It sure as heck isn’t BlizzCon, but until we can safely gather together again in the stew of scents and juices that is a convention hall (so maybe never?), BlizzConline will have to do. Blizzard kicked off the online version of its annual convention today with a handful of announcements that were…less exciting than typical BlizzCon fare.
The new version, called Diablo II: Resurrected, sports significantly better, fully 3D graphics as well as cross progression on both PC and consoles. It’s a full HD remaster of the original game and its expansion, Lord of Destruction. All cinematics will also be recreated and updated, shot for shot. If you hate graphics, you can also play the game in its original form. It’s coming out sometime this year.
The rogue class is coming to Diablo IV
Blizzard unveiled her in a trailer in which she confessed to a priest that she’d done a lot of sins that mostly involved stealing and murder—as you’d expect from a rogue—and then gave him a bunch of disembodied ears, which he apparently collects. It was weird! But in a good, compelling way. In the game, you can customize her into an archer or a cloak-and-dagger rogue, or probably something in-between. Blizzard also said the severed ears “aren’t just for show,” so that’s…good?
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands’ first major update is called Chains Of Domination
This confirms information from a leak earlier this week, which means you’ll soon be confronting the Banshee Queen herself, Sylvanas. You’ll also get to explore a new zone and fly (!!!).
The Burning Crusade Expansion is coming to WoW Classic
WoW’s first expansion is coming to Blizzard’s revival of the old-school experience. Players will be able to choose if individual characters move on to the expansion or stay in the pleasingly plain halls of Vanilla “forever.” Burning Crusade hasn’t aged super well, so I have a feeling a lot of players will be taking Blizzard up on the latter offer.
Hearthstone’s new expansion is called Forged In The Barrens
There’s going to be a new, entirely free core set of cards made up of classics and over 20 new cards. There will also be other new cards, including ones that rank up over time, like Chain Lightning. Blizzard went on to announce a new “Mercenaries” mode that sees you build teams and lead them through “highly replayable, roguelike missions.” It’s scheduled to come out later this year.
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It includes enhanced versions of Blizzard’s early games: The Lost Vikings, Rock n’ Roll Racing, and Blackthorne. You can play each game in its original form or an upgraded “definitive” mode, which adds cutting-edge modern features like the ability to save. There’s also a digital museum, which seems cool. It’ll run you $20, unless you buy Blizzard’s 30th anniversary Celebration Collection, in which case it costs more, but also less, depending on how you think about it.
Metallica played a song
It was fine.
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