Coliseum

BlizzCon 2026 kicks off today, and its Opening Ceremony contain tons of news about the company’s catalog of games. Whether massively multiplayer, single-player, in cards or through an open world, this was a surprisingly announcement-filled Opening Ceremony.

Here’s everything Blizzard announced at BlizzCon 2026.

Heroes of the Storm Adds Xal’atath

Though Blizzard slowed development on its crossover MOBA Heroes of the Storm a while back, Heroes of the Storm returned today with a new update. Xal’atath, the big baddie from World of Warcraft, is taking to the field on September 28. And Blizzard teases that more could be on the way, too. Maybe Heroes of the Storm isn’t on the back-burner any longer?

Netflix x Diablo

Emphasizing that the company is Blizzard Entertainment, an animated Diablo series was confirmed to be in development with Netflix. No details were given beyond that, but there was a tease for other properties being an option for adaptations as well.

A StarCraft open-world shooter aims for 2030

The universe of StarCraft is back, this time through an open-world shooter currently dubbed StarCraft. Led by former Far Cry lead Dan Hay, the open-world shooter got a cinematic trailer showing off the vibe, which was fittingly grim. Currently, the team is targeting a 2030 launch, which feels just a bit far off, to say the least. But hey, it’s nice to see StarCraft back.

Overwatch Adds Doctrine To The Roster

A new hero is joining the roster of Overwatch: the stylish and vampiric Doctrine. This Support arrives for a limited Hero Trial from September 12 through 14, before his official unlock in Season 5.

Diablo IV Comes To Switch 2

As part of the new season of Diablo IV, dubbed the Age of Hatred, numerous announcements were made for the dungeon-crawling and looting RPG. A new season is on the way, and with it, a Switch 2 version, out on September 15. (Reports have emerged of physical copies already showing up in stores today.)

Diablo V Is On The Way

Diablo V has been officially revealed for spring 2029. Diablo has taken Sanctuary, and there are no towns or safe havens left, which the Diablo team says will change how you approach the game. More will be discussed at a specific Diablo V panel, but it looks like the dungeon crawl will continue unabated.

Hearthstone Gets A New Expansion, And New Class 

Blizzard’s Warcraft card game is getting a new expansion called Reign Of The Black Empire, themed around the old gods of Warcraft’s universe. A new mechanic will let you piece together keywords onto a single card, mixing and matching card text to make devastating new effects. Battlegrounds will get Aberrations as well, adding some old god flavor to the auto-battler, and more lore is being dumped into the card game through the Journal. Some more experimental updates are on the way as well, including a new Tavern Brawl that allows for 2v2 Hearthstone.

On top of that, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in quite some time: the Monk.  Coming March 2027, the Pandaren Monk should bring some interesting new flavor to the current lineup of classes.

World of Warcraft Teases Both Midnight Eclipse And The Last Titan

The Worldsoul saga continues apace, as Xal’atath’s schemes appear to be coming to fruition. In a new cinematic, Xal’atath gains access to the Worldsoul, which seems like a pretty bad thing for anyone living on the world. Midnight Eclipse, the next update for World of Warcraft, will presumably task players with trying to put a stop to all this.

When it comes to the next expansion, The Last Titan, Blizzard plans to bring a big chapter to close while also laying the groundwork for the road ahead. We did get a brief cinematic teaser, showing very, very large beings walking through the frozen wastes. The Last Titan is aiming for 2027.

Warcraft III: Reforged Gets A New Campaign Today

It’s been how many years since we last got a new Warcraft III campaign? The Reforged edition of Warcraft III adds Forsaken Kingdom today, a new campaign set around the fall of Lordaeron, alongside a number of quality-of-life improvements. This includes some graphical upgrades and engine stuff, too. As a Warcraft III fan, this was pretty exciting for me. And even better, it’s out today!

