Google and Activision Blizzard have announced a major new multi-year esports deal that will, among other things, make YouTube the exclusive global streaming partner for live esports broadcasts involving games like Call of Duty, Hearthstone, and Overwatch. The only exception is in China, according to the companies, which refer to this deal as a 'strategic relationship.'
It's that time of the year again: Blizzard has launched the Overwatch Lunar New Year 2020 event, offering a large number of new skins that are unlockable by completing challenges. The game is celebrating the Year of the Rat with a new brawl mode called 'Capture the Flag Blitz,' which is a version of the regular Capture the Flag mode that moves the flags much closer to each other.
One of the biggest announcements of BlizzCon 2019 was that of Overwatch 2. Blizzard didn't give us a reveal date for Overwatch 2, and unlike some other companies, Blizzard games can sometimes take years in between reveal and launch. In short: While many might hope that Overwatch 2 is coming out at some point in 2020, it could very well be a longer wait.
Way back at BlizzCon 2018, Blizzard revealed Warcraft 3: Reforged, which is a remake of the game for the modern era. At the time, Blizzard said that the game would be out in 2019, and given the timing of its announcement, most of probably figured that meant "late 2019." We've gone through almost entire year without word on Reforged's release date, but that all changed this week.
It really wasn't too much of a surprise to see Diablo 4 headline BlizzCon 2019 over the weekend. The game has been the subject of rumors for a long time, and in the past years or so, those rumors and reports have really ramped u[. Unfortunately, the game's appearance at BlizzCon doesn't mean we're closing in on release - on the contrary, it sounds like it'll be a long time before Diablo 4 is out.
China was watching as Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack walked onstage today at BlizzCon. Knowing full well that this event might be overshadowed by the biggest Blizzard-related news of the latter half of the year, Brack began the first major presentation of the event with what might've appeared to be an apology. He did use the word "sorry", but he did not use the words "China" or "Hong Kong" whatsoever.
Diablo 4 wasn't the only big reveal of BlizzCon 2019's opening ceremony, as Blizzard also announced Overwatch 2. Rumors and whispers heading into BlizzCon 2019 suggested such a reveal was going to happen, and it turns out they were right. Overwatch 2 will apparently put a heavier emphasis on PvE content, though fans who enjoy Overwatch's PvP modes will be taken care of as well.
As expected, Blizzard opened BlizzCon 2019 with the reveal of Diablo 4. Just like earlier leaks suggested, Diablo 4 sees the rise of a new Prime Evil: Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto. The game seems to be a return to form for the Diablo series, as Blizzard promises a game that is a lot darker in tone. Indeed, the two trailers Blizzard debuted today got that message across loud and clear, as they definitely aren't warm and inviting.
Later today, BlizzCon 2019 will kick off, and many of us are expecting it to be a big show. After an underwhelming BlizzCon 2018, rumor has it that Blizzard will pull out the big guns this year, revealing both Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. When you consider that we'll probably also see new announcements regarding World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, it should be a pretty big show.
BlizzCon is set to kick off tomorrow, and Blizzard is widely expected to reveal Diablo 4 during the show. As with many expected big-name reveals, there have been a number of leaks surrounding the game, and the latest one paints an encouraging picture for those who have a soft spot for Diablo 2. It seems that Blizzard has looked to Diablo 2 for a lot of inspiration for Diablo 4, which should make a lot of franchise fans happy.
The Switch is a console that lends itself well to owning a digital library. With that focus on portability, there's something to be said for having most or all of your games installed on the console and ready to play, regardless of where you happen to be at the time. Still, there will always be many gamers who prefer owning physical copies of games, but if you're in that camp and you're planning on picking up Overwatch tomorrow, you might want to skip the physical copy and just buy directly from the Nintendo eShop.
Blizzard is one of several companies to fall into the trap that is state-run media in the nation of China in the year 2019. Blizzard hosts gaming tournaments in China - it's big business, and has the potential for big growth. China and Hong Kong are in the midst of political upheaval via a protest in Hong Kong that's been in play since June of 2019. Because China wants to stop the protest, they're pressuring all media (including Blizzard) to do away with any form of public protest on their network, lest they remove said media from China altogether.