XP Boost if you're subscribed to Xbox Game Pass.

Developer Blizzard Entertainment first teased "groundbreaking PvP changes" for Overwatch 2 at the end of January, with the studio announcing its plan to reveal them in a new Overwatch 2 Spotlight in mid-February. Now, that unveiling has finally come with a new developer livestream shown this morning that showed tons of huge adjustments and additions coming to the hero shooter throughout 2025.

One of the biggest features being added in just a few days when Overwatch 2 Season 15 begins on February 18 are Perks — special bonuses that enhance your hero in a variety of different ways. In each match you play, you'll be able to level up two times, first with a minor perk and then with a major one. Minor perks are "lighter upgrades such as small passives or cooldown reductions," while major perks are "gameplay-shifting changes" and will be "redefining what your hero is capable of." With Torbjörn, for example, you can choose between using his hammer to restore an ally's Armor HP or automatically reloading his Rivet Gun when you use Overload for his minor perk, and then either let his turrets stick to walls and ceilings or give it a Level 3 upgrade whenever you use Overload as his major perk. Notably, Perks will be active in both Quick Play and Competitive.

Season 15 also marks the start of the 2025 Competitive Season that's bringing a rank reset, fancy new Galactic Weapons, and both Weapon Charms and Player Portraits to earn and unlock with Competitive Points. Season 15 will also feature a new 6v6 competitive playlist — sure to be popular with folks who miss Overwatch's original format — as well as an Overwatch Classic: GOATS queue that brings back the triple tank and triple support hero combo that infamously dominated the meta of old-school Overwatch.

On the cosmetic side of things, Season 15 will see the return of loot boxes, with standard Loot Boxes earnable from weekly and event challenges and three Legendary Loot Boxes — ones that always drop a Legendary item — coming in each new Battle Pass (one in the Free track, two in the Premium track). Blizzard has shared drop rate percentages in its full blog post to be transparent; it's also said that you'll be guaranteed to get at least one Rare (blue) cosmetic in every box, with an Epic (purple) in every five and a Legendary (gold) in every 20. Oh, and Season 15's Mythic skin is Pixiu Zenyatta, with Dame Chance Widowmaker offered as its Mythic weapon.

Where things are really looking like they'll ramp up for Overwatch 2, though, is in April when Season 16 starts. Once it comes around, Blizzard will add a wild new mode called Stadium that features a best-of-seven-rounds format and an earnable currency you can spend on "transformative Powers that players can create unique builds around, setting up more strategic encounters that enhance the hero fantasy beyond anything we've released." Some examples of Powers given by the developers include Reinhardt's Firestrikes spreading roiling lava, Soldier: 76 giving allies who stand in his Biotic Field an attack speed increase, and Mercy protecting resurrected allies with a shield, among others.

Uniquely, Stadium will also be played in third-person view by default, though you'll have the option for Overwatch's first-person perspective, too; Blizzard says this "creates a more dynamic experience" and allows you "to see more of the battlefield and the direct impact your upgraded abilities ... have in action." On top of that, Stadium will feature bespoke UI elements and visual effects to make it easy to "seamlessly review, buy, and sell your mods (which encompass Items, Hero Items, and Powers)," and also see what players on the other team are using.

When Stadium releases, it'll have its own Ranked mode with divisions, ranks, and rewards. At launch, 14 of Overwatch 2's heroes will be playable in it, though the developers plan to add more heroes, maps, and game types to it over time.

Season 16 is also when we'll see Overwatch 2's next damage hero, Freja, come to the game (though she'll be made briefly playable during a Season 15 free weekend). She's a "former search and rescue operative turned bounty hunter," and fights with an explosive crossbow. Her basic attacks consist of quick and precise shots from her Revdraw Crossbow, but with her Take Aim ability, she can slow down and fire a heavier shot "that’ll turn targets into fireworks." Quick Dash and Updraft, meanwhile, give Freja some mobility, with the former acting as a dodge that sounds like it'll refresh Take Aim and the latter allowing her to leap into the air for a shot from elevation. Finally, there's Bola Shot, and Ultimate that wraps targets up and pulls in nearby enemies for combo playmaking.

April will also bring the introduction of Hero Bans, a system that will allow teams to "target strong or frustrating heroes" and prevent them from being played during a Competitive match. Later in 2025, Map Voting will be added as well so you can vote for the maps you prefer to play on. Beyond that, Season 18 will introduce Hero 44 — a Chinese hero codenamed Aqua "wielding water-based abilities that can manipulate the battlefield with an innovative playstyle" — when it eventually rolls around.