World of Warcraft Forever Arrives In November

Closing out the show, World of Warcraft’s Holly Longdale stepped out to announce World of Warcraft Forever, a new re-envisioning of the classic MMORPG. You’ll get to explore new zones like Mount Hyjal and the Riverglades, as well as expanded original zones. New raids, dungeons, reputations, skills and talents await in a new journey to 60.

Fresh combinations of races and classes will be available too, as well as a new race: the Skyborne. This massive update is set to arrive on November 4, with Beta opening on September 17.

That’s all for BlizzCon 2026, a surprisingly large one. There’s new content out today, in the near future, and in the far-off future too.

Warcraft III is getting a new campaign for the first time in years. Forsaken Kingdom is a new campaign for Warcraft III: Reforged, arriving today alongside a number of improvements to the Reforged version of Warcraft III.

Set amid the fall of Lordaeron, a new prologue will detail the fallout after Arthas killed his father in the original Warcraft III campaign. Blizzard says the campaign will boast over 30 hours of gameplay, with some new gameplay additions and arriving alongside some big quality-of-life upgrades.

Notably, a new graphics mode is coming to Warcraft III: Reforged, which brings the overall look a little closer to the original direction for Warcraft III. 24-unit group selection and additional World Editor improvements are also part of the update. Plus, a new neutral hero in the Forsaken Paladin.

As someone who started following Blizzard thanks to its real-time strategy games, it’s a pretty exciting update. Warcraft III: Reforged had some stumbles out of the gate, and seeing the ship get set upright is exciting. All that new content is out now for Warcraft III: Reforged owners.

Blizzard is rewinding the clock to 2004 and halting it there with World of Warcraft: Forever, a new game edition expanding the vanilla WoW experience with new and overhauled zones, 1,000 new quests spread across the entire 1–60 level bracket, 9 additional dungeons and 10-20 player raids, and a brand new neutral playable elven race: the Skyborne. Several new features include an SD/HD character toggle, new race and class combinations (the trailer below depicts an Undead Paladin), additional skills and talents, and new reputations to farm new items and account-wide perks. 

Three new zones include Mount Hyjal, Zephras Isle, and The Riverglades, and a new battleground takes place on Darkspear Islands. While Blizzard hasn’t shared specifics yet about which zones are being overhauled, it’s confirmed the engine features new lighting and global illumination, volumetric particle effects, a new water renderer, and real-time shadows. 

World of Warcraft: Forever Gameplay Trailer: 

A beta drops this Thursday, September 17, ahead of World of Warcraft: Forever’s November 4 release date. In the meantime, additional details about the new game edition should surface throughout various panels happening at BlizzCon this weekend.  

This morning during BlizzCon’s opening ceremony, Blizzard announced Diablo V, set a half-century after the events of Diablo IV. The game’s premise breaks from the series’ typical format: rather than preventing the apocalypse, Diablo V depicts an already-fallen Sanctuary where the Lord of Terror, Diablo, has won. 

Diablo V Teaser Trailer:

StarCraft is back, this time as an open-world shooter. During the BlizzCon 2026 keynote today, a new open-world shooter was announced, aiming for a 2030 release and simply called: StarCraft.

Dan Hay, previously a lead producer on the Far Cry series, to announce the new project and the team behind it. Hay said the crew plans to “re-ignite” the StarCraft universe, and brought a trailer to show exactly how.

The trailer is delightfully dark, featuring a Marine named Holt training up for the Dominion only to get run over by a Zergling rush when he touches down on a planet. Happens to the best of us. It also sounds like Mengsk shouting over the loudspeakers, and I’m curious to see what other little easter eggs are hiding in the trailer.

This is still a long-term plan, as Blizzard is currently targeting a 2030 launch. It also seems to simply be titled “StarCraft”, which could cause some confusion down the line related to the RTS. But either way, it’s neat to see StarCraft back. Now we’ll just have to wait a few years to see what’s in store for it.

