blizzcon-2014
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Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void to debut as standalone game
Like two High Templar Protoss merging to form an Archon, the third installment of the StarCraft 2 saga, StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void, will be comprised of two identities: that of an expansion, and that of a standalone game. In non-game jargon speak, this means that although Legacy of the Void will act as a continuation of the series' plot up to now, you'll be able to purchase and enjoy it regardless of whether or not you own Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm. Comparing the new game to an Archon unit is more accurate than you may think though, as the game will feature something called "Archon Mode," where two players cooperatively manage a single base as they face off against another duo of players doing the same. Blizzard revealed the news during the opening ceremony for BlizzCon 2014, which is happening this weekend in Anaheim. [Image: Blizzard]
BlizzCon 2014 day 1 recap
The first day of BlizzCon is behind us. Blizzard's new IP Overwatch has stolen the headlines, but it isn't all that happened today. Below is all of WoW Insider's day one coverage. Make sure you didn't miss anything delicious! Opening ceremony liveblog Hearthstone's Goblins vs Gnomes expansion announced Blizzard announces new franchise: Overwatch New World of Warcraft charity pet announced for ebola relief efforts Overwatch Unveiled liveblog Warcraft Movie panel Overwatch cinematic and gameplay trailers World of Warcraft Items, Class Changes, and More liveblog The heroes of Overwatch Heroes of the Storm panel recap Hearthstone: Goblins vs Gnomes cards and mechanics WoW Insider's coverage will continue on day 2, opening with a liveblog of the Overwatch Origins panel and hands-on reports of Overwatch and other titles. Hope to see you there!
Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes cards and mechanics
Hearthstone announcing its expansion, Goblins vs. Gnomes, is no surprise. The fact that it releases in one month is a surprise. At BlizzCon this afternoon, Hearthstone Game Director Eric Dodds discussed some of the expansion's new gameplay developments in their Fireside Chat. You can see all of the newly revealed cards in our gallery embedded at the end of this post or follow along to learn about the new Mech minions, Piloted Mechs, Spare Parts, and new class cards. Mechs Goblins vs. Gnomes introduces a new minion type: Mechs. Not only are many of the new minions Mechs, but a number of old minions will be placed in this new category, too. The Harvest Golem was offered as an example along with the Alarm-o-Bot and Mechanical Dragonlings. There are enough new Mechs included in the expansion that you could, if you wanted to, build a full Mech Deck.
BlizzCon 2014: Heroes of the Storm Panel
At BlizzCon 2014 Blizzard held a Heroes of the Storm panel that went over where the game is now and where it's going in the future. Instead of a live blog I'm going to give the bullet points of each segment. What's happened since BlizzCon 2013 Talk-home alpha started immediately after BlizzCon 2013. Internally only, just employees, who played from home. Blizzard used the take-home alpha to "find the fun" of the game, and make sure that the designers could play the game, as well as work on it. Technical alpha started in March 2014. It's a very small test group. They're using this group to learn how to refine their team and learn about the development of this particular game. Patches every 4 – 6 weeks, constant evolution. Lots of smaller chunks, much more often. Everything is fair game for improvements. Technical alpha is the core gameplay, a lot more will come in the future Added Garden of Terror battleground Added a lot of heroes. Murkey, Brightwing, Zagara, Rehgar, Azmodan. Invites Currently adding 15x the number of players than were initially invited to the alpha Closed beta starts on January 13, 2015
The heroes of Overwatch
Blizzard has unveiled the first 12 heroes of Overwatch, their newly announced 6v6 multiplayer shooter. Each hero fills one of the 4 roles -- Offense, Defense, Tank, and Support. The goal is to provide gameplay options for all types of players, not just those who enjoy the traditional twitch gameplay of shooters. It's also worth noting that with each life you are able to switch your hero. You are not locked in to one hero for the entirety of the match. Check out our gallery above, and a full list of the 12 heroes by role after the break.
Overwatch cinematic and gameplay trailers, sign up for beta
The official site for Blizzard's newly announced multiplayer team shooter, Overwatch, is now live. With it comes the cinematic and gameplay videos from BlizzCon. In addition, the site features detailed profiles of all the game's heroes, including lists of their abilities. There's also information on roles, gameplay modes, and more. You can also opt in to the beta, which is set to begin in 2015. Overwatch is playable on the floor at BlizzCon, which makes me hopeful that the beta will start sooner in 2015 rather than later. The cinematic announcement trailer is embedded above, and you'll find the gameplay trailer after the break. For more information on Overwatch, check out our liveblog of the Overwatch Unveiled panel.