Overall, these are some massive changes and pieces of new content headed to Overwatch 2, with Blizzard clearly hoping to revitalize widespread interest in the game in the wake of the rise of direct competitor Marvel Rivals. Both Perks and Season 16's Stadium mode have the potential to be a huge shot in the arm for the hero shooter, and I'm curious to try out both once they come out; Perks and Season 15 are only a week away, so I'll definitely be reinstalling soon.

For fans of competitive games and hero shooters, Overwatch 2 is one of the best Xbox games and best PC games out there to play. It's completely free-to-play, too, though I should note that you get free skins, 30 Mythic Prisms to spend on unlocks, and a constant 10% XP Boost if you're subscribed to Xbox Game Pass.

Developer Blizzard Entertainment took a deep dive on Wednesday into big changes coming to its free-to-play shooter Overwatch 2 in the near future, and one of the biggest changes for moment-to-moment gameplay is the introduction of a Perk system. This new mechanic allows players to level up during a match, choosing Minor and Major perks that thoroughly alter how a hero works.

Have you ever wanted Winston to have Chain Lightning that hits multiple enemies? Maybe you'd like Baptiste to have a Shoulder Turret that further boosts his healing. Or maybe you've got spite in your heart (I understand) and would like to Ramattra's Ravenous Vortex to explode mid-air.

Blizzard Entertainment has been working on some iteration of this system for the past year, though the developers say it's really come together in the last few months. Perks are meant to strike a balance between preserving Overwatch gameplay while also feeling fresh, something far easier said than done. The team went through multiple versions, realizing more than one choice per game was needed in order to make the system work.

Now, players will choose Perks twice in a match as their hero earns levels. First, at level 2, there'll be a choice between two Minor perks, which are more modest upgrades, such as Orisa's Heat Dissipater, which refunds Primary Fire heat buildup whenever she gets critical hits.

At level 3, there are two Major Perks to choose from, and these are the more radical shift that can significantly alter a hero's usage. Orisa can choose between Charged Javelins that are more powerful, or completely drop her Javelin Spin in exchange for Protective Banner, providing a powerful shield.

The developers say this is always meant to provide an option for playing a hero in a new way, while also having an option for enhancing the hero's existing functionality if you don't feel like changing. Selecting these Perks is designed to be snappy so you don't get distracted while playing. By default with Standard Selection on PC, players can hold down Alt then click to select an option. Meanwhile, console users can hold up on the D-pad, then use the bumpers to choose a Perk. If that's still too slow, there's also a "one-button" Quick Selection option that's available.

When are Perks arriving in Overwatch 2?

Players won't be waiting long to go hands-on with this new Perk system, as Perks will be rolling out as part of Overwatch 2 Season 15, which kicks off on Feb. 18, 2025. That's only part of the major updates coming to Overwatch 2 soon, as the game is also getting a 6v6 competitive playlist for anyone craving original Overwatch-style team composition. Blizzard is also working on a gargantuan new mode called Stadium in Season 16. This mode is introducing some wild new ways to play, including adding a third-person camera.

Overwatch 2 is also getting two new heroes over the next couple of seasons. The first, Freja, is a crossbow-armed bounty hunter coming in Season 16. The second? A water-manipulater, currently known by the codename Aqua, who'll be arriving as part of Season 18.

I'll freely admit I haven't played Overwatch 2 in a bit — and yes, the meteoric rise of Marvel Rivals has been part of the reason why — but all these updates sound intriguing, so I'll definitely be hopping in to check out Season 15 and beyond. I'm particularly intrigued by the Perk system. If the developers can balance everything, which certainly won't be easy, then this will radically change how matches play out for the better.

Overwatch 2 is free-to-play on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers get additional benefits when playing, including free skins and a 10% XP boost.

Blizzard Entertainment shared a fair bit on what's coming to Overwatch 2 over the course of 2025, and that includes a look at the next hero, Freja. This former rescue operative has turned to a life of bounty hunting, and that means her kit is based all around trapping her foes before demolishing them with explosives.

Naturally, that means she's a damage-type hero, focused on eliminating enemy players by picking them off through clever maneuvers on the battlefield. Here's an overview of Freja's abilities:

• Revdraw Crossbow: A rapid-fire crossbow that serves as her primary weapon
• Take Aim: Freja carefully fires a single explosive crossbow bolt into an enemy
• Quick Dash: Freja quickly dashes in any direction, reloading her explosive bolt at the same time
• Updraft: Freja launches herself in the air, getting a new angle on the battlefield
• Bola Shot: Wraps an enemy in an explosive bola

The developers describe Freja as being "challenging and rewarding" to use, requiring steady aim in order to make the most of her abilities.

A quick peak at the *next* hero, codename "Aqua"

In addition to giving us a breakdown of what to expect from Freja, Blizzard Entertainment also shared a peak at Hero 44, the next hero that'll be added to the game after this icy bounty hunter.

