Blizzard Entertainment

Hey everyone! Senior game producer Adam Massey and lead gameplay engineer Daniel Razza here, subbing in for Aaron this week. We’re going to share some updates on fair play for console players in Overwatch 2 regarding the issue of unapproved peripherals.

What are Unapproved Peripherals?

Our goal is for Overwatch 2 to be a great experience no matter what platform you play on. The game feels best when matches are close and competitive, and everyone plays on a level playing field. To help achieve this, we’ve tailored the game experience on console by adding console-specific features such as aim assist, which helps bridge the difference in precision of aim between a mouse and a controller.

Unfortunately, some players on console have been using devices that allow them to use a mouse and keyboard while tricking the console into thinking that the inputs are coming from a controller. While some use different peripherals for accessibility purposes, some pl...

Yesterday, Patch 29.2 went live with some changes to Weekly Quests, making them harder to complete but grant more XP. We had seen that many players routinely completed their Weekly Quests through their regular play, without even really engaging with the Weekly Quest system. Our aim with the adjustments was to give all our players goals to play towards, and to reward our most engaged players (who would likely still complete the Weekly Quests without too much difficulty) for their commitment to the game.

But we’ve heard your feedback and it's clear that we pushed too far.

We want to reward players for their additional efforts, not make those rewards outside of their reach. That’s why we’re putting together an unscheduled hotfix patch scaling most of the Weekly Quest requirements back down to a number between what they were before and what they are now. We’ll keep the additional XP where it is. We’ll have more information on the timing of this unscheduled hotfix soon,...

We’re thrilled that Venture is finally in the hero lineup, and it’s been fun to see you get your hands on their groundbreaking kit and mechanics. Today two developers who were part of our newest hero's strike team will share a behind-the-scenes look at how Venture, became Venture.

Hero strike teams consist of many different disciplines across Team 4. There is no one formula for how heroes come to life, but it always starts with assembling a group of developers who will embark on the journey of creating a new hero together. Today, we’re going to hear from two of those developers – one concept artist and one narrative designer - to talk about how Venture’s art and aesthetic were created, as well as how their character and personality came to life.

Let’s get into it!

Venture’s Concept Art

Hi! I’m Daryl Tan, Lead Character Concept Artist on Team 4.

Being on the team that brought Venture to life was an incredibl...

Join Game Director Ion Hazzikostas and Associate Art Director Tina Wang as they sit down with Community Manager and host Bethany Stout to take you into The War Within™.

The alpha test is right around the corner and we look forward to moving into the next phase of development of The War Within with you.

Here’s a recap of some of the main features arriving with the expansion.

Defend Azeroth from the Shadows Below

Journey through never-before-seen subterranean worlds filled with wonders and lurking perils, down to the dark depths of the nerubian empire, where the malicious Harbinger of the Void, Xal’atath, is gathering arachnid forces to bring Azeroth to its knees.

The Worldsoul Saga Begins Here!

World of Warcraft®: The War Within™ arrives this year¹, and the wings of a grand new adventure will spread widely across the next three expansions.² Be a part of the epic story that commemorates the first 20 years of World of Warcraft and sets new foundations for Azeroth's future!² 

The World of Warcraft: The War Within 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition is now available for pre-purchase and comes with an array of rare and commemorative items to aid in your journey into the dep...

Get a closer look at the new Warbands System with the World of Warcraft development team.

With public access to The War Within test phase just around the corner, we want to share more details about what’s in development for Warbands.

What are Warbands?

The new Warbands system being introduced in The War Within will encompass all of the characters on a player’s Battle.net account as well as the items, collections, and progression they share.

It’s important to note that your Warband is limited to characters within a single region (i.e., Americas, Europe, Korea, Taiwan) but spans every realm, faction, and even subscription you may have within that region

Many aspects of World of Warcraft have been shared across your account for a lon...

Here you'll find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Wrath of the Lich King Classic, Burning Crusade Classic, Season of Discovery, and WoW Classic. Some of the hotfixes below take effect the moment they were implemented, while others may require scheduled realm restarts to go into effect. Please keep in mind that some issues cannot be addressed without a client-side patch update. This list will be updated as additional hotfixes are applied.