Heroes of the Storm's closed beta starts January 13
Heroes of the Storm's closed beta starts January 13th. So sayeth the Blizz at today's BlizzCon. "We've very much enjoyed sharing the Technical Alpha with you, and your feedback over the past eight months has helped us make Heroes even more epic," Mike Morhaime said during today's opening festivities. "Thank you, as always, to everyone who has shared their thoughts on the game with us thus far. We can't wait to hear more from all of you as we move toward Closed Beta testing in January." If you're looking for an invite, make sure you opt in to the HotS testing via your Battle.net account management beta profile settings page. BlizzCon returns to Anaheim during the weekend of November 7th and 8th, 2014! Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's Warlords of Draenor expansion or the latest news from Diablo III, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
BlizzCon Warcraft Movie panel liveblog
The Warcraft Movie panel will begin at 2:15pm Pacific, and we'll be liveblogging it right here. We've heard that we may see some footage during the panel, and we're pretty excited to see what they've got. Duncan Jones and Chris Metzen will be talking about the film for an hour, and should have some amazing surprises in store. Updates will be in reverse-chronological order, with newest updates at the top of the page. If you only want the latest update, you can stay near the top. If you missed the beginning of the panel, scroll to the bottom.
BlizzCon 2014: Liveblogging the Overwatch panel
If you wanted to sit down and watch the opening panel for BlizzCon 2014, you could without any need for a virtual ticket. If you wanted to watch the Overwatch panel announced shortly after they announced Overwatch itself... well, you can't do that. But if you have the ticket, you can, and you can always just catch up as I blog information about the game down in the comments. As before, important information will be revealed past the break as I post things. So, is Overwatch the redone version of Titan? (Almost certainly.) Is it more than just Blizzard's version of Team Fortress 2? (Um.) Find out down there in the comments and find the collected information past the break! BlizzCon returns to Anaheim during the weekend of November 7th and 8th, 2014! Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's Warlords of Draenor expansion or the latest news from Diablo III, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
BlizzCon Overwatch Unveiled liveblog
We finally know what's over in Hall A: Overwatch Unveiled, a panel detailing Blizzard's new team-based shooter franchise. We'll be liveblogging it right here. Updates will be in reverse-chronological order, with newest updates at the top of the page. If you only want the latest update, you can stay near the top. If you missed the beginning of the panel, scroll to the bottom.
Blizzard announces new charity pet for ebola relief efforts
Blizzard has announced the next Battle.net Shop pet: Argi. It will be available for purchase for $10 starting on December 3. For every Argi purchased between December 3 and December 31, 100% of the proceeds will go to the American Red Cross to support ebola relief efforts.
BlizzCon 2014: Blizzard takes on superheroes with Overwatch
Blizzard announced its newest game today at BlizzCon -- and it might just make you forget all about Titan. The game is Overwatch, a superhero-themed "team-based multiplayer shooter" that is very reminiscent of Team Fortress 2. The studio revealed the new title with a pair of trailers, one giving a Pixar-esque introduction to the world and the other showing off in-game footage. Blizzard said that Overwatch will be "very approachable" for audiences. So when is Overwatch coming out? "It is nearer than you think," teased Chris Metzen, following that with news that the beta is coming in 2015 and the title will be playable at this week's convention.
BlizzCon 2014: Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes expansion announced
It's about to get all funky and explosive up in Hearthstone. At BlizzCon today, the team announced that the upcoming expansion is called Gobins vs. Gnomes and will be releasing next month. Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes will contain over 120 new cards that draw upon the innovations of these clever and mad inventors. Two of the cards mentioned were the Explosive Sheep and the Annoy-O-Tron. Currently, the expansion is "in a final balance pass" prior to its December launch. Hearthstone will also be coming out on Android devices next month.
Liveblogging the opening ceremonies of BlizzCon 2014
Dear readers, I am going to be wholly honest with you. When I was asked if I could do this liveblog for BlizzCon, I thought I was being asked if I was capable. Like asking "can you ride your bike with no handlebars" or "can you sing to a cat until it leaves the room in disgust." But here I am now, so apparently the question was significantly less rhetorical than I had originally assumed and now I need to actually do this. You can watch the standard definition feed of the convention's opening ceremonies on the official site for free. I'll be liveblogging the important announcements in the comments if you're in a place where you can't watch along (at work, misplaced your headphones, hiding in an Amish barn and fearing discovery should your phone give away even the slightest beep); highlights will be collected past the break. There will probably be announcements about Blizzard games! Like World of Warcraft and Hearthstone and maybe, if it's very lucky, StarCraft II.