Codenamed "Aqua," Hero 44 is a Chinese character that wields water-based abilities with an "innovative playstyle," and there'll be more details to come later in 2025. "Aqua" is currently planned to arrive in Overwatch 2 as part of Season 18.

When is Freja available in Overwatch 2?

Players won't be waiting too long to give this Nordic huntress a spin, as Freja is scheduled to arrive in Overwatch 2 as part of Season 16. If that still feels too far out however, she'll also be available to test during Season 15 as part of a free trial weekend, though the exact date has yet to be announced.

Freja is coming at a time when Overwatch 2 is getting some massive updates. The Perk system arriving in Season 15 is shaking up how the game is played per-match, with new options for evolving and improving hero abilities as you level up twice, first choosing a Minor Perk, and then a Major Perk. There's also the wild new Stadium mode coming in Season 16, which (among many other things) even includes a third-person camera.

I really like Freja's design, and I can't wait to see what kind of skins she gets. While I usually gravitate more toward tanks or support heroes, her kit sounds cool, so I'm definitely eager to try her out. Overwatch 2: Season 15 kicks on Feb. 18, 2025.

Overwatch 2 is free-to-play on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers get additional benefits when playing, including free skins and a 10% XP boost.

The highly anticipated update for World of Warcraft: The War Within's next chapter, titled Undermine(d), finally has a release date. WoW fans need to wait no longer than February 25 to get their fill of goblin cartels, a sweet new customizable hot rod, and a chaotic 8-boss raid just for starters.

In the next chapter of WoW The War Within, players will need to unite the goblin cartels to put a stop to Gallywix and uncover his connection to Xal'atath. We have a helpful overview on the story for The War Within if you need a refresher before the big update. The city suffers as a result of ongoing conflict between the goblin cartels. The four cartels, Steamwheedle, Blackwater, Bilgewater, or Venture Company, will provide players new insight into goblin culture and their society. While there's sure to be plenty of humorous explosions and mayhem, there's much more to uncover with the goblins. Players can choose to align themselves with one of the four groups to participate in their cartel's unique weekly events.

There will be two new Delves to explore, including Excavation Site 9 and Sidestreet Sluice, with updated variants of existing delves alongside Brann Bronzebeard who will now feature a new tank specialization. Players can look forward to new rewards, curios, a new nemesis, and improve rewards at the highest difficulty during Season 2. For those of you that fussed the delves were too easy, look for increased difficulty of all delves from tier 4 and above with this update.

Of course, you'll need a new way to explore all this sweet new content. The G-99 Breakneck is a customizable hot rod designed for high-speed street domination so you can experience dynamic travel with D.R.I.V.E. The Breakneck will be exclusive to Undermine(d), and it offers a faster speed than any ground mount.

Additional features are also coming to The War Within with the 11.1 content update, including Operation: Floodgate, a 4-boss dungeon where players will race against time to prevent a catastrophic dam collapse within the Ringing Deeps. The Liberation of Undermine is an 8-boss raid that leads players through the streets of Undermine for a royal rumble at Gallywix's headquarters.

If you're still looking for more to get you excited for WoW The War Within's 11.1 update, then you might be tickled to find out a new PvP Arena is also on the menu. The Cage of Carnage is a close-quarter gladiatorial arena found within the Demolition Dome. Players are dropped in through trap doors, with only haphazard metal platforms equipped with ramps to keep things separated. That sounds safe!

To go along with a new PvP Arena, WoW The War Within will also follow up shortly after the launch of the update with a brand-new season. Season 2 will kick off on March 4 with a new raid, new Delves, and an update rotation of challenging mythic+ dungeons in addition to the new PvP season. Players can also look forward to exclusive rewards and achievements for their efforts.

A new raid unlock schedule has also been released ahead of the new season:

• Week of March 4: Raid Finder Wing 1: Shock and Awesome (Cauldron of Carnage; Rik Reverb), Normal, Heroic, Mythic Difficulty
• Week of March 11: Raid Finder Wing 2: Maniacal Machinist (Sprocketmonger Lockenstock; Stix Bunkjunker), Story Mode
• Week of March 18: Raid Finder Wing 3: Two Heads Are Better (Vexie and the Geargrinders; One-Armed Bandit; Mug’Zee)
• Week of March 25: Raid Finder Wing 4: The Chrome King (Chrome King Gallywix)

Players will work their way through eight new bosses during this raid schedule, concluding with the big fight against Chrome King Gallywix himself. It all starts with content update 11.1, Undermine(d), on February 25.

World of Warcraft is a massive multiplayer online and role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard. The title is considered to be the most popular MMORPG of all time, with server counts putting the base at more than 130 million players, despite only being available on PC.