During this morning’s BlizzCon Opening Ceremony, Blizzard President Johanna Faries announced that Heroes of the Storm is getting its first new hero in six years. Xal’atath, World of Warcraft: Midnight’s primary antagonist, is joining the Nexus as a ranged assassin, wielding her signature Void abilities. 

Xal’atath – Heroes of the Storm Trailer:

We’ve detailed Xal’atath’s ability kit below, which was shared with Game Informer via a Blizzard press release:

• Trait — Void Volley. Basic attacks build Soul Essence; at full Essence, unleash a barrage of void bolts at a target area while moving freely. Tied to the Void Whispers quest, which rewards range, faster charge, and piercing, empowered void damage as it progresses.
• E — Dark Heart Ritual. Summon the Dark Heart talisman to pulse void energy at nearby enemies, then follow and detonate on any Shadow-Marked hero.
• W — Void Step. Blink between three points in a triangular pattern, gaining attack damage at each stop; can be canceled early to reposition or escape.
• Q — Shadow Mark. Cast a large Void Orb that marks heroes hit by its inner radius; the Dark Heart moves to the impact point and detonates on marked heroes.
• Heroic — Void Eruption. Channel a growing void orb, launch it to blind enemies and dominate space, then detonate in a large area — cast on the Dark Heart for an instant, fully empowered eruption.
• Heroic — Void Convergence. Summon a portal that spawns relentless void minions to overwhelm nearby enemies, replacing fallen minions until the portal ends or is destroyed.

“Thank you for believing in this game, for carrying the torch, and for reminding us sometimes – very loudly – what this game means to you,” Blizzard President Johanna Faries said. “And who knows, we might even have another hero on the way in the near future. So stay tuned, and we’ll see you in the Nexus.”

It’s a new week of The Game Informer Show, and we’ve got reactions to two entire Nintendo Directs that took place on back-to-back days this week, showing off both a new look for Link in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and some new Nintendo first-party games in the general Direct, including Metroid: Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond. After that, we dig into our impressions of Marvel’s Wolverine from those who have been playing it. How does it stand up as a superhero game, Insomniac game, and general Marvel property? Plus, we share some thoughts on the enormity of Gamescom, and shout out some of our preview coverage that’s been rolling out on the site. It’s a packed week, so grab a cold drink and settle in for a new episode of The Game Informer Show. The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Friday for chats about video game reviews, news, and exclusive reveals alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Support the show by subscribing to our physical video game magazine! Submit a question or topic you’d like to hear us discuss: Podcast@GameInformer.com. 

Watch or Listen to the Podcast:

Listen to “Ocarina Of Time Remake Reaction And Marvel’s Wolverine Review” on Spreaker.

Follow our hosts online:

• Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)
• Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)
• Eric Van Allen (@Seamoosi)
• Wesley LeBlanc (@WesleyLeBlanc)

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction04:46 – What We Want From Ocarina of Time Remake37:56 – Nintendo Direct Reactions (Metroid Ravenous, Kirby and the World Beyond, etc.)01:06:45 – Marvel’s Wolverine Review01:32:50 – Gamescom 2026 Highlights

Polyarc, the developer best known for the acclaimed Moss series of VR and console games, has announced its closing its doors. This marks the end of the studio’s almost 12-year run.

On LinkedIn, Polyarc’s official profile posted this message:

“After nearly 12 years riding the joyous rollercoaster of emotions that is making video games, our time together has come to an end. As we wind down active development, we are saying our farewells to each other.

Working together over all of these years has been an honor. Bringing surprise and delight to those who played our games has been a privilege. Thank you to everyone at Polyarc, our work is now finished.”

The message concludes with a reverse recruiting spreadsheet with contact information for the studio’s employees. 

Polyarc burst onto the scene with 2018’s Moss, an action-adventure puzzle game that shone as one of the more well-received VR titles of the time. It followed up with Moss: Book II in 2022. This July, Polyarc released Moss: The Forgotten Relic, a non-VR adventure combining both Moss games into a single title. 