BlizzCon Opening Ceremony liveblog
The opening ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Pacific and we will be liveblogging it right here. Currently, something is concealed in Hall C, typical of game or expansion announcements. In the past, once the announcement has been made, the black curtains are removed. No doubt, today's opening ceremony will contain something exciting. Updates will be in reverse-chronological order, with newest updates at the top of the page. If you only want the latest update, you can stay near the top. If you missed the beginning of the panel, scroll to the bottom.
Watch the BlizzCon 2014 opening ceremony live
The BlizzCon 2014 festivities are kicking off today with the opening ceremony at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST). Everything will be streamed live on the official BlizzCon site. Just a reminder that even if you haven't purchased a Virtual Ticket, you'll still be able to watch the opening ceremony for free. E-sport events including the StarCraft II WCS Global Finals, World of Warcraft Arena World Championship, and the Hearthstone World Championship will also be free to stream all weekend. However, if you want to watch the developer panels, contests, closing ceremony, and the Metallica concert then you'll need the Virtual Ticket. If you're at work or otherwise unable to watch the live stream, we got you covered here at WoW Insider with live blogs of the opening ceremony and all the World of Warcraft panels.
The Daily Grind: What do you think Blizzard's big secret announcement is?
Blizzard employees have been dropping hints over the last couple of weeks that there's a big announcement to be made at this year's BlizzCon, which starts later today. Speculation runs the spectrum from a new Diablo III expansion to World of Warcraft's next-next expansion, but the fan-favorite rumor suggests that Blizzard will in fact be announcing a new game altogether. The genre of that game -- and whether or not it will fill the void vacated by Titan -- is up for debate. What do you think Blizzard's big secret announcement will be? Yes, you get a gold star if you turn out to be right. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Blizzard teases Hearthstone announcement at BlizzCon
Select Hearthstone fansites and general gaming outlets have received curious mail from Blizzard Entertainment over the course of the last week. BlizzPro, Polygon, TouchArcade, and Hearthstone streamer Noxious have each shared a postcard which presents a blueprint of an in-game gadget and the following text: Making plans for BlizzCon -- I hope you like my invention! These postcards, combined with recent teasers on the Hearthstone website and November's goblin-themed card back, it seems likely BlizzCon will present an expansion themed around the mechanical side of the Warcraft universe and the long-standing goblin/gnome engineering rivalry. Some Hearthstone fans have even been attempting to read between the lines on Blizzard's on-site teasers, speculating on the addition of new game modes, new creature types, and possible new hero abilities. Given BlizzCon begins in less than 24 hours, it might be best to wait and see.
The BlizzCon line has already been started by one dedicated player
BlizzCon 2014 starts tomorrow, and if you're already in California for the event, you've got a whole day of ambling about ahead of you. You might think there's no reason to even think about the lines or the waiting that will come around tomorrow. But you'd be wrong: There is already a line to get into the convention that starts tomorrow, a line started by one dedicated fan waiting patiently at the front gate. Massively's sister site WoW Insider reports that the fan is Brendan "Tibs" Thibodeau, a Navy veteran who has been playing World of Warcraft since 2005 and has racked up 29 level-capped characters with five legendary cloaks among them. Tibs has attended six BlizzCons and been at the front of the line for four of those, due in no small part to the dedication necessary to get in line a day before most people even think about queueing up. At last update, however, the second spot in line is still available. BlizzCon returns to Anaheim during the weekend of November 7th and 8th, 2014! Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's Warlords of Draenor expansion or the latest news from Diablo III, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
There's already someone in line at BlizzCon, and they have 29 level 90's
If you were planning on being first in line at BlizzCon, you're already too late. The front of the line has been taken by Brendan "Tibs" Thibodeau, aka Slowmilk, a level 90 tauren death knight from Zangarmarsh, as well as a host of other characters. How many, you might ask -- how about twenty-nine level 90's, complete with five legendary cloaks, eleven Thunderfuries, four Sulfuron Hammers, and one set of Warglaives of Azzinoth completed, with two more in progress. This BlizzCon is the sixth for Tibs, and out of those six BlizzCons, he has been first in line four times. A fifteen year Navy veteran, Tibs played World of Warcraft overseas and once he got home as well. "World of Warcraft was my second home," said Tibs, who has been playing World of Warcraft since December of 2005. "It was getting on and meeting other people from all over the world and having those connections." As for what he'd like to see from BlizzCon ... well, he's still hoping for a mount -- the one and only BlizzCon mount was the Polar Bear from BlizzCon 2008. But in the meantime, Tibs has been busy working on his own goals -- he just got a degree in game production, and hopes to work for Blizzard one day himself. Until then, we know where to find him ... he'll be the guy with the first goodie bag and badge of the con.
