BlizzCon Opening Ceremony – News Roundup

The BlizzCon Opening Ceremony has wrapped, and this year’s convention is officially underway! Read on for a recap of the big moments and big news from the start of the show. 25 YEARS OF GAMES Journey back in time and celebrate 25 years of Blizzard games and cameraderie with this special video that kicked off the opening ceremony. WORLD OF WARCRAFT Meet Mischief – Make-A-Wish® Charity Pet Coming Soon Get ready to welcome a little disorder into your Order Hall—meet Mischief, the next World of Warcraft pet coming to the Shop! This fel feline is preparing to stir up some trouble this holiday season . . . but trust us, it’s for a good cause. Starting December 1 through the end of the year, when you adopt Mischief the Fel Kitty the full purchase price will be donated to Make-A-Wish, helping them grant the wishes of children throughout the world with life-threatening medical conditions. Keep an eye out for more details on www.worldofwarcraft.com. For more information about Make-A-Wish in the U.S., visit wish.org and outside of the U.S., visit worldwish.org. New Legion Content Coming Find out more about the new content in store for World of Warcraft: Legion players in the World of Warcraft: Legion – What’s Next panel, taking place Friday at 2:45pm PT on the Main Stage. OVERWATCH Sombra Emerges From the Shadows Introducing the next hero coming to the Overwatch roster: Sombra, one of the world’s most notorious hackers. Explore Sombra’s story and abilities on the Overwatch website , and find out more about all the Overwatch content being shown at BlizzCon—including new maps and the brand-new Overwatch Arcade feature—at the Overwatch – What’s New panel on Friday at 1:30pm PT on the Main Stage. Introducing the Overwatch League Get ready for the Overwatch League—a world-class ecosystem for professional Overwatch competition. The Overwatch League combines Blizzard’s experience in esports with the best practices of major traditional sports to create a league where teams and players can thrive for years to come, and fans are made for life. Visit www.overwatchleague.com to learn more about what’s in store. STARCRAFT II Prepare for a payload of StarCraft II content! The third and final Nova Mission Pack launches November 22. Additionally, Alexei Stukov will be infesting Co-op Missions soon, along with a new map! We’re also thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration with the team behind Google’s DeepMind A.I. Learn more about StarCraft II’s role in the future of deep learning in The Future of StarCraft II AI panel on Saturday at 10am PT on the Main Stage. HEROES OF THE STORM The Heroes of Azeroth Two new Heroes hailing from the realm of Azeroth are warping into the Nexus: King Varian Wrynn and Ragnaros, the Firelord! Varian is Heroes of the Storm’s first multi-class Hero—be the shield your team needs by taunting enemies and soaking tons of damage, or go on the offensive and lead with your blades to cut down any who stand in your way. Ragnaros can sieze control of allied Forts or destroyed enemy Forts to unleash a whole new set of fiery abilities. Learn more during the Hero Deep Dive panel on Friday at 2pm PT on the Panel Stage. New Brawl and Nexus Challenge Blackheart’s back for revenge in an all-new Brawl! In this asymmetrical battleground, the attacking team must gather cannonballs and open fire upon the ghost pirate’s ship, while defenders take out enemy heroes until Blackheart can wipe out the attackers’ Core. Team up with your friends—and earn a handsome set of in-game rewards for both Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm—by taking on the Nexus Challenge! Find out more about this limited-time event, along with the new Brawl and heroes, on the Heroes community site. HEARTHSTONE Take On the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan Head to the back-alleys of Azeroth’s biggest trade city and try your luck with the criminal underground in Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, the upcoming new expansion for Hearthstone. Add 132 new cards to your collection, and build new strategies around the three notorious crime families that rule Gadgetzan’s streets: the weapon-smuggling Grimy Goons, the assassins of the Jade Lotus, and the mana-hungry Kabal. Visit www.gadgetzan.com to learn more, then tune in to the Hearthstone – What’s Next panel at 12:30pm PT on Friday on the Main Stage. DIABLO III The Darkening of Tristram Celebrate 20 years of Diablo by traveling back into the depths of the Cathedral where it all began in this upcoming Diablo III: Reaper of Souls content update. Get ready to explore a monster-filled dungeon 16 levels deep, and come face to face with the four main bosses from the original game—all with retro touches like special graphics filters and eight-direction character movement. Rise of the Necromancer A new class is coming to Diablo III: Reaper of Souls: the Necromancer! Coming in 2017, the Rise of the Necromancer pack will allow you to master the dark arts, draw your magic from the power of death itself, and command mighty armies of risen warriors—oh, and explode corpses, too. Discover more about all the Diablo III content coming in 2017 at the Diablo 20th Anniversary panel on Friday at 5pm PT on the Main Stage. Check out the complete schedule for Friday and Saturday, and purchase a Virtual Ticket to access the panels on the Main and Panel Stages, developer interviews, and more!