Sadly, Polyarc isn’t the only studio to meet its end this year. Follow the links to read about the 2026 closures of Oxenfree developer Night School Studio, Wanderstop developer Ivy Road, Ubisoft’s Halifax studio, and Demon’s Souls remake makers Bluepoint Games. 

This week was a surprisingly dense one for video game updates. Nintendo held two separate Direct presentations and Hideo Kojima is no longer working for PlayStation. This week also represents, however, a small reprieve for what continues to be an onslaught of new video games. Feel to catch your breath, but if you want to play some video games, you will find some ideas below after we take a look at some of the biggest stories of the week.

• Marvel’s Wolverine Review – Relentless Momentum
• Everything Announced At The Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Direct 
• Every New Announcement At The September 2026 Nintendo Direct
• Xbox Will Now Publish Hideo Kojima’s Action Espionage Game Physint After PlayStation Partnership Ends
• The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Has Fully Voiced Cutscenes, A Jump Button, And Tons More
• Halloween: The Game Review – Bespoke Boogeyman
• Final Fantasy VII Revelation Preview  – Excitement For The Finale, Despite A Mediocre Demo

NHL 27

Brian Shea

Much of the excitement in the sporting world might be squarely focused on the start of the NFL season this weekend, but for hockey fans, it’s hard not to look forward to the end of this month for the start of the NHL season. If you find yourself in that second camp, EA Sports’ NHL 27 might be a solid way to scratch that itch while you wait for the real players to take the ice. Our reviewer wasn’t the biggest fan of the AI-aided commentary, nor did he feel the game evolves over last year’s title in meaningful ways, but the base gameplay is solid enough that those who are just looking to play some virtual hockey with the latest rosters can jump in and have a fun enough time.

You can read Game Informer‘s NHL 27 review at the link.

SlashZero demo

Marcus Stewart

Boasting slick action and stylish visuals, SlashZero is an action roguelike sidescroller to keep on your radar. The game was announced during the PlayStation State of Play Japan showcase last week and has a free (but limited-time) demo on PS5 and Steam you can try ahead of its full launch next year. I recommend checking it out. Featuring two playable characters, a swordsman and a gunslinger, youl leap and blast your way through multiple timelines in a cyberpunk world. The fluid action and platforming rock, the anime-inspired visuals look sharp, and the time-traveling premise is intriguing. The fact that developer Streetlamp Studio has several more months to polish this already strong sample is exciting.

Halloween: The Game

Kyle Hilliard

Halloween: The Game, from Illfonic the creators of many nostalgic asymmetrical multiplayer games based on horror films, is pretty fun… as long as you go in with proper expectations for the genre.

In his review for the game, Wesley LeBlanc wrote, “Halloween needs some massaging. There are bugs galore, its Civilian onboarding isn’t great, and leveling up to unlock new color tints on sunglasses, or a new shirt or hat, isn’t the best motivation. But when I’m actually in a match, all of that fades away. The bugs aren’t game-breaking and blend in with IllFonic’s feature-not-a-bug jank, like one where another player and I hilariously moonwalked when we ran instead of sprinted. Learning what to do as a Civilian doesn’t take too much time, even without any helpful context built in-game, and cosmetics don’t affect how I play. What matters in Halloween is the scares I’m delivering and receiving, and the joy I’m feeling through it all. Death has arrived in IllFonic’s latest, and while the fear is abundant, so too is the fun waiting in the sleepy little town of Haddonfield.”

Wes also makes clear in his review that while there is a single-player campaign, and it is a functional tutorial for the multiplayer game, that the multiplayer is the draw. If you’re looking for a single-player Halloween game, this isn’t it.

