During a recent interview with Bloomberg, Blizzard Entertainment president Johanna Faries revealed plans for what is to come from the studio heading into 2026 and beyond. According to Johanna Faries, she’s thinking in 5-year timeframes when it comes to approaching the future, and wants to push both new big releases as well as new content for well-known existing Blizzard franchises.
Blizzard Entertainment President Wants to Push Focus both on new releases and existing franchises
After being acquired by Microsoft in 2023, Blizzard Entertainment has now revealed new details regarding its plans for how the studio plans to operate under them in the future. These details have come directly from Blizzard Entertainment’s President, Johanna Faries, who stepped into her role in January 2024.
According to Johanna Faries, she is thinking in ‘five-year terms’ for the studio, and has plans to continue expanding the lineup of games across their established worlds. This may mean that we see some new titles, such as Hearthstone, which utilizes World of Warcraft characters, spells, and lore in a card game, or even something similar to Heroes of the Storm, which is a MOBA game featuring characters from many iconic Blizzard IPs, such as Overwatch, WoW, Diablo, and more.
In addition to this, Johanna also stated that she wants the team to be able to push out ‘one or two big releases’ per year. Here’s what she stated on this matter:
“Our fans are hungry. They want to get involved. They want to feel reliability as well. They want us have a sense of what’s right around the corner. Let’s look at it as a portfolio, and let’s make sure that every — let’s say calendar year — there are at least one to two really big things that Blizzard is pumping out.”
Two Big Launches Will Kick Off the Year of 2026 For Blizzard Entertainment
World of Warcraft: Midnight
To kick off this approach, Blizzard already has two launches confirmed for 2026. The first of these is World of Warcraft: Midnight, which has a planned release date of March 2, 2026. World of Warcraft: Midnight is an expansion for the MMO that plans to implement many new stories and features. This includes the ability to decorate your own home, with Community Hubs offering a chance to live next to other players and work together in a communal environment. There will be monthly neighborhood-wide activities set to bring players together, offering unlockable themed decorations and new NPCs for your neighborhood as rewards.
“Prepare to face Xal’atath, the Harbinger and the Void in World of Warcraft: Midnight launching worldwide on March 2, 2026, at 3:00 pm PST. Players who have purchased any edition of the Midnight expansion can secure Housing Early Access starting December 2, 2025.”
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
Following that, Diablo 4 will gain a second expansion with the release of Lord of Hatred on April 28, 2026. Lord of Hatred brings a new campaign, two new classes, and more to look forward to. These two new classes involve the Paladin, as well as one more mystery class that is yet to be revealed. Players will be able to explore a brand new region in Skovos, the ancient birthplace of the firstborn civilization and the former home of Lilith and Inarius. Players can explore volcanic lands in the West, lush forests in the East, and sunken lands filled with crumbling temples and waterlogged shores in between. Every expedition will reveal new monsters, new towns to visit, dungeons to explore, and secrets to uncover.
There are also a number of skill/item updates being made with the arrival of the Lord of Hatred expansion. This update aims to bring more customization and enhancements for all eight classes, with skill tree reworks, new skill variants, level cap increases, a new loot filter, and more.
Lastly, the new Lord of Hatred content aims to reshape endgame content for players with new system updates, new activities, and rewards. Here’s what players can look forward to, according to the official Diablo 4 website:
“Once the campaign ends, your journey is just beginning. Lord of Hatred brings new ways to engage with Diablo IV’s endgame, combining new activities and major system updates designed around choice, mastery, and high-stakes rewards.
Craft War Plans to create your own endgame progression – advance through selections of your favorite activities and apply a range of modifiers to earn coveted rewards.
Put your builds to the ultimate test in the Echoing Hatred, facing unending demonic hordes. Plus, find respite from demon-flaying by Fishing through the perilous waterways of Sanctuary.”
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