Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment business and news from across the web.
Weekend PC Download Deals for July 3: Steam Summer Sale continuesThe Steam Summer Sale and other PC gaming storefronts are offering numerous deals on a wide variety of titles. This includes discounts on major releases, indie games, and bundles across platforms like Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and Humble Bundle. Several retailers are participating, with prices and availability varying.
Lord of Hatred upgraded Diablo 4 into one of the best action RPGs out there, but its new season ignores everything that…While the Lord of Hatred expansion significantly improved Diablo 4 with new skill trees and crafting systems, the current Season of Death Awakening feels like a step backward. The new 'Ruptures' and world boss encounters fail to integrate with the expansion's robust systems, offering little incentive for players to engage with them beyond the endgame grind. This disconnect suggests a need for Blizzard to re-evaluate its seasonal content strategy to better align with the game's evolving core mechanics.
On the unionization frontlinesTwo significant unionization victories occurred in the video game industry: Bethesda Game Studios employees formed a union at Microsoft, and the World of Warcraft development staff formed the World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild at Blizzard Entertainment. The Communications Workers of America, represented by Emma Kinema, spearheaded these efforts, with insights from Bethesda's Autumn Mitchell and Chris Lusco discussed in the Game Developer Podcast.
Are these the 100 most influential games of all time?Kitfox Games CEO Tanya Short discusses a list of the 100 most influential video games of all time, compiled by professional game designers. The list, assembled through the Polaris game design retreat, aims to serve as a tool for designers to improve their craft and create influential games.- Not So Massively: Blizzard’s reckless experimentation on StarCraft II and Heroes of the StormThe article criticizes Blizzard Entertainment's recent balance patches for StarCraft II and Heroes of the Storm, suggesting reckless experimentation with minimal testing and communication. The author argues that these drastic changes, particularly to core mechanics, are detrimental to the games and their communities, drawing parallels between the two titles under Blizzard's classic games team.
World of Warcraft's on the quality-of-life boost warpath, with fixes including an auto-loot setting that's been mildly inconveniencing alt-lovers for yearsBlizzard Entertainment is implementing several quality-of-life improvements in World of Warcraft, including a persistent auto-loot setting that no longer resets for new characters. Other updates include performance enhancements for Silvermoon City, faster Prey hunts, EXP buffs, reduced repair costs for raiders, and profession knowledge point resets. Future additions will make the Voidforge accessible from Silvermoon City and reduce the cost of crafted housing decor.
Free Play Days – Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Diablo IV, Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, and MoreXbox is offering several games for free play this weekend, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Diablo IV, and Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure. Diablo IV and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 are available to all Xbox players, while Ikonei Island requires an Xbox Game Pass membership. Demonschool and The Stone of Madness also feature limited-time trials.
WoW's bug-filled April patch was actually from trying to fix too much too fast, says director Ion Hazzikostas—like an elevator from 13 years ago that blew up housingWorld of Warcraft director Ion Hazzikostas explained that the numerous bugs in Patch 12.0.5 were not due to a rushed development cycle, but rather an aggressive attempt to fix issues close to the release date. One significant bug that disabled player housing was traced back to a last-minute fix for a 2013 Siege of Orgrimmar elevator issue, highlighting the complex interdependencies within the game's code.- TUNED IN, A SHIFTING ANTHOLOGY OF NIGHTMARESVercors Games, a new studio founded by former Tequila Works staff and talent from Airship Syndicate and Blizzard, has announced its debut title, Tuned In. This horror game traps players in a cursed television broadcast, featuring puzzles, branching narratives, and a graphic novel aesthetic. A free prologue will be available to those who sign up for the upcoming Kickstarter campaign, with the full game set to launch on Steam and Steam Deck in 2027.
As PlayStation kills discs, former Blizzard boss says "we can't live in a world of fear if our games will work…Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has expressed concerns regarding Sony Interactive Entertainment's move towards an all-digital, disc-less future for PlayStation consoles, starting in January 2028. He urges platform holders to establish clear digital promises for consumers, ensure game accessibility in the long term, and innovate game sharing features to match the ease of physical disc lending.- Diablo 4’s Worst Grind Just Got A Lot Easier In Season 14Blizzard Entertainment has significantly eased the endgame grind in Diablo 4's Season 14 by implementing changes to gem acquisition and conversion recipes. Players will now find more gem fragments and benefit from streamlined conversion processes, making the pursuit of powerful Horadric and Flawless Horadric Gems less time-consuming. These adjustments aim to improve the overall player experience despite other grind-heavy changes introduced in the season.
