With Overwatch having a successful launch, all eyes are on Blizzard to see what they will unveil next. Even though Blizzard doesn’t directly have a conference at E3, there is no doubt that their presence will be felt this year. This is largely thanks to the massive critical and financial success that is Overwatch and the upcoming release of their first feature film Warcraft. Blizzard has always made a habit of surprising us, though with so few actual IPs under their name one has to wonder what they could unveil.
There are a few possibilities for what we could expect from Blizzard this year, but it would be surprising if the studio announced anything major. Especially since the developers like to save any big reveals for their own conference, Blizzcon.
Currently, Blizzard is on top of the world and they are going to need a strong showing to keep all of the gaming media’s attention. Here’s what you can expect from Blizzard at this year’s E3, 2016.
Diablo/Starcraft Maintenance
With both games having incredible longevity, there is no doubt that they will get some time to shine. The season mechanic in Diablo 3 has proven to be a successful idea that has continued to grow and cultivate a community of dedicated players. Being 7 seasons in so far, getting some news on what the future could hold is certainly plausible. Especially since each season offers unique loot, set pieces, and cosmetics for each class. It also wouldn’t be surprising if more balancing was brought to the game and the variety of different heroes.
Speaking of balancing, Starcraft is always a popular title to receive small changes and it wouldn’t be surprising if we got more info on this as well. Under the possibility that they don’t make any nerfs/buffs to various units, it’s highly probable Blizzard will at least discuss Starcraft on an Esports level this year.
Diablo 3 Expansion
Speaking of Diablo 3, it wouldn’t be surprising if Blizzard decided to drop a trailer for the next expansion to this game. Given how Blizzard tends to take a fair amount of time with each of their game expansions, there is no doubt that Diablo 3 could have one just around the corner. This idea is only grown due to the fact that Diablo 3 is also now on consoles, which would allow them to make a big stage announcement.
Thanks to Reaper of Souls and the aforementioned Season system, Diablo 3 still has a lot of life left in it. Since the prospect of an actual Diablo 4 is highly unlikely, this seems like a logical announcement for them to make if they plan on sustaining this title.
World of Warcraft: Legion Reminder
As the 6th expansion for this MMO right around the corner, it’s doubtful we will get any major announcements with regards to game changing mechanics. What is possible is a bit of new lore, a trailer, and possibly some gameplay footage that hasn’t been released. We know almost everything that is being packaged with the game currently, so this would probably only show up to remind audiences that it is releasing soon.
What will be interesting to see is how the presence of Warcraft is received since their feature film is also about to release soon. Since Blizzard is giving free copies of the game to patrons who see the movie, there is no doubt that Blizzard is still putting a ton of focus on arguably their biggest title.
Overwatch Character/Level Reveal
Overwatch is pretty much all anyone is talking about right now, so there’s a good chance it will be receiving some news. Much like Diablo 3, Overwatch is also on consoles so they can appear at a big conference and announce some big reveal. This will most likely be the Ranked Game mode and the reveal of a new character for everyone to gawk and draw fanart about.
There has been heavy speculation about who the new character could be, but Blizzard has stayed mute on any specifics. Make no mistake, Overwatch will show up next week in some capacity the only question is how big of a reveal is Blizzard going to make.
Hearthstone News
Hearthstone is another one of those games that will pretty much always have some new content or news circulating around it. To what degree is unknown, but a console version of the game wouldn’t be out of the question. Since both Overwatch and Diablo 3 have been so successful, moving this addictive card game to the new generation of systems seems like a smart idea.
Another possibility is a brand new expansion for the game, though this is a little more unlikely since their latest one, Whisper of the Old Gods, released April 2016. There is also a high possibility that we will learn more about the competitive side of Hearthstone since that has been flourishing ever since release.
New Movie Announcement
I know, this is a real long shot. Though the concept of Blizzard announcing that another movie is in the works wouldn’t be completely out of left field, it’s clear that they are more than willing to jump head first into this medium, so announcing that one of their other franchises will be coming to the big screen may be just what they need to keep the buzz focused on them. Since Overwatch has had incredibly successful animated shorts, it would be interesting to see a full movie discussing the backstory – especially since the game lacks any real campaign.
In terms of live action, Starcraft jumps to the top of the list. It’s an already established and well-known brand among both the gaming and general nerd culture. Giving Raynor his big screen debut would be quite the spectacle, though this seems like something Blizzard would reveal at their own convention.
Brand New Game
By far this idea has the slimmest possibility of happening this year at E3. While Blizzard has in the past discussed returning to the Warcraft RTS space, this still seems like something they be least likely to show off. Though seeing a new Warcraft RTS is certainly welcomed, and it certainly would steal the show if they dropped any information on it during a press conference. Even a remastering of the old games could play really well with the gaming community. It may be the least likely, but there is the tiniest of chances of this being revealed as well.
This year for Blizzard is all about maintaining their momentum. The company hasn’t had this much focus on them in some time and certainly has the potential to knock everyone out of their seats. In a space full of gaming giants, Blizzard may have a hard time being the biggest winner of E3, 2016.