Meccha Chameleon on Switch 2

Kyle Hilliard

If you’re not a big PC gamer, Meccha Chameleon is the game you probably heard about that sold a million billion copies. Its success will be intensely analyzed for the next few years by people who proclaim themselves experts on the business of video games on LinkedIn, but don’t actually engage with video games as a form of artistic expression. Please look forward to their consulting efforts selling video game publishers the wrong lessons about Meccha Chameleon for years to come.

But with those details out of the way and for those who like to play video games because they are fun (and read sites like gameinformer.com because they are very smart), Meccha Chamelon is available now on Switch 2 and it’s a great fit. The game is essentially high stakes hide and seek where players hide by literally painting themselves into the environment. With a group of friends, it can be a goofy blast. Just get ready to use your mouse on Switch 2 as it will make the painting aspect of the game much more fun.

Mewgenics

Charles Harte

I’ll openly admit that I don’t care much for Mewgenics’ humor and aesthetics (and I mentioned as much in my review), but I can’t deny that its game design is a work of beauty. You start each run with four cats, each with different stats and quirks, and assign them a class, equip them with items, and take them into a tactical roguelike run. There are so many variables in any given encounter that each new session is ripe with emergent gameplay, and you’ll have crazy stories about the way your cats combo or clash with certain enemy types, equipment, and the environment. This week, it’s finally made its way to consoles, so if you’ve been interested, now’s as good a time as any to check it out.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion on Switch 2

Kyle Hilliard

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII originally released on PSP in 2007 and was generally well-liked. In terms of the Final Fantasy VII spin-offs that have released over the years, this prequel is widely considered to be the best. In 2022 the game was updated and released for just about every contemporary platform at the time and this week, it released for Switch 2.

I reviewed the PlayStation 5 version of the game in 2022 and wrote, “Reunion is a well-executed remake of the 2007 game that delivers fun combat alongside a stilted story with an interesting and narratively important final act. If you plan on starting or continuing the Final Fantasy VII Remake journey, make sure to do your homework.” The game is not necessary to enjoy the ongoing Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, but it provides some nice context and the action is pretty good, if a little repetitive. Mainly, I recommend it if you just want to investigate every corner of the Final Fantasy VII universe, especially if you’ve like to do as much as you can before Final Fantasy VII Revelation releases in April of next year.

Tabletop Pick – Dungeons & Dragons Arcana Unleashed and Arcana Unleased: Deadfall

Charles Harte

Next Tuesday, two new D&D books will be available for the general public: Arcana Unleashed and Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall. Technically, they’ve been in the wild for a while now, as they’ve been available at local game stores since September 1 and they were on sale at Gen Con before that. Still, I’ve been enjoying both. Arcana Unleashed is particularly exciting, with new subclasses, spells, and magic items that I’m definitely incorporating into my ongoing campaign. I’m most excited about the long-overdue update to the arcane archer and the new familiar-themed feats. I feel like every table I play at has a new person hoping to adopt a magic pet, and this makes it super easy, regardless of your class.

Meanwhile, Deadfall is a high-level (11-20) adventure ideal for a magic-heavy party. It’s cool to see support for a campaign that starts so highly-leveled, especially since most tables never play long enough to experience it. Aside from a few magic items, there’s not much in Deadfall that reaches the universal appeal of something like Arcana Unleashed, though. Regardless, the D&D team is still killing it with the art in these books, and they’re a joy to leaf through whether or not I’ll have time to play them any time soon.

Many things change — the seasons, the times, possibly war — but love stays the same. Exodus, the new sci-fi RPG from a group of veteran game makers at Archetype Entertainment, certainly knows that love can bloom in the far reaches of space; given the BioWare legacy feeding into the Austin studio, romance options seemed like a surefire bet.

For our cover story, Charles and I sat down with narrative director Drew Karpyshyn to talk about the romance options in Exodus. We discussed what kind of romances are available, how they might affect your playthrough, whether you could juggle a few at the same time, and even how time dilation — a key component of Exodus’ universe — factors into love.