Hotfixes

April 16, 2024

Items

• Grotto Netherwing Drake's Black Scales should be properly awarded to players who have completed the Now THIS is Dragon Racing!

Season of Discovery

• There are now Emerald Warden guard NPCs present near Nightmare Incursion questgivers and quartermasters.
• The Atal'ai Mojo consumables ar...

Mythic hero skins are the ultimate customization for heroes in Overwatch 2. Every Mythic hero skin is uniquely crafted to push the limits in artwork, animation, and effects. Players have had the chance to Dragon Blade in high-tech style with Cyberdemon Genji, conquer the galaxy with Infinite Emperor Sigma, and save Overland with Adventurer Tracer. Now, whether you are coming back for a new season or are a brand-new player, you can collect the Mythic hero skins for your favorite heroes and level up with the customizations you want in the all-new Mythic Shop. We’re excited to give you the choice of what Mythic skins you want to collect, and this update is just the start as we continue to evolve Mythic cosmetics.

Keep reading how you can progress through the Premium Battle Pass and earn your way to your next Mythic skin.

Collect New Mythic Prisms in the Premium Battle Pass

We’re giving you the choice to select your own Mythic Hero skin. Whether you ...

Our next Heroes of the Storm patch has just hit the Public Test Realm and will be available for playtesting. As always, if you encounter any bugs during your PTR play sessions, please stop by the PTR Bug Report forum to let us know about your experiences.

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Hoist the sails and batten down the hatches; a Plundersurge has arrived!

Dive into the battle-royale-inspired Plunderstorm event now to double the reputation earned (including the winner's bonus) from all sources of Plunder during the Plundersurge! This bootyful opportunity lasts until Plunderstorm ends on April 30, helping scallywags catch up on rewards.

Set Sail for the Plunderstorm

Plunge into a challenging battle that earns excellent rewards for World of Warcraft® Modern and Classic progression realms. All you have to do is survive…and plunder. Can't seem to stay in the realm of the living? No problem. Plunderers still gain progression that helps unlock new rewards.

Each match is 10-15 minutes long and has 60 players per match, with the winner being the last one standing. Level up and acquire new abilities and spells by killing creatures and enemies, looting chests, and avoiding the e...

Make an early descent into World of Warcraft®: The War Within™. You'll journey through never-before-seen subterranean worlds filled with hidden wonders, earn the trust of the new Earthen allied race, and face an ancient evil lurking in the darkness when you sign up for the beta!

Sign Up!

Getting Started

Join us in testing The War Within. Players who have opted in can be selected to be testers, and invitations will go o...

As we dig into Season 10 of Overwatch 2, we're thrilled to introduce our newest hero, Venture. We also have a first look at our new game mode, Clash, and updates to how you acquire new Heroes. So, get ready to embark on an epic excavation of greatness!

You Can’t Spell Adventure without Venture

Break ground with the newest Damage hero, Venture, a spirited archaeologist who channels their passion for history into daring acts of heroism. Armed with a massive drill and an arsenal of seismic abilities, Venture brings a fresh dynamic to the battlefield (and underneath it). Outwit your adversaries and unearth victory as you dive, dig, drill, and deliver massive damage in the process.

Harnessing the power of their Smart Excavator, Venture primarily launches unstable seismic energy that explodes, and deals burst damage. With their Burrow ability, they can become invulnerable underground while gathering momentum for a calculated ambush upon re-emergence. T...

The Diablo IV team has been monitoring your feedback. As we introduce patches to keep your experience in Sanctuary smooth, we will update the below list and denote whether the fixes are intended for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or all platforms.

Bug Fixes

• Various performance, stability, and graphical improvements.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where Gauntlet rewards earned by a Softcore character could be claimed by Hardcore characters.
• Fixed an issue where the Minion Resistance stats weren't properly localized for all languages.
• V...

Patch 29.2, launching on April 16, brings Battlegrounds Duos and Season 7, Once Upon a Tavern! 

