BlizzCon 2019: New games

On November, 1-2, the next BlizzCon took place in California, where Activision Blizzard presented to the attention of the most dedicated followers the announcements of games and expansions, expansions, expansions… We offer a brief overview of these novelties.

DIABLO IV

First and foremost, we would like to draw your attention to the blazing hot gift from the hell itself entitled Diablo IV.

If you look for the release date of the project, you are on the wrong page. It is still a full-blown mystery yet the developers shed light on some game details and peculiarities:

Ambience

The game will combine gloomy atmosphere of Diablo II and gameplay of Diablo ІІІ. On the contrary, the game has smoothly transformed into something in-between a single-player game and MMORPG, which means you cannot play offline. Stable and permanent connection to the Internet is required.

Classes

According to the recent information, there will be 3 classes: barbarian, sorceress, and druid. The gameplay could be checked out with the help of special alpha versions presented to the audience:

Barbarian

Sorceress

Druid

Game’s World

The game world is promised to be brave new… actually, a big one, virtually seamless and multi-level. They will also add shifts of day and night, as well as change of weather. Due to the huge volumes of the new game map, we will get the opportunity to ride horses.

Interaction

The game will have an inner interaction on the territories of special social hubs. In addition, the PvP mode and the opportunity to launch raids will go along with a single-player mode.

Daddy’s Girl

According to the gameplay trailer, the plot of the game will be centered not around Diablo himself yet his sweet and tender daughter Lilith.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: SHADOWLANDS

Blizzcon could not go without a new WoW expansion! This time, the undivided attention is paid to Shadowlands, especially to the trailer, which showed a fight between Sylvanas Windrunner and Lich King.

Furthermore, a new location, Shadowlands, was presented. Four new regions are available there, namely Revendreth, Ardenweald, Maldraxxus, and Bastion. The accessibility of new raids and dungeons goes without saying. By the way, the starting raid in the expansion is the Tower of the Damned.

The ensuing fact will not come as a surprise: the tradition of shortening the levels is followed in Shadowlands (from 120 to 60), whereas the expansion itself is developed for the characters till the 50th level. You can pre purchase WoW: Shadowlands via link.

OVERWATCH 2

The most outlandish and ambiguous announcement on Blizzcon was Overwatch 2. On the one hand, there is a colorful, exciting, and marvelous trailer. On the other, the idea exists that Blizzard is simply re-selling the same product but not in the form of expansion yet sequel.

Here is what is known about the features of Overwatch 2:

1. The support of cross-platform play through both parts (as if in one run) is planned. What about promises, fights between the players of the first and second parts and the transfer of progress to the sequel are planned as well.
2. The developers promise a new story and heroic PvE quests along with upgrading system and additional modes for competitive play.
3. A new mode will be added to PvP – Push. A team first captures a special robot and then is supposed to bring it to the enemy’s base.
4. It is planned to give the advantage of opening new abilities for completing quests.
5. The upgrade of graphics and updated heroes are waiting!

HEARTHSTONE: DESCENT OF DRAGONS

Hearthstone has not been left without another expansion Descent of Dragons.

A new powerful hero, the father of all dragonkind, mighty Galafrond, will be added… He will appear in the form of 5 legendary cards for warrior, warlock, shaman, priest, and rogue.

For 90 days starting from the release date (the 10th of December), these cards will be given for all those, who enter the game. In January 2020, a single player game, which will show (or will give us an opportunity to opt for?) the ending of the story, is planned to be released.

Here you can pre-purchase this expansion.

DIABLO IMMORTAL

How can we comment it… Even Blizzard was definitely not in a hurry and supplied the audience with the information post factum…Let’s make a brief overview of Diablo Immortal:

1. New locations: Wartham, Dark Wood, Tamoe Mountain, Ashworld Cemetery.
2. New class: demon hunter (along with presented earlier: barbarian, crusader, monk, necromancer, and wizard).
3. New event: The Haunted Carriage.
4. Legendary items and, for sure, Ultimate Abilities.
5. Release date is still unknown.

So those were the results of Blizzcon 2019. What concerns our standpoint, it seems hard to define what we are observing right now: is it a so-called apology for all the negative experience we had during the year or does Activision Blizzard have weird and messy plans for the part of their releases? What do you think?

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By Bohdan Peredrii

11/11/19