World of Warcraft patch 12.1 tackles bug fixes and housing decor costs, as Blizzard focuses on delivering a "polished experience"Blizzard Entertainment is addressing numerous bugs and quality-of-life issues in World of Warcraft with upcoming patch 12.1, following a rocky launch for its latest expansion. Game Director Ion Hazzikostas discussed the challenges of maintaining a 20-year-old game and detailed improvements to player housing decor costs and profession resets. The patch aims to provide a more polished experience for players.- Perfect Ten: The 10 worst problems in the MMORPG community that we could probably fixThis opinion piece identifies ten fixable problems within the MMORPG community, ranging from nostalgic revisionism about past game experiences to issues with player entitlement and antisocial behavior. It argues for greater honesty, acceptance of change, and a focus on constructive community engagement to improve the overall player experience.
'I cannot do my job when Microsoft refuses to do theirs', say Xbox union workers as destructive reset looms from a company that spent over $80 billion on AI last yearUnionized workers at Microsoft and its subsidiaries are speaking out against the company's pattern of layoffs and studio closures, despite significant investments in AI and high executive pay. Employees express frustration over job insecurity, feeling expendable despite hard work and successful projects. They argue that Microsoft has the financial resources to protect its workforce, citing billions invested in AI and recent console price increases, and are demanding better treatment and transparency.
Heroes of the Storm esports is back, but it's just for one dayBlizzard Entertainment is bringing back Heroes of the Storm esports for a special one-day event as part of the Blizzard Classic Cup at BlizzCon 2026. The event will feature a rerun of the 2018 HGC finale and include legacy matches for StarCraft, StarCraft 2, and Warcraft 3, alongside Overwatch World Cup and other Blizzard esports tournaments.
Marvel’s Blade Could Be Cancelled as Xbox Considers Shutting Down Arkane Studios – RumorReports suggest that Xbox is considering cancelling Marvel's Blade and potentially closing Arkane Studios in Lyon due to budget concerns and impending layoffs. Other studios like Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs are also reportedly on the chopping block, with potential layoffs extending to id Software and Blizzard Entertainment.
Hunt the Death Cult in Season of Death AwakeningDiablo IV's Season of Death Awakening launches on June 30, introducing new mechanics like Pandemonium Ruptures, Mythic Uniques 3.0, and the Tower & Leaderboards. The update also brings quality-of-life improvements, a free Warlock class trial, and an Overwatch collaboration. Players can also try the new Solo Self Found mode and earn various seasonal rewards.- MMO Week in Review: Guild Wars goes mobile, Bungie gets layoffsThis week's MMO news includes Guild Wars launching on mobile, Star Trek Online's new update, and Throne & Liberty's summer expansion. However, the industry also saw significant layoffs at Sony and Bungie, impacting hundreds of developers working on Destiny 2 and Marathon. Other news includes Valve's Steam Machine pricing, the ongoing Ashes of Creation lawsuit, and updates on Grand Theft Auto VI's online multiplayer.
- Blizzard moves ahead with its Project Ascension rogue server lawsuit by sending motion summons requestsBlizzard Entertainment has initiated legal proceedings against World of Warcraft rogue server Project Ascension by filing official summons requests. This action follows their previous shutdown of Turtle WoW and indicates a continued effort to protect the World of Warcraft intellectual property. Failure to respond within 21 days could result in a default judgment for Blizzard.
- Rumor: Microsoft’s next layoffs are poised to hit Blizzard, Bethsoft, and Undead LabsRumors suggest Microsoft is planning significant layoffs across several of its gaming studios, including Undead Labs, Blizzard Entertainment, and Bethesda Softworks. These cuts are reportedly the largest for Xbox and come as the company evaluates its recent Activision Blizzard acquisition. Unionized workers at Xbox are reportedly organizing to negotiate over potential job losses.