This story has lots of chapters, so you can use this Table of Contents to help you find what you need: 

• Introducing Battlegrounds Duos 
• Battlegrounds Season 7 
• ...

The Great Push (TGP) returns alongside the Arena World Championship (AWC) in Season 4. Register today for a chance to become the final champions of Dragonflight ahead of a new age with The War Within™.

With Dragonflight Season 4 commencing the week of April 23, the Arena World Championship and The Great Push signups are now open! This is the final season of the current expansion, and the last opportunity to be crowned champions of Dragonflight.

Registration is now open on Raider.IO – join in for your chance to earn the Draconic Banner of the Aspects and a combined over $600,000 (USD) in prizing! Watch all the actio...

Relive epic adventures with an all-new event arriving in the 10.2.7 content update— WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria. Experience the wonders of Pandaria anew, but with fresh new loot— and (almost) unlimited power.  

What is WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria?

World of Warcraft Remix is a time-limited event which allows players to re-experience the entirety of the Mists of Pandaria expansion at an accelerated rate from level 10 through 70. All loot has been completely overhauled and has powerful new effects allowing players to shape their experience, power up, and power on. Features include:

• Accelerated Leveling and Content allowing you to take on nearly every quest, scenario, dungeon and raid.
• Create a new WoW Remix character starting at level 10 t...

We’re back with a new Defense Matrix update on our efforts to keep Overwatch 2 a fun, safe, and inclusive experience for everyone. Our latest Developer Update revealed new features that aim to bring friends together while protecting you from disruptive players, so let’s dive a bit deeper into these changes and what you can expect in the coming seasons.

Playing Competitive with Friends

Overwatch 2 has always been a game best played with friends. However, in Competitive Play, it may not always work to group up if your friends are too far from your rank. That’s why we’re introducing “Wide Groups” in Season 10, and you’ll now be able to play with your friends in Competitive no matter their rank.

So what, exactly, is a Wide Group? A Wide Group is when the highest and lowest ranked players are too far apart in Skill Tier and Divisions. Any groups with Diamond or lower ranked players that are more than five Skill Divisions apart are a Wide Group. Any groups with...

Hello! It’s been a while since my last blog – but we’ve been hard at work! Let’s get right into it!

First off, I am thrilled that you have welcomed our newest hero, Venture, to the line-up. Venture’s ecstatic personality has charmed many of you, and you have already asked us so many questions about their backstory and personality. While I am unsure if they like to munch on rocks, they have drilled their way to being the top-picked hero in Quick Play this past weekend. We’ll be revealing more about Venture’s story and how they were developed shortly after Season 10 launches.

One of the biggest reasons so many of us instantly fell in love with Venture is the incredible voice talent of Valeria Rodriguez. We instantly knew they were a hit when we saw how much energy they could put into their voice and how they matched Venture’s personality perfectly. We are also thrilled that many of you have welcomed Valeria into our community.

Watching all o...

You’ve toppled the undead armies of the Lich King and ended Arthas' reign. Now, Deathwing, The Worldbreaker, bursts from the heart of the Maelstrom, unleashing his rage. All will burn beneath the shadow of his wings. Your new journey begins with the pre-expansion patch — the Shattering of Azeroth— on April 30 and continues with the launch of Cataclysm Classic on May 20, 2024 at 3:00 pm PDT worldwide.

Cataclysm Classic Pre-Expansion Patch

The Cataclysm Classic pre-expansion patch ushers in the shattering of Azeroth and the changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, a variety of systems changes along with new class and race combinations, and the new Worgen and Goblin races. Players can also begin learning the new ...

Sharpen your blades and prepare yourself for a culinary battle in this week's PvP Brawl—Cooking Impossible.

Packed House
Warfare

We’ve put more PvP in your PvP! In Packed House, there’s nowhere to hide as you face not 2, not 3, not 5, but 15 adversaries in this 15 vs. 15 Arena battle.

• February 6–13, 2024
• April 30–May 7, 2024
• July 23–30, 2024
• October 15–27, 2024

Deep Six
Resource Race

Deep Six pits